Rome\'s most able general?

[Paullus Scipio]

Getting back on topic, namely the ability of Rome's Generals, Varro gets a 'bad press' in our sources, in contrast to Aemilius Paullus. Both Livy and Appian seem to have relied on Polybius' account to a greater or lesser extent.

Now as a commander, Polybius denigrates Gaius Terrentius Varro ( because he was a client of the powerful Cornelii Scipiones, and their firends and relatives the Aemilii ) saying among other slander that when it was Aemilius Paullus' turn to command at Cannae, he declined battle, but the next day Varro, on his day of command, impetuously led the army out to battle and of course disaster.

However, two things stick out as very wrong with this version of events.
Firstly, it was evidently the Senate's strategy to raise Rome's biggest Army to date, confront Hannibal, and crush him. The two Consuls, in carrying out this strategy, must have been in accord, and Paullus can hardly have intended Fabius' tactics. Certainly, the Consuls act well together, aggressively bringing Hannibal to battle.
Secondly, Roman commanders commanded either from the Post of Honour on the right wing, or else in the centre, but NEVER from the left ( at least that I can recall ).

At Cannae, Aemilius Paullus commanded the Right wing, and Varro, not even the centre, but the Left. It is Paullus who seemingly accepts responsibility for the defeat, by choosing to die with his army (like many other commanders)
Furthermore after the battle, the Senate placed no blame on Varro for the disaster, ( which they surely would have had he been in command)but formally thanked him for not 'despairing of the Republic'.

So it seems likely that it was Paullus, not Varro, who had overall command that fateful day.

This, then, would appear to illustrate the point made earlier that to be a Great Commander, you needed a Historian to write about you, and what's more, give you a 'good press' not a bad one !!! lol: