Explanation: Years after the Second Punic War, the two most celebrated generals of their countries, Scipio Africanus and Hannibal Barca, met during some diplomatic issue or another in the Seleucid Empire (modern day Turkiye and Syria and Iran). Despite the fact that the two had engaged in a terribly bitter war against the other’s nation, they apparently exchanged pleasantries, and casually discussed historical and military matters, including the question of who the greatest general of all time was.

Hannibal suggested Alexander, Pyyrhus of Epirus, and himself as his top three, and said that if he had beaten Scipio, he would have counted himself as the greatest.