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Griffith

Need help on a project about Punic Wars

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I'm working on a project about the Punic Wars and I need to find lots of information about Rome and Carthage during this era. Does anyone know any good books or online resources that would be helpful?

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For Carthage: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6422

 

For Rome, lots of stuff. "The War with Hannibal" by Livy and "Rise of the Roman Empire" by Polybius, both published by Penguin, give you the ancient world's two great historians on the era.

 

 

How historically accurate are Polybius' and Livy's accounts of the Punic Wars?

Edited by Griffith

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How historically accurate are Polybius' and Livy's accounts of the Punic Wars?

 

You are not going to get better than Ursus gave you..

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How historically accurate are Polybius' and Livy's accounts of the Punic Wars?

 

 

As accurate as any primary source.

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How historically accurate are Polybius' and Livy's accounts of the Punic Wars?

 

 

As accurate as any primary source.

 

Polybius was a contemporary of Scipio Aemilianus, the destroyer of Carthage circa 146 BC. He would have had first had knowledge of much of the 3rd Punic War. There are a couple more ancient sources that can be included as well...

 

Plutarch's biographies of direct players:

Life of Fabius Maximus

Life of Marcellus

 

Ancillary bios with some cross-over

Life of Flaminius

Life of Aemilius Paulus

 

Appian:

Foreign Wars - Books 6, 7 & 8 in particular.

 

Cassius Dio:

Roman History - Books 11 - 19

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If you would like to read something more modern, try B.H. Liddell Hart's "Scipio Africanus: Greater Than Napoleon" He was a British officer in WWII and a military historian.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Scipio-Africanus-Gre...n/dp/0306805839

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How historically accurate are Polybius' and Livy's accounts of the Punic Wars?

 

 

As accurate as any primary source.

 

 

So there is no bias on the part of Polybius and Livy against the Carthaginians which would make them alter what really happened in their histories?

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How historically accurate are Polybius' and Livy's accounts of the Punic Wars?

 

 

As accurate as any primary source.

 

 

So there is no bias on the part of Polybius and Livy against the Carthaginians which would make them alter what really happened in their histories?

Of course there was bias. Polybius was part of the Scipionic circle, and Livy was a roman. Having said that they are still both VERY good, and, widely available via the internet so start googling....!

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"Hannibal" by Theodore Ayrault Dodge, an American Civil War officer and noted historian.

 

-------------------------

Edit:

The two modern books I mentioned might help you with your 'bias' problem, or perhaps account for it.

Edited by Gaius Octavius

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The First and Second Punic Wars are given great deal by J.E. Lazenby, who takes them on individually in "The First Punic War: A Military History" and "Hannibal's War: A Military History of the Second Punic War". Then there is also the famous "The Punic Wars" By Adrian Goldsworthy. After that there is a flood of biographies, articles etc. etc.

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