Best/Personal Favorite Roman General Poll

[AndrewLC]

Julius Caesar!

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Now Minucius had the one most important trait that marks the successful general

[M. Porcius Cato]

Scipio Africanus -- he defeated one of the greatest generals of the ancient world.

[Gaius Octavius]

Well your favourite generals are all nice and such, but they never can top mine. My chosen general is Marcus Minucius Rufus. He was magister equitum to Q. Fabius Maximus during the second Punic war. After the battle at the lacus Trasumenus, the Romans preferred merely to follow Hannibal

[Gaius Octavius]

Scipio Africanus -- he defeated one of the greatest generals of the ancient world.

 

Without question! Scipio was the greatest captain of the ancient world! ( And maybe the modern world also!) He studied his enemy and worked his own tactics out before hand.

Edited April 7, 2007 by Gaius Octavius

[M. Porcius Cato]

Well your favourite generals are all nice and such, but they never can top mine. My chosen general is Marcus Minucius Rufus. ... Minucius had the one most important trait that marks the successful general

[ModernMarvel]

I have to go with Caesar. Yes, there were better tacticians in the history of Rome, and better warriors. However, the reason I pick Caesar is because of a few points.

 

1. Caesar's men were fanatically loyal to him. Not because they had to be, but because they loved him.

2. He was not "above" his men. Yes, he had better accommodations, but he shared in their experiences, and their hardships....to one degree or another.

3. LUCK

4. Inventiveness

5. Lastly, he bought many who didn't love him, and used politics to make things go smoother.

[alea iacta est]

I have to go with Julius Caesar what with the briliiance with which he executed so many battles against not just Gauls, Britons, Germans and even other Roman legions. Few other generals can come close to the victories he chalked up on his many campagins.

[alea iacta est]

Scipio Africanus -- he defeated one of the greatest generals of the ancient world.

 

But in all fairness I think you should note that he had a distinct advantage we he fought Hannibal at Zama

[alea iacta est]

Scipio Africanus -- he defeated one of the greatest generals of the ancient world.

 

Without question! Scipio was the greatest captain of the ancient world! ( And maybe the modern world also!) He studied his enemy and worked his own tactics out before hand.

 

So did many other succesful commanders for example Alexander the Great.

[M. Porcius Cato]

Scipio Africanus -- he defeated one of the greatest generals of the ancient world.

But in all fairness I think you should note that he had a distinct advantage we he fought Hannibal at Zama

OK--Scipio had a distinct advantage when he fought Hannibal at Zama.

[ModernMarvel]

Advantage or not, Scipio was no slouch!

 

Not only that, I dont care if Hannibal had a loincloth and a slingshot and I was in full riot gear....if I beat him, I'd shout it from the mountain tops!

 

Marv

[Crastinus]

Everyone always sleeps on Quintus Sertorius. He didnt enjoy the benefit really of commanding superior troops against the enemy, it was often quite the opposite when he had to face the legions of Metullus and Pompey. he developed the necessary gorilla tactics to cope with them in Spain. If he was given a bigger role in the war against Sulla rather then the shmos like Carbo who faced Sulla then the war may have turned out very diffrently. that is pure conjecture though, what is fact though is that he in a foreign land with foreign forces was able to cope with 2 competent Roman Generals (yah i called Pompey only competent, its really a discussion for another time though if u wanna argue that). And remember he wasnt vanquished in battle, he was assasinated by the vile Perpenna. I may not even think he was the best but he was certainly my favorite.

[oats]

I'm pretty sure the addition of Minucius was sarcasm, but it does highlight Fabius as an able strategist.

 

Scipio, Hannibal and the like were famed for their tactics, but overall strategy can be pretty boring.

 

The Fabian strategy of protracted war was probably the best way to wage a war against a superior opponent until the opportunity presented itself to retaliate.

 

Too often, Fabian generals are overlooked, underrated, and brushed off, even during their own time period (i.e. George Washington)

 

So Fabius would get my vote, though he was less flashy, but had a level head about him.