Hannibal and Scipio: Parallel Lives

The Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome began in 218 BCE and ended in 202 with the dramatic defeat at the Battle of Zama of Carthage's commander Hannibal by his adversary, the Roman Scipio. The two men were born about a decade apart but died in the same year, 183, following brilliant but ultimately unhappy careers. In this absorbing joint biography, celebrated historian Simon Hornblower reveals how the trajectory of each general illuminates his counterpart. Their individual journeys ...