"In the sixteen years that I served in the Roman cavalry I never had the slightest animosity toward the enemy on the battlefield."
 |
The Death of Carthage by Robin E. Levin Trafford Publishing
book review by Russell Roberts
In the ancient world there were no greater antagonists than Rome and Carthage. The two went at it hammer-and-tongs for years, leading to the three Punic Wars. It was during the second war that the immortal Hannibal nearly defeated Rome, leaving historians to ponder the course of world events had that actually happened. Ultimately Rome won out, however, and razed the city of Carthage to the ground in an act that some attribute partly to revenge and partly to fear.
Those days are brought vividly to life in a remarkable new book by Robin E. Levin entitled The Death of Carthage. The book is divided into three parts: Carthage Must Be Destroyed, narrated by a Roman soldier; Captivus, narrated by a Roman soldier taken prisoner; and The Death of Carthage, narrated by the prisoner's son, who takes part in Carthage's final destruction.
This is no blood-soaked sword-and-sandal epic. Battle descriptions are kept to a minimum. Instead, utilizing first-person narration, Levin paints a complete picture of daily life during that time, and how it was to live during a period of almost perpetual war. In a refreshing change from the cliche, we fight for the glory of Rome's mindset, characters are allowed to have thoughts and feelings that question war, and the devastation of losing a child. Sprinkled throughout the book are revelations about Roman life, such as the fact that women were forbidden by law to cry in public. Superbly researched and deftly written, The Death of Carthage is a treat not just for the history-lover but for anyone who enjoys a terrific book.