The inevitable defeat against overwhelming odds eventually comes upon every Christian. It is not fatal and not final, even as complete as it is. Yet Christians have become notorious for "shooting their wounded." Much like the contrast between Carthage and Rome.Think 220 BC. This is the time mid-way between the Old and New Testaments. Carthage controls the Mediterranean coast from its capital in North Africa. Rome controls the Italian Peninsula, conquers colorful pirate Queen Teuta, invades the Gauls and defeats them to add that annexed region to their expanding number of provinces. Both have ambitions on the Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain). This sparks the Second (of three) Punic (Phoenician) War between Carthage and Rome.
The head of Carthage is Hannibal. In an audacious move, he crosses the Alps with 40,000 soldiers, 12,000 cavalry and (maybe most importantly) 40 war elephants. After a series of defeats the Romans panic. There was a constitutional provision for just such an emergency: Dictatorship. They declare one old senator Dictator. When his year of dictatorship is up with no success, the Romans go from panic to impatience.
Two young consuls promise they can crush Hannibal if given the power. They raise a double army of nearly 80,000. Marching out of Rome to great pomp and circumstance, they meet Hannibal on a plain at a place called Cannae.
They are confident and cocky. Hannibal is outnumbered 2 to 1, but he knows Roman methods. So he develops a tactic that Gen. Schwarzkopf used in the first Gulf War. He knew they would attack his center to break his line and destroy his army. So Hannibal purposely weakened his center and placed his best troops on the flanks. When the attack comes, the Romans find themselves in a death trap, surrounded by stronger troops to the side and behind. They are so densely packed they cannot even draw their swords, much less swing them. The only thing left was the butchery. Nearly 70,000 soldiers die in a day.
But here is what I want to get to. One of the two Roman consuls was last seen sitting on a rock, head bowed, bleeding profusely. He died. The other consul returned to Rome on his horse. He was haggard, blood-splattered and dusty. But when he entered the Senate, they stood and applauded! An official resolution was passed thanking him for not giving up on the Republic, and for doing his duty as best as he could.
When Carthaginian generals failed they were crucified. Whereas the vision and attitude of Romans, even when defeated, was not to be conquered. Times of crisis were their "finest hour" to stand firm, yielding nothing.
Quite a contrast. But you know "the rest of the story." Hannibal stomped around Italy for 15 years, never able to lay siege to Rome. Because of Roman attitudes toward intermediate defeats, the core of their countrymen did not budge. They contained Hannibal in the boot-heel while they patiently pushed to victory in North Africa and Spain. Eventually Hannibal had to return to Carthage to defend it from massive Roman invasion, being defeated in the battle of Zama, ending the Second Punic War.
Who are the heroes in our Christianity? Hannibal who crosses the Alps with war elephants but ultimately fails to reach the final objective? Or Marcus Terentius Varro, returning dusty and bloody on his steed, shattered breastplate, scarred sword at his side, dented helmet, splintered shield, having done all he could just to stand? Will he be glorious in apparent defeat, crucified or crowned?
