Was the Metaurus the key battle of 2nd Punic War?

No one gives a frick, nerd

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Was the Metaurus the key battle of 2nd Punic War?

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Just finish Punic Nightmares?

That's what my old man used to always say when he was drinking.

Do you seriously not have ChatGPT?

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I'd submit it was the destruction of Hannibal last hope for success in Italy and was more important than zama.

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Fair enough, but Zama was so definitive. The myth of Hannibal was finally killed in the Roman psychology.

Recall that Cannae was the most damaging thing to the Roman psyche since 390 B.C. It can be argued that the Republic never fully recovered from it and its response led to the Empire.

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I'd submit it was the destruction of Hannibal last hope for success in Italy and was more important than zama.

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Metaurus broke Carthage’s resolve to reinforce Hannibal. It pretty much ended his campaigning in Italy. They cut off Hasdrubal head and send it to Hannibal.

Zama was the final blow.

Unfortunately for Claudius Nero, Scorpio Africanus lead Rome to victory and was an incredible self promoter. That’s why we remember him and his victories more than Claudius Nero at Metaurus.

I tore my Metaurus once, hurt like hell

The Battle of Metaurus combined with the morale effects from the Fabian Plan over the prior 15 years definitely was a turning point.

It’s crazy to think about Hannibal roaming the Italian countryside for 15 years, sacking cities only to lose them a few months later when he moved on, until Scipio Africanus made enough trouble outside of Italy.

The larger than life reputations of Hannibal and Scipio Africanus during the 2nd Punic War are fascinating.

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until Scipio Africanus made enough trouble outside of Italy.

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I think it was Maury’s that finally snapped the Romans out of entire fear. With Hasdrubal gone, Hannibal was alone. That’s when the plan to attack Carthage started being formulated. It forced Hannibal back on his own turf in defense instead of smashing around Italy.

cannae is the most devastating battle of all time, let alone in the war

if you scale the populations to today, it'd be like the US having 5 million young men killed in a single day