The Secret To Roman Conquest Success: Stubbornness
The ancient Romans won their empire through military discipline, tenacity, and persistence in war. Not so much military genius: the Romans conquered many enemies who had great generals, such as the Carthaginians and the brilliant Hannibal. The Roman state excelled in its ability to marshal its resources, go after its foes relentlessly, and stick to the task stubbornly without cease or letup until the enemy was ground down into submission. An example was Rome’s systematic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, a process begun in 220 BC, and that lasted over two centuries until completed in 19 BC.
That tenacity gave rise to one of history’s most hardcore rejoinders, uttered in the Social War (91 – 88 BC) between Rome and her Italian allies. In that conflict Samnites, who had stubbornly fought the Romans before they were conquered centuries ago, seized and fortified the town of Nola. Around 91 BC, a Roman army was sent to take it back. A negotiated settlement was attempted, but the parties were unable to reach agreeable terms. As the Romans left, the Samnite leader taunted them with the boast that Nola would never surrender. Its fortifications were too powerful to storm, and the defenders could withstand a siege because they had enough supplies for ten years. The Roman commander’s reply, as seen below, was epic.
