Ad Astra - Scipio and Hannibal - Vol. 9 Ch. 57 - A Man Changing
- Thread starter MangaDex
- Start date
@HansBass, @banas002 from Wikipedia, quoting Polybius, who is considered the most reliable source on the Second Punic War:
"Polybius gives a description of how Scipio Africanus stormed New Carthage:
'..directed [his soldiers], according to the Roman custom, against the people in the city, telling them to kill everyone they met and to spare no one, and not to start looting until they received the order. The purpose of this custom is to strike terror. Accordingly one can see in cities captured by the Romans not only humans who have been slaughtered, but even dogs sliced in two and the limbs of other animals cut off. On this occasion the amount of such slaughter was very great.'"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cartagena_(209_BC)
It's understandable the author would want to gloss over the atrocities committed by his protagonist. I however, am disappointed he chose to do so. Including the historical slaughter would a) maintain historical accuracy, an end in of itself and b) create a more morally and emotionally complex story.
"Polybius gives a description of how Scipio Africanus stormed New Carthage:
'..directed [his soldiers], according to the Roman custom, against the people in the city, telling them to kill everyone they met and to spare no one, and not to start looting until they received the order. The purpose of this custom is to strike terror. Accordingly one can see in cities captured by the Romans not only humans who have been slaughtered, but even dogs sliced in two and the limbs of other animals cut off. On this occasion the amount of such slaughter was very great.'"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cartagena_(209_BC)
It's understandable the author would want to gloss over the atrocities committed by his protagonist. I however, am disappointed he chose to do so. Including the historical slaughter would a) maintain historical accuracy, an end in of itself and b) create a more morally and emotionally complex story.
