Men Who Defied Rome (I of IV) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cannae

This bloodbath has earned Hannibal the respect of many later historical figures, such as Napoleon and Frederick the Great. In WWII, a German general informed his superior he would inflict 'a Cannae' on the Russians. I could go on like this for hours ... Another trivia point: Cannae was the bloodiest battle fought on Western European soil until 1916.

Answer: Rings

Despite the enormous number of Romans that Hannibal had slaughtered, he also lost a a very large number of his own men. He needed reinforcements from Carthage, and so took the rings of all the dead equites at Cannae to prove just how many Roman noblemen had died. Reinforcements only came once in the sixteen years he spent on Italian soil, and so he could never decisively beat the Romans.

Answer: The Syrian

It is common knowledge that Hannibal brought elephants over the alps (37 of them in fact), but contrary to popular belief, most of them died, not during the passsage over the alps, but in fact died of disease whilst already in Italy. Incidentally, when Hannibal himself was struck by disease and lost his sight in one eye, Polybius reports that the Syrian carried him for a while.

Answer: Metaurus

Hasdrubal had been left behind in Spain to watch the proverbial fort. In 207 he crossed the Alps to bring aid to Hannibal. Had he succeeded, the Carthaginians might well have won the Second Punic War, but Hasdrubal was defeated, and killed. The Romans threw his head into the Carthaginian camp, and from that point onwards, Hannibal was undeniably losing the war.

Answer: Cynoscephalae

Phillip had fought the Romans once before (during the Second Punic War), but the advances of a resurgent Seleucid Empire had caused him to hastily patch up a peace with Rome. After Carthage's power was broken, the Romans turned to avenge this affront.
Contemporaries had heatedly debated whether a Hellenistic phalanx or a Roman cohort was more effective. At Cynoscephalae, it was proved that the latter was the better.

Answer: Never

Unusually for Rome's enemies, he died in his bed. Despite having been defeated, he was given a relatively lenient peace, and left as king.
His son Perseus took up the struggle, was defeated, and paraded through Rome in triumph, before being strangled.

Answer: Lusitania

Spain had mostly been pacified by Viriathus' time, but Lusitania (roughly modern day Portugal) was still wild. The grazing was very poor, so many Lusitanians turned to brigandry to feed their people. Viriathus took that further ....

Answer: Killed by treacherous officers

Viriathus sent three envoys to the Roman consul. He received them in a tent furnished with the utmost luxury, and told the officers that all this could be theirs if they killed Viriathus. They did and the rebellion promptly petered out.

Answer: False

Jugurtha was not a wonderful general by the standards of those in this quiz. However, he was an exceptionally able politician. He bribed the first general sent against him, and also many more politicians in Rome to vote against action against him.

Answer: True

When he was brought back to Rome in triumph, he was wearing large earings. The Romans threw filth at him and ripped his clothing. They also ripped of his earing, and with it, his earlobe. He was then thrown into prison, and starved to death there.