The return of Pyrrhus from his Sicilian adventure found Rome in bad straits. It was war-weary (constant warfare can do that to you) and suffering from a plague. In spite of that, Rome was still Rome. In 275 B.C., it sent two consular armies southward. Pyrrhus marched to meet them. Read more…
The first battle in the Pyrrhic War was fought near Heraclea in 280. Heraclea was located southwest of Tarentum on the sole of Italian boot. The Romans camped on the other side of a river. When a scout was captured, the Romans knew Pyrrhus was nearby. Pyrrhus’ army consisted Read more…
Roman military history is a popular subgenre in military history. Many books have been written about this period. Unfortunately, most of the original sources have been lost to history. For instance, Livy wrote a History of Rome from its beginnings to 9 B.C.E. Only 35 of his 142 books Read more…