All Things Cannae

[Paullus Scipio]

Steven/Antiochus wrote:-

So far there is no evidence to prove Livy neither wrong nor right in his choice of battle array. I’m going with Livy because so far he hasn’t let me down.

...but elsewhere, in your battle of Zama article for example, you have recognised that on occasion, Appian's details (numbers, casualties etc) can be more accurate, or as accurate at the very least, as Polybius or Livy........so why not in this instance? Couldn't Livy have been applying a presumed deployment based on what he knew was an 'antique' array?

One point in Appian's favour is that the troops of each Consular Army would have been used to forming up that way, and it was easy enough to put the two armies 'side-by-side'. Livy's proposition would have them deploy in what was then a 'novel' ( for them) way.....not the easiest thing to do with a vast array of 80,000 men.......

[antiochus]

Paul wrote

but elsewhere, in your battle of Zama article for example, you have recognised that on occasion, Appian's details (numbers, casualties etc) can be more accurate, or as accurate at the very least, as Polybius or Livy........so why not in this instance?

Ah but in this case Appian at Zama has supplied empirical data that can be collaborated with Livy. But when it comes to deployment, there is nothing to substantiate who is correct. There is no footprint in the sand, which is the case with empirical data. As one archaeologist said to me “you cannot beat empirical data.â€

[Vincula]

...but elsewhere, in your battle of Zama article for example,

:?: :?

[antiochus]

...but elsewhere, in your battle of Zama article for example,

:?: :?

An article I wrote for Slingshot some years ago on the infantry battle at Zama and my reasons as to why Scipio deployed his army in a single line. I passed the article onto Paul as part of our offline discussion. The article is being rewritten for the book based on additional research.

[Paullus Scipio]

For those interested in Steven's hypothesis regarding Scipio's defeat of Hannibal, it can be found on-line here.

http://www.fenrir.dk/history/index.php? ... _Revisited >.

While an excellent hypothesis and packed with interesting information, I would not entirely agree with Steven's ideas about Hannibal's plan...... :?