Joined May 2011
363 Posts | 1+
Sweden
Who were, in your opinion, the (5)greatest generals of the Roman Republic - and why? You can also vote for your favourite general of the Roman Republic in the poll above.
My own list looks like this:
1. Gaius Julius Caesar.
A masterly general and a superb leader, Caesar conquered not only Gaul, Egypt and Pontus, but also the Roman Republic. He defeated competent military leaders such as Vercingetorix and Pompey Magnus, even when he was outnumbered 1-2. His victories at Alesia and Pharsalus were brilliant, as was the engineering behind the bridge across the Rhine.
2. Gaius Marius/Lucius Cornelius Sulla.
I've never been able to decide who I think was the better general out of Marius and Sulla, so I'll let them share the second place. Marius was a New Man from Arpinum who became consul no less than seven times - an unprecedented, not to mention illegal, feat. He defeated king Jugurtha of Numidia, even though it was actually Sulla who ended the war by personally capturing the king. A few years later, he defeated the Teutones and the Cimbri in the battles of Aquae Sextiae and Vercellae - despite being outnumbered 1-3. He also had some minor victories in the Social War. Moreover, the Marian reforms had a major impact on the Roman army, which became a considerably more effective fighting force.
In his youth, Sulla was the right-hand-man of Marius. He assisted him in the Jugurthine War and in the war against the Germanians. In the Social War, Sulla won the Grass Crown outside the walls of Nola, after which he became consul in 88 BC. As consul, he was appointed the supreme commander in the First Mithridatic War, but Sulpicius the Tribune of the Plebs stripped him of that command in the Plebeian Assembly and gave it to Marius. Outraged, Sulla marched on Rome, defeated Marius in a minor engagement and had him exiled. After that, Sulla left for the East, besieged Athens and defeated the Mithridatic forces in the battles of Chaeronea and Orchomenus - despite being outnumbered 1-3. Having beaten Mithridates, Sulla returned to Italy. An ally of the dead Marius, Gnaeus Papirius Carbo, had taken control of Rome and declared Sulla a public enemy, so Sulla literally fought his way to Rome, where he won the battle of the Colline Gate. After that he had himself appointed Dictator and lived happily ever after. Sort of.
3. Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus.
His most famous victory is that against Hannibal at Zama, but an even more impressive feat is his campaign in Spain, which culminated in the battle of Ilipa in 206 BC. Heavily outnumbered, he fought his way through Carthaginian Spain and forced the Carthaginians to evacuate the country. About a decade after Zama, Scipio(together with his brother, Lucius) fought against Antiochus the Great, whom he defeated in the battle of Magnesia in 190 BC.
4. Quintus Sertorius.
One of the most able followers of Marius. He fought in the Jugurthine War and against the Germanians. When Sulla invaded Italy, he fled to Spain. There he was welcomed with open arms by the Lusitani, after which he started organizing resistance against Sulla. The Dictator(Sulla) responded by sending one of his most trusted generals, Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius the Piglet, to Spain, but Pius was unable to counter Sertorius' use of guerilla warfare. A few years and many Sertorian victories later, the Senate sent Pompey the Great to Spain. Contemptuously calling Pompey "Sulla's pupil", Sertorius trounced the forces of Pompey in the battle of Lauro, after which he almost captured Pompey during the battle of Sucro. Pius and Pompey joined their forces and engaged Sertorius at Saguntum, where they managed to win an indecisive victory. Realizing that he couldn't win the war, a desperate Pompey posted a fat reward on the head of Sertorius, who was murdered by one of his own men.
5. Lucius Licinius Lucullus.
Sulla's most ardent supporter, and also his most brilliant general. Lucullus fought together with Sulla in the First Mithridatic War, and was later appointed supreme commander in the Third Mithridatic War. Vastly outnumbered, Lucullus drove Mithridates out of Pontus and invaded Armenia. There he won the famous battle of Tigranocerta against the Armenian king, Tigranes the Great, after which he marched on the Armenian capital of Artaxata. However, his troops mutinied and refused to follow him, after which Pompey the Great took his command from him.
My own list looks like this:
1. Gaius Julius Caesar.
A masterly general and a superb leader, Caesar conquered not only Gaul, Egypt and Pontus, but also the Roman Republic. He defeated competent military leaders such as Vercingetorix and Pompey Magnus, even when he was outnumbered 1-2. His victories at Alesia and Pharsalus were brilliant, as was the engineering behind the bridge across the Rhine.
2. Gaius Marius/Lucius Cornelius Sulla.
I've never been able to decide who I think was the better general out of Marius and Sulla, so I'll let them share the second place. Marius was a New Man from Arpinum who became consul no less than seven times - an unprecedented, not to mention illegal, feat. He defeated king Jugurtha of Numidia, even though it was actually Sulla who ended the war by personally capturing the king. A few years later, he defeated the Teutones and the Cimbri in the battles of Aquae Sextiae and Vercellae - despite being outnumbered 1-3. He also had some minor victories in the Social War. Moreover, the Marian reforms had a major impact on the Roman army, which became a considerably more effective fighting force.
In his youth, Sulla was the right-hand-man of Marius. He assisted him in the Jugurthine War and in the war against the Germanians. In the Social War, Sulla won the Grass Crown outside the walls of Nola, after which he became consul in 88 BC. As consul, he was appointed the supreme commander in the First Mithridatic War, but Sulpicius the Tribune of the Plebs stripped him of that command in the Plebeian Assembly and gave it to Marius. Outraged, Sulla marched on Rome, defeated Marius in a minor engagement and had him exiled. After that, Sulla left for the East, besieged Athens and defeated the Mithridatic forces in the battles of Chaeronea and Orchomenus - despite being outnumbered 1-3. Having beaten Mithridates, Sulla returned to Italy. An ally of the dead Marius, Gnaeus Papirius Carbo, had taken control of Rome and declared Sulla a public enemy, so Sulla literally fought his way to Rome, where he won the battle of the Colline Gate. After that he had himself appointed Dictator and lived happily ever after. Sort of.
3. Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus.
His most famous victory is that against Hannibal at Zama, but an even more impressive feat is his campaign in Spain, which culminated in the battle of Ilipa in 206 BC. Heavily outnumbered, he fought his way through Carthaginian Spain and forced the Carthaginians to evacuate the country. About a decade after Zama, Scipio(together with his brother, Lucius) fought against Antiochus the Great, whom he defeated in the battle of Magnesia in 190 BC.
4. Quintus Sertorius.
One of the most able followers of Marius. He fought in the Jugurthine War and against the Germanians. When Sulla invaded Italy, he fled to Spain. There he was welcomed with open arms by the Lusitani, after which he started organizing resistance against Sulla. The Dictator(Sulla) responded by sending one of his most trusted generals, Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius the Piglet, to Spain, but Pius was unable to counter Sertorius' use of guerilla warfare. A few years and many Sertorian victories later, the Senate sent Pompey the Great to Spain. Contemptuously calling Pompey "Sulla's pupil", Sertorius trounced the forces of Pompey in the battle of Lauro, after which he almost captured Pompey during the battle of Sucro. Pius and Pompey joined their forces and engaged Sertorius at Saguntum, where they managed to win an indecisive victory. Realizing that he couldn't win the war, a desperate Pompey posted a fat reward on the head of Sertorius, who was murdered by one of his own men.
5. Lucius Licinius Lucullus.
Sulla's most ardent supporter, and also his most brilliant general. Lucullus fought together with Sulla in the First Mithridatic War, and was later appointed supreme commander in the Third Mithridatic War. Vastly outnumbered, Lucullus drove Mithridates out of Pontus and invaded Armenia. There he won the famous battle of Tigranocerta against the Armenian king, Tigranes the Great, after which he marched on the Armenian capital of Artaxata. However, his troops mutinied and refused to follow him, after which Pompey the Great took his command from him.
