“Scipio Africanus asked who, in Hannibal’s opinion, was the greatest general of all time. Hannibal replied: ‘Alexander, King of the Macedonians, because with a small force he routed armies of countless numbers, and because he traversed the remotest lands. Merely to visit such lands transcended human expectation.’ Asked whom he would place second, Hannibal said: ‘Pyrrhus. He was the first to teach the art of laying out a camp. Besides that, no one has ever shown nicer judgement in choosing his ground, or in disposing his forces. He also had the art of winning men to his side; so that the Italian peoples preferred the overlordship of a foreign king to that of the Roman people, who for so long had been the chief power in that country.’ When Africanus followed up by asking whom he ranked third, Hannibal unhesitatingly chose himself. Scipio burst out laughing at this, and said: ‘What would you have said if you had defeated me?’ ‘In that case’, replied Hannibal, ‘I should certainly put myself before Alexander and before Pyrrhus – in fact, before all other generals!’Â “
Gaius_Iulius_Megas on
Pyrrhos was widely accepted as one of the best military minds of his time, just cursed with bad luck (and the unexpected resilience of a certain Italian city).
Lord_Parbr on
Seems completely reasonable to me
Krimli on
How dare you insult Pyrrhos.
MBRDASF on
Pyrrhus was an excellent general. He wasn’t as good a strategist and wasn’t very diplomatically gifted, but Hannibal’s choice makes perfect sense
7 Comments
“Scipio Africanus asked who, in Hannibal’s opinion, was the greatest general of all time. Hannibal replied: ‘Alexander, King of the Macedonians, because with a small force he routed armies of countless numbers, and because he traversed the remotest lands. Merely to visit such lands transcended human expectation.’ Asked whom he would place second, Hannibal said: ‘Pyrrhus. He was the first to teach the art of laying out a camp. Besides that, no one has ever shown nicer judgement in choosing his ground, or in disposing his forces. He also had the art of winning men to his side; so that the Italian peoples preferred the overlordship of a foreign king to that of the Roman people, who for so long had been the chief power in that country.’ When Africanus followed up by asking whom he ranked third, Hannibal unhesitatingly chose himself. Scipio burst out laughing at this, and said: ‘What would you have said if you had defeated me?’ ‘In that case’, replied Hannibal, ‘I should certainly put myself before Alexander and before Pyrrhus – in fact, before all other generals!’Â “
Pyrrhos was widely accepted as one of the best military minds of his time, just cursed with bad luck (and the unexpected resilience of a certain Italian city).
Seems completely reasonable to me
How dare you insult Pyrrhos.
Pyrrhus was an excellent general. He wasn’t as good a strategist and wasn’t very diplomatically gifted, but Hannibal’s choice makes perfect sense
Leave my boy pyrrus alone
didnt he pick napoleon, is he stupid?