Quote Originally Posted by Macilrille View Post
I am too busy atm to respond properly to the many issues awaiting my comment, but in brief.

Res Publica Romana was Res Publica Romana's worst enemy. I have made a post elaborating this in the "Fall of Rome" thread.

Second is Carthage, in the time frame of EB that is, the struggle with Carthage was literally a struggle for survival, and for power in the central-western part of the Med, when the Romans had won that they ruled surpreme and could dictate events in all of the Med, though some Diadochii were a tad slow in discovering that and had to have object lessons. Nothing threatened Rome's survival in Republican times after Carthage. I have 10 pages of this in Danish should you be able to read this ;-)

Off again, be back with a vengeance later.
I agree with all of what you said. Of course, the germans won some battles but, undoubtly, they were destroyed most of the times. The diadochii were never a threat. Gauls were a pian in the but after they were pushed out of italy they were no longer a major threat. Phartia and their cowordly tactics were a fierce enemy but not much of a threat for Rome itself. But Hannibal was a major problem, in fact his chances of beating the romans only ended after the battle of Metauros.