Roman writers are not always reliable witnesses when describing Rome's opponents. Their accounts cannot automatically be treated as neutral descriptions of rival peoples. Applied to Carthage, the warning encourages readers to question how a Roman perspective shaped the claims being preserved. This brief aside offers a useful rule for reading ancient accounts of an enemy.
Notable Point · 22:40-22:46
Why Roman accounts of their enemies need scrutiny
A brief warning against taking Roman descriptions of opposing peoples at face value introduces a useful rule of ancient source criticism.