Ancient Armies YouTube video on Zama

[Steven James]

I did an article for Slingshot back in the late 90’s, if memory serves me well, explaining that Hannibal kept his third line of veterans 200 yards to the rear of the second line so as to outflank the Roman infantry. This then became impossible with the rout of the second line onto the third line of veterans. I think the article was titled “Zama, the infantry battle revisited.”

 

I once had an interesting debate with me debunking the battle of Zama on the History Forum, and the person who I was in debate with believed I would change my mind after reading a paper on the battle. The link was then given, and lo and behold, it was my paper on the battle of Zama. So it seems I am a good historian when I agree there was a battle of Zama, but a bad historian if I don’t believe there was a battle of Zama.

 

I don’t believe there was a battle of Zama between Scipio and Hannibal. An intense investigation into army numbers and causality numbers from the First Punic War to the end of the Second Punic War has shown be the truth. My paper on Scipio’s army and fleet of 204 BC, contains one piece of information relating to how Appian arrived at Hannibal’s army incurring 25,000 killed and 8,000 captured.

 

(PDF) THE ARMY AND FLEET OF PUBLIUS SCIPIO'S AFRICAN CAMPAIGN: 204 BC | Steven James - Academia.edu

 

“The numbers allocated to Publius Scipio’s army do not end with the Roman army. Appian’s 25,000 Carthaginians killed at the battle of Zama in 202 BC has been rounded and converted from Publius Scipio’s army of 24,880 men (22,720 infantry and 2,160 cavalry). Appian’s figure of 8,500 Carthaginians captured at Zama has been arrived at by deducting the 16,320 infantry that Publius Scipio levied in Italy in 204 BC from the 24,880 men in Africa, resulting in a residue of 8,560 men, which has been rounded and converted to 8,500 Carthaginians captured.”

 

24880 men (Africa)

- 16320 infantry (Italy)

= 8560 men

 

Someone commented to me that my numbers for Scipio’s navy and fleet were within a point 00001 margin. I’ve had a lot of offline discussions from people from all over the world, but so far no one online will say boo about those numbers.

 

I’ve since discovered how all the ancient historians have arrived at their numbers and causalities for Hannibal’s army at Zama. My conclusion is the battle of Zama was a fabricated battle invented by Cincius Alimentus. It was not the only battle Cincius Alimentus has fabricated. This I know because Cincius Alimentus leaves a mathematical signature.

 

Now I followed the link to the TMP and well, I see I have been drawn into the debate on that forum. Sometimes what I wrote at a given time, can be made redundant, so I would change Fabius Pictor to Cincius Alimentus and yes, the meeting between Hannibal and Scipio, I will admit did happen, but they only met to sign the peace treaty. That is all. Polybius’ version and rational belongs in an Abbot and Costello movie. However, I do not believe Polybius made it up, but was following the works of Cincius Alimentus, who consumed by his hatred of all things Carthaginians, wrote an alternative history of the Second Punic War. I will also add he wrote an alternative history of the Third Samnite War, which includes his trademark of using Roman army numbers for Samnite casualties, just like he did in the First and Second Punic Wars.