Hannibal and the Punic Wars

The Road to Zama: The Heroization of Scipio and the Betrayal of Massinissa

These are the preliminaries to the battle of Zama in the classical record, a mélange of inconsistencies and contradictions. But what did really transpire in the battle that followed? As we will see in the next article, the descriptions of the engagement contain highly unlikely elements, and some recent evidence has even led to questioning whether the battle itself actually took place!

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© Yozan Mosig, 2012

Yozan Mosig

Yozan Mosig

Yozan Mosig is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Kearney and has a deep interest in Ancient History, particularly the period of the Punic Wars, which he has been researching for the last 20 years. His Hannibal Library contains over 10,000 items.

2 thoughts on “The Road to Zama: The Heroization of Scipio and the Betrayal of Massinissa

  • Mr. Mosig, of your on top of an elephant that is charging or inning amuck it is going to be very difficult to kill it or make it move left or right! Moreover, Hannibal fed his elephants wine and stabbed them in their ankles before battle. An inebriated enraged elephant is virtually impossibility for its rider to control!

    Reply
  • Phillip Jones

    Mr. Mosig, if you’re on top of an elephant that is charging or running amuck it is going to be very difficult to kill it or make it move left or right! These are six ton animals ! Moreover, Hannibal fed his elephants wine and stabbed them in their ankles before battle. An inebriated enraged elephant is virtually impossibility for its rider to control!

    Reply

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