[Dixielandjazz] Why Bob Romans Makes No Apology For Playing Trumpet

[Steve Barbone]

History of the Roman Trumpet - Part II. <grin>

Cheers,
Steve Barbone


Hannibal ordered his elephants to charge the Roman infantry. The sound of
bugles and trumpets piercing the air from the Roman front line, however,
caused the elephants to panic. Most of them turned tail and drove straight
into Hannibal's own Numidian cavalry, dangerously exposing his left flank.
Any elephants not stampeded by the Roman musicians passed harmlessly down
the lanes running through Scipio Africanus' formation. Taking advantage of
the confusion, the Romans launched a charge against the Carthaginian cavalry
on Hannibal's right wing, driving them off in headlong retreat.

In the ensuing struggle, the remaining Carthaginian force was destroyed.
Hannibal and nearly 20,000 Carthaginians and their allies were slaughtered,
compared to Roman losses of 1,500 men. Hannibal's stratagems and battlefield
maneuvers in this battle were to inspire tank battles on nearly the same
ground over 2,000 years later. Remember the movie Patton? This is where he
mystically sensed the presence of the fallen Roman and Carthaginian troops.