10 Epic Roman Military Disasters Your History Books Forgot

One of the main reasons the Roman civilization managed to occupy such a vast territory and then lasted for so long was its military fighting prowess. However, while the Romans did win amazing victories, they also figured in some of the worst military disasters ever, proving to us that no fighting force in history can ever be truly invincible.

10Battle Of Abrittus
A.D. 251

Photo credit: Vladimir Petkov

This battle marked the first time that a Roman emperor died at the hands ofa foreign enemy.

Set in the modern-day city of Razgrad, Bulgaria, the battle pitted the Romans—led by the co-emperors Decius and his son Herennius—against the Goths. Though previous clashes between the two sides had been back-and-forth-affairs, the decisive battle happened when the Goths’ wily leader, a chieftain named Cniva, managed to bait the main Roman army into entering a swamp. With the Romans bogged down and immobilized, Cniva’s army successfully surrounded them and began a wholesale slaughter.

Although no exact numbers record what happened, it is speculated that Cniva’s forces virtually annihilated the Romans, taking away wagons full of prisoners and war booty after the carnage had finished. Subsequently, this victory allowed the Goths free rein to plunder nearby cities and also force Rome to pay a humiliating annual tribute.

9Battle Of The Allia
390 B.C.

This battle, which culminated in the First Sack of Rome, saw 70,000 men from the Gallic tribe of Senones defeat a smaller Roman force of 24,000–40,000 soldiers.

Prior to the battle, the Romans had sent ambassadors to the Gauls to stop them from attacking the city of their Etruscan allies. When the Gauls refused and instead continued their attack, a Roman ambassador killed one of their chieftains. Outraged at the ambassador breaking his neutrality and Rome’s subsequent refusal to hand the culprit over, the Gauls marched onward to Rome and easily defeated the Roman force at the Allia River.

With no force left to protect Rome, the Gauls marched into the city and plundered it for seven months. In the end, the Roman leaders who barricaded themselves inside the Capitoline Hill agreed to pay off the Gauls with a huge sum. This humiliating incident forced the Romans to beef up their defenses, raise a bigger army, and upgrade their military tactics.

8Battle Of The Caudine Forks
320 B.C.

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Set during the Roman Republic’s second war with another Italic tribe called the Samnites, this incident did not involve bloodshed—yet it dealt a grievous blow to Roman pride anyway.

Upon learning the Romans had amassed a large army to invade his homeland, the Samnite leader Gaius Pontius devised a clever scheme to defeat the enemy. He dressed some of his men as shepherds and had them deceive the passing Roman army into taking a narrow road called the Caudine Forks. When the Romans reached the end, they discovered that it had been barricaded with a wall of stones and trees. Doubling back, they found that the entrance had also been closed off.

Surrounded by the Samnites on all sides and with no chance of escape, the Roman army had no choice but to capitulate. Gaius Pontius imposed on the Romans a humiliating peace treaty, which included the indignity of letting all the captured Romans pass under a yoke made up of spears. Ashamed by this defeat, the Roman army disbanded and slunk home.

7Battle Of Cap Bon
A.D. 468

Photo credit: Fourat/Panoramio

Just like the army, the Roman navy has had its fair share of military disasters. In this one, a joint naval expedition (reputedly one the biggest in ancient times) by the Empire and the independent province of Illiricum against the Vandal Kingdom ended in a huge lopsided defeat.

Led by the Eastern Emperor Leo I’s brother-in-law Basiliscus, the massive fleet totaled more than 1,000 ships containing 100,000 men. Upon arriving in the peninsula of Cap Bon near Carthage, Basiliscus came under negotiations with the Vandal King Genseric, who requested more time to consider a peace treaty. During that time, Genseric secretly prepared fire ships to destroy the docked Roman fleet.

Attacking at night, these ships managed to successfully wreak havoc on the Romans, forcing Basiliscus to flee in confusion and leaving the fleet at the mercy of the Vandals. In the aftermath, Leo I had to sue for peace as the Romans lost 70 percent of their original forces.

6Battle Of Arausio
105 B.C.

Photo credit: Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps

Set in modern-day southern France, this battle saw the virtual annihilation of some 80,000 Roman troops at the hands of two Germanic tribes: the Cimbri and Teutones. This devastating defeat could be attributed to theunwillingness of the two Roman commanders to cooperate and unite their armies. One leader, Gnaeus Mallius Maximus, tried to negotiate with the Germanic tribes first. In the course of the negotiations, the other leader, Quintus Servilius Caepio, ambushed the Cimbri but had his forces destroyed.

The Germanic tribes then proceeded to destroy the rest of the Roman forces, killing all the Roman soldiers plus some 40,000 non-combatants and leaving the city of Rome wide open for an invasion. Fortunately for the Romans, the Germanic tribes instead journeyed toward Spain, allowing them time to recuperate and eventually avenge themselves.

5Battle Of The Trebia
218 B.C.

Before he finally met his match in the excellent Roman tactician Scipio Africanus, it seemed no one could best Carthaginian general Hannibal. Even after having his army dilapidated after crossing the treacherous Alps, Hannibal wasted no time showing the Romans his military genius.

In one of their first major engagements, Hannibal’s clever use of tactics enabled his forces to defeat a far larger Roman army. Taking camp on opposite sides of a river on a winter day, Hannibal had his cavalrymen attack the Roman camp in the early morning to bait them into crossing the water. He also carefully hid his younger brother Mago along with some soldiers toambush the unsuspecting Romans in their flank and rear the moment the two sides clashed.

The tactic resulted in a devastating Roman defeat. Survivors who tried to flee across the river either drowned or froze to death; the rest were chased and struck down by the Carthaginians. At the end of the battle, only one-fourthof the 40,000 Romans successfully escaped Hannibal’s army. Unfortunately for the Romans, this battle would foreshadow their next, more complete defeat.

4Battle Of Lake Trasimene
217 B.C.

Photo credit: Tom Bennett

While thousands of Romans had been able to save themselves in the previous battle, this time there would be no escape for them. In what could be described as one of the most perfect ambushes in history, Hannibal’s 55,000-strong army totally routed a force of 30,000 Roman soldiers.

The Romans, led by Gaius Flaminius, had been chasing Hannibal’s army when they came upon a narrow road situated between Lake Trasimene and some heavily wooded hills. Unaware that the Carthaginians had concealed themselves in the forests, the Romans marched single-file along the road. Covered in the mist of the early morning, the Carthaginians charged and massacred the hapless Romans, who had no means of escape.

In three hours, the Carthaginians killed 15,000 Roman soldiers (including Flaminius) and took another 15,000 prisoner while suffering only 1,500 killed. Subsequently, the Carthaginians also ambushed and slaughtered a 4,000-strong cavalry sent to reinforce the devastated army, further adding to the Roman defeat.

3Battle Of Edessa
A.D. 260

Photo credit: Fabien Dany

In another ignominious first, the Battle of Edessa would be best remembered in history as the first time a Roman emperor had ever been captured in battle.

The Romans had hoped to stop the frequent Sassanid incursions led by King Shapur I on their territories in Asia Minor and so sent a 70,000-strong forceunder the aging Emperor Valerian to confront them. The expedition proved to be a disaster; although Valerian won an initial battle, a plague struck his forces, who also soon found themselves completely surrounded by King Shapur I’s army.

Seeing no other option, Valerian and a few of his officials tried to negotiate with the Sassanids but ended up as prisoners instead, causing the rest of the Romans—60,000 of them—to surrender. Valerian spent the rest of his life in captivity in Persia, where some accounts say he became Shapur’s personal footstool and had his body stuffed and displayed after his death.

2Battle Of The Upper Baetis
211 B.C.

Photo credit: Shakko /Wikimedia

Hannibal wasn’t the only Barca who could mess with the Romans; his more cautious brother Hasdrubal proved that he, too, could school the Romans in the art of warfare.

In two separate engagements in Spain, three Carthaginian forces separately defeated Roman armies led by the Scipio brothers—Publius Cornelius (the father of Scipio Africanus) and Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus. In the first battle at Castulo, the Carthaginians slaughtered the Romans. Afterward, the victorious duo of leaders Mago and Hasdrubal Gisco met up with Hasdrubal’s forces to engage the Roman army under Gnaeus.

Greatly outnumbered (Hasdrubal also bribed the mercenaries in the Roman army to defect), the Romans were decisively beaten by the Carthaginians in the battle at Ilorca. In the two battles’ aftermath, a total of 22,000 Romans—the Scipio brothers included—out of the original 50,000 had either been slain or captured.

1Battle Of Adrianople
A.D. 378

Historians have called this the battle the starting point of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.

Valens, the emperor of the eastern part of the empire, had called upon his nephew, the Western emperor Gratian, for assistance in quelling a Gothic uprising in Thrace. However, jealous of his nephew’s success in defeating the Goths’ Germanic allies en route to their rendezvous, Valens decided to seize glory for himself by attacking the Goths head-on outside the city of Adrianople.

With 40,000–50,000 Roman soldiers, Valens attacked what he wrongly thought to be a numerically inferior Gothic force. In reality, the latter numbered twice as many as the Romans and was composed mainly of heavy cavalry. Led by their chieftain Fritigern, the Goths enveloped and massacred the Romans in a manner similar to what happened in Cannae. By the time the battle ended, two-thirds of the Roman army, including the emperor, lay dead on the battlefield.

10 Bizarre Indian Rituals

India is a place of many contrasts – as the cliche goes. It has a booming modern economy with a particular strength in IT, as well as ancient bustling markets which looked exactly the same five hundred years ago – minus the cellphones and DVDs.

Some Indians, fiercely embracing exactly the same modernity that those in the West take for granted, resent that their country is still known for its sacred cows and its bizarre rituals. Stereotypes can be difficult to swallow. But they shouldn’t resent this list: it reflects only one small and fascinating shade of the enormous, incredible, multi-faceted country that is India.

10

Fire-Walking

People from South India ‘celebrate’ the Theemithi festival by walking barefoot across a pit filled with burning hot firewood, or sometimes glowing charcoal. The fire walking is done in honour of the Hindu goddess Draupati Amman – so rather than hurrying across the pit, the devotees have to sdo it slowly, as though it’s a walk in the park.

The ritual begins when the head priest traverses the pit with a pot on his head, filled with sacred water. He is then followed by other men, who seek to prove their piety by withstanding the pain. Participants suffer from burns on their feet – and sometimes worse injuries, on the all-too-common occasions when they fall into the burning pit.

9

Hooking

The thookam festival sees the backs of devoted Hindus pierced by sharp hooks; the men are then lifted off the ground onto a scaffold using ropes. Sometimes, children are even tied to the hands of the participants. Originating from southern parts of India, the festival has now been banned by the Indian Government after continued pressure from human rights organizations.

8

Bull Fighting

Unlike its Spanish counterpart, Indian bull-fighting, or Jallikattu, is done without the help of any rope or weapons. Thankfully, the bull’s life is also spared afterwards, bovines being famously sacred in India. Celebrated during Pongal (harvest thanksgiving), this is one of the most dangerous sports played in India. Youth, ardent for some desperate glory, usually strive either to tame the bull or at least to hang on to the bull for a reward – usually money.

More than a hundred people have been killed in southern India over the past two decades. A case against Jallikattu is ongoing in the Supreme Court of India, which is considering an outright ban on the sport. The bulls are force-fed alcohol; their eyes are sprinkled with chili powder, and their testicles are pinched in an effort to infuriate them.

7

Self-flagellation

Muharram is the first month in the Islamic Calendar, and this was the month which marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala, when Imam Hussein ibn Ali was killed, followed by 72 warriors who were killed over the next ten days. Shi’a Muslims in India, and also other countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, mourn this event by flogging their naked bodies with a bunch of chains known as ‘Matam’. Sometimes, these Matams also contain razor blades or knives.

Widow-burning

Practiced extensively in the 17th century, Sati was a ritual whereby a widow – voluntarily or involuntarily – would lie down next to her dead husband before being burned alive along with the corpse. The widows who were caught trying to escape this fate, despite the intense social pressure to self-immolate, would be tied to the burning structure, or their limbs would be broken in order to prevent more attempts to flee. Sometimes, they would even be pushed back with bamboo sticks into the burning funeral pyre. Even though it was banned by the British colonial government in 1859, it was still practiced in some parts of India. It is still banned under the current Indian government, with harsh penalties for those few who still insist on forcing innocent women to their deaths.

5

Baby Tossing

Every year in the month of December, more than a hundred babies are tossed from a temple roof into a crowd below. They plummet 200 feet, to where a group of men stand waiting with a cloth meant to catch them. The reason? Married couples – looking to be blessed with, perhaps ironically, more babies – take part in this event. It is also said to bring good health and luck to the family. The Indian government is looking to set a ban on the jaw-dropping ritual, which takes place in the southern state of Karnataka.

4

Food Rolling

Enter certain temples in Karnataka, and you’ll be ordered to stop, drop and roll. Supplicants roll their bodies over scraps of food discarded by Brahmins – the highest, priestly caste in India. The act of rolling is practiced by all of the castes lower than Brahmin, and is said to cure skin disease.

Made snana has been in practice for over 500 years, but it is now on the verge of being banned. Though restrictions in certain temples had been put up in recent years, these restricitions were lifted after protests from devout Hindus. Members of the Indian government have therefore decided to educate, rather than impose their will upon the people. Good luck to them.

3

Chicken-shredding Exorcisms

In Hinduism, exorcisms are carried out by various means, according to the traditions of different regions. One of these methods involves the slaughter of a white chicken: the bloody parts are strewn around the house by the Pandit or priest, who is usually in charge of performing the exorcism. The possessed person in question is then addressed as a demon, or by the name of a dead relative who may have become a demon within them. These demons, or spirits, are said to be afraid of white chickens. In some cases, the demon is reported to have screamed ‘I go! I go!’ through the possessed body, before apparently leaving. Supposedly, this is followed by the immediate revival of the exorcised person, who appears to wake from something like a trance, with no memory of the events or of the chicken.

2

Tongue Piercing

Not studs, but long and sharp needles are used to puncture the tongue. The needles – usually made from wood or steel – can be so long that the tongue is forced to stick out of the mouth permanently, unable to retract. The piercing is common a number of religious festivals. In some regions, young boys and sometimes girls take part in the ritual piercing. The ones who are going to pierce their tongues wear a garland around their necks for a day before the ceremony. The piercing ceremony is usually followed by dancing and merrymaking. These practices are also seen in countries other than India, in southern parts of Asia.

1

Female Infanticide

This social evil exists not only in India, but also in many other parts of the world whose populations see male children as more desirable than female children. Preference for a male child can be so extreme that female infants might be killed, or set afloat in the river. Illegitimate girls, especially, were vulnerable to murder prompted by shame: only if a man agreed to marry the mother-to-be could the child often be saved – but this hardly ever happened. Infanticide was banned in the 19th century.

Worlds Most Expensive Camera Lenses

Top 10 Most Expensive Camera Lenses in the World

Every one wants a perfect quality of Photos for that purpose you need a better lens technology and you can get it from market . Well we have collected some data about some of the most expensive lenses of Camera’s . Check out the list you will find out that how much expensive lenses are available in the market till today. Through these lens you can see the full view with better zooming.

The Most Expensive Camera Lenses in World 2014 

Camera Lens	Price (US Dollars)
Leica APO-TELYT-R (1600mm)	$2,064,489
Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T (1700mm)	Untold
Canon EF f/5.6 L USM (1200mm)	$102,498
Sigma f/2.8 EX DG (500mm)	$25,999
AF-S NIKKOR f/5.6E FL ED VR (800mm)	$17,899

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Leica APO-TELYT-R : 1600 MM – Price ($2,064,489) :

Leica APO-TELYT-R the one of the expensive pieces in the Lens technology today . It might not be the recorded as the longest Lens in the world but yes you will count in the worlds one of the most expensive lens till today 2014. It is one of the special designed lens.

Canon EF f/5.6 L USM : 1200 MM – Price ($102,498) :

Canon EF f/5.6 L USM the lens which provide you density of 12 milli meter to see the and imagine the world in a different way . If you have thousands of dollars in your pockets then bring this piece because it will satisfy you with features , image and clarity .

Sigma f/2.8 EX DG : 500 MM – Price ($25,999) :

Sigma f/2.8 EX DG the lens features upto 500 milli meter . It is suitable for those who loved adventure trips and want to save some of the great aspects of nature this Lens will given them a good zoom in options.

The Best Camera Smartphones

Smartphones With Best Cameras

Smartphones the choice of the teens in the modern technology check out we have collected some of the best mobiles that will provide you better quality pictures and also video framing . The technology improves as well as the features . From Samsung , Nokia to Apple each company brings some thing new to entertain its fans.

#1 : Sony Xperia Z2 : 20.7 Mega Pixel - Camera :

Sony Xperia Z2 the latest edition in the smartphones and one of the most powerful packups in the Camera features the mobile have 20.7 MP camera .

• Touch focus
• Face Detection
• Out Standing Video Making Quality
• image stabilization
• 5248 х 3936 pixels

#2 : Nokia 808 Pureview : 41 Mega Pixel - Camera :

Nokia 808 Pureview the real touch of the camera . Totally made for those people who want to have a clear image and High Definition results . The smartphone features a superb edition of “41 Mega Pixel” camera which can bring life in the picture quality .

• Xenon flash
• Autofocus
• Carl Zeiss optics
• lossless digital zoom
• HD Video Recording

#3 : Apple iPhone 5S : 8 Mega Pixel - Camera :

Apple iPhone 5S – the next generation technology . But the Camera results are too much better then some other smartphone devices Apple always work on the camera features of its new device its Pixels might be shorter but the Picture Quality is HD .

• Simultaneous HD video and image recording
• HDR photo
• Smart Editing of Photo’s

#4 : Samsung Galaxy S5 : 16 Mega Pixel - Camera :

Samsung Galaxy one of the expensive smartphones of 2014 it featured a camera of the “16 Mega Pixel” which brings the brighter side of the life in HD technology image quality .

• Face and smile detection
• HDR
• HD video

#5 : Nokia Lumia 1020 : 41 Mega Pixel - Camera :

Nokia Lumia 1020 , the totally Camera phone which features a 41 Mega Pixel camera whole 38 MP is effective .

• Auto and Manuel Focus Flash
• HD Video Recording
• Geo Tagging
• Face Detection
• Image Stablization

#6 : LG G2 : 13 Mega Pixel - Camera :

LG G2 a smartphone that features a great quality of Pictures and Video recording from “13 Mega Pixel” camera focus. LG also joins the race of top camera phones .

• Face Detection
• HDR Stereo Sound Recording
• Image Stabilization

#7 : LG Optimus G Pro : 13 Mega Pixel - Camera :

LG Optimus G Pro the rising smartphones in the list , the phone features a 13 Mega Pixel camera which brings this phone into the top Smartphones list .

• Auto and Manuel Focus Flash
• HD Video Recording
• Geo Tagging

Worlds Most Gold Producing Countries

Top 10 Gold Producing Countries in the World 2014

Yes there is a war that is happening all around to world to produced more gold . There is one basic reason to produced gold is that it can stabilize the income of the a country in International market . There is less pressure on a country if it has a couple among of gold .

Top 10 Most Gold Producing Countries 2014 

Countries	Production
China	355,000 kilograms
Australia	270,000 kilograms
United States	237,000 kilograms
Russia	200,000 kilograms
South Africa	190,000 kilograms
Peru	150,000 kilograms
Canada	110,000 kilograms
Ghana	100,000 kilograms
Indonesia	100,000 kilograms
Uzbekistan	90,000 kilograms

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China : Produced Gold (355,000 kilograms) 

China is one of the most civilized countries and enjoying the best market situation due to its Gold factor’s . In last few years there are many pundits who are predicting that next world can be start on the “Gold factors” well it looks like China is developing more resources to produce more gold with in a year and its currency is much better in the International Market . China is most power countries now a days .

Australia : Produced Gold (270,000 kilograms) 

Australia have many factors for its currency power in the world one is the higher education system , students from all over the world travel to take higher education , and other factor is gold production . Australia earns in Billions of dollars for the gold export . They have much reserves of the gold then any other country . They have stabilized and powerful currency factors in International Market.

USA : Produced Gold (237,000 kilograms) 

United States one of the most powerful resources of Gold in the world they are looking to bring more to their national treasurer to release the pressure from International market and to impact more power on the National Currency .