I am now studying the Romans and discovered this gem of history that I hadn’t read, or at least remembered, before. This is one of the things I love most about the LIFE Business – the ability to study and grow, not just for myself, but to help others. The LIFE Founders and its community are constantly reading, listening, and associating to learn and grow. In this way, they can share what they learned with others to help everyone in the community improve. In my book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, I teach on the importance of the PDCA process to constantly improve one’s skills. This PDCA process is being applied by so many in the LIFE Community, that lives are being changed daily. I sure am glad that nearly twenty years ago, Chris Brady, George Guzzardo, and I committed to stay the course and learn to build communities. Who could have known that, through that effort, we now enjoy the LIFE Business. Here is my version of powerful life story of Viriathus.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

In 160 BC, the the Roman praetor of Spain, Servius Sulspicius Galba, negotiated a peaceful surrender of 7,000 Lusitaninan (modern day Portugal) warriors. After disarming them, Galba ordered his soldiers to massacre the helpless men. Nearly all the Lusitanians died, but a few, including Viriathus, escaped into the woods. Through his bravery and first-hand account of the Romans misdeeds, Viriathus was chosen leader of his countrymen in the revolt against Roman rule of the their homeland. Galba sent the Roman commander Vetilius to capture the rebels, but Virathus had a surprise for his unsuspecting opponent. He lured the army further and further into the mountains, cut off their escape, and cut the Roman army to pieces.

Another Roman army of 4,000 men, shortly afterwards received the same treatment from the brilliant Viriathus and his desperate Lusitanian army. Indeed, for three years the Lusitanian leader overran Roman authorities, defeating legion after legion, charged with capturing the alleged outlaws. In 141 BC, Servilianus, the commander of Roman forces, was defeated and sued for peace, recognizing Lusitania as an independent state with Virathus as the Chief Magistrate. The Roman Senate was horrified and when Caepio, the brother of Servilanus, assumed command of the troops, he perfidiously broke the treaty. Not surprisingly to Viriathus, the Romans resumed hostilities against the signed treaty.

By 139 BC, Caepo, discovering he was just as helpless against the superior strategy and will of Virathus, resorted to treachery to accomplish his goal. During peace negotiations, Virathus sent his most trusted friends, Audax, Ditalco, and Minumsy, to negotiate with Caepo. Instead of negotiations, however, Caepo offered large gifts and bribes for the three men to sell out their leader. Sadly, the men chose prizes over principles and plotted the assassination of the only Spaniard to successfully withstand against Roman tyranny. Viriathus, always prepared, slept little and in his armor. In this way, when awaken, he could quickly lead his men into battle. Therefore, it was customary for his closest friends to enter his tent at night on pressing business. Audax and his associated entered the tent after Virathus fell asleep and stabbed him in the throat, the only part of his body not protected by armor. Thus, the fearless leader died, not from his Roman enemies, but from the treachery of his “friends.” Also dying were the hopes of Lusitanian freedom as the rebellion collapsed after Viriathus death and farther Spain bent its neck to the Roman yoke.

Death of Viriathus by Jose Madrazo

Why did I share this terrible story of bad character and ethics? Simply to point out that the prizes won by the traitors are long gone, but the disloyalty lives on in infamy. Never, I repeat never, accept temporary gain for permanent harm. In reality, the three traitors, sold out the freedom of their country, their people, and killed their leader for temporary trinkets. Indeed, a person ought to sell everything he has before he sells his character, for the things can be replaced, but the character cannot. Nonetheless, many do not follow this principles and sell out the permanent for the temporary. Imagine readers, if Virathus had sent you on the peace errand. How should leaders of character respond when offered personal gain to destroy others? Let everyone examine himself.

I am studying such an interesting period of history—about the ancient Greeks. On one hand, their love of freedom was so deep, they would sacrifice their lives to maintain it. On the other hand, their love of power was so great, they would sacrifice their lives to tyrannize others. How can both of these contrasting thoughts exist inside of one people? In truth, these thoughts exist inside all people, and this is called man’s fallen nature. Man has the capacity for the noblest and ignoblest actions within him, and the history of ancient Greece displays this clearer than practically any historical period. The goal of the LIFE business is to check the Five Laws of Decline (FLD) that I teach in my book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE. The reason I like that there is a group of LIFE founders (Chris Brady, Tim Marks, Claude Hamilton, Bill Lewis, George Guzzardo, Dan Hawkins, and Rob Hallstrand) is that it ensures no one has absolute power, which keeps the FLD in check. I have witnessed first hand the FLD in action, and any company not familiar with these principles is probably affected by them. Here is a portion of the research project I am working on.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

In 477 BC, the Athenians assumed command at sea, forming a league to compensate themselves and their allies for losses suffered by the Persian kings. Persian holdings and allies were successfully attacked to offset Greek losses during the war. The allies formed a synod, in which each city sent a deputy to represent its interest with an equal vote on the board. Additionally, each city pledged either ships or money to the league for its maintenance and campaigns. Aristides, the “just one,” was appointed medon of the league. His unquestioned character, holding the confidence and trust of all deputies, was essential to its early success. He was assigned to fix the “tributes,” paid by each city, that didn’t provide the assigned number of ships to the temple of Apollo at Delos. Cimon, son of Miltiades, was the most competent commander in all of Hellas. He was appointed Commander of the allied fleet. Both were men eminently fitted to make Athens popular with the allies. Furthermore, the alliance was confirmed with solemn oaths and, according to the customs of the day, by sinking of iron into the sea; until the iron bars should reappear, the oaths would be binding. Thus, the Delian League was formed and Greek freedoms were imperiled.

Aristides’ character and Cimon’s competence were an unbeatable combination, producing victories at sea while maintaining peace amongst the Delian allies. The allies, knowing the character and abilities of Aristides and Cimon didn’t worry that control of both the finances and the fighting were both in Athenian hands. They trusted the character of Aristides and the oaths taken by the allies that stated all allies were equal and suppled either ships or money for mutual defense. Cimon reeled off victory after victory against the beleaguered Persian fleet, and Aristides nobly worked with the allies to ensure fair assessments and ships were contributed by all parties. Unfortunately, the poor precedent of Athenian control over the league’s resources was set. In truth, this wasn’t a significant issue as long as Aristides and Cimon were at the helm. However, since no one can lead forever, when Aristides exited the scene, the allied mistake of surrendering complete control to one city (Athens) became apparent. However, this realization was still years in the future for Aristides & Cimon, for the most part, acted honorably towards the allies.

With Aristides and Cimon moderately running the league, many of the allies chose to pay money rather than provide ships. This worked well with character-based leaders. However, with no board to check and balance the Athenians, when new men with new motives arose, the allied reliance on the Delian League’s oaths was in vain. Words are sometimes sufficient to ensure execution, but without board oversight of political leaders, the FLD will kick in, and someone will abuse the contract for personal power. This became all too apparent for the allies during the Naxos rebellion in 470 BC. With Aristides gone, the complaints against Athenian arrogance and mismanagement grew amongst the allies. Naxos was the first to act upon these unresolved complaints, withdrawing from the league in protest. Athens assigned Cimon to blockade its former ally, thus terminating an alliance of equals and initiating the Athenian Empire. Thucydides writes, “This was the first allied State which was reduced to subjection contrary to the league constitution.” Although history has not recorded the specific grievance, this begins a new phase in the Delian League from equal allies to Athenian subjection of other Greek city-states. A generation before, Athenian men willingly sacrificed their lives for Greek freedoms; now they sacrificed their lives to tyrannize other Greeks.

Noted historian Evelyn Abbott describes the metamorphosis of the Greek mind:

A change so striking of necessity excites our curiosity; we would fain trace the steps by which it was brought about. Who was to blame for consequences so disastrous? Was it the Athenians, who in the plenitude of their power destroyed the fair promise of united action in Hellas, in order to establish a maritime empire in the place of an equal league of confederate cities? Or did the allies, in the feverish restlessness of Hellenic independence, refuse to submit to the control inseparable from any form of confederation?

Clearly, we can see the workings of the FLD in the actions of Athens. Whereas before, they fought to maintain the freedoms of the greater Hellas against the Persian oppressors, with the taste of tributes and absolute power, the Athenians transformed into the worst oppressors, hypocritically denying to other Greeks what they valued so greatly themselves.

I have been working on a couple research projects for future books when Hannibal’s story struck me so much that I decided to share it with my readers. In my book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, the first resolution in on the subject of purpose, namely, because one’s purpose determines one’s destiny. As I reflect on my life, every decision has followed naturally from my God-given purpose to reach millions of people with Truth. Some of the decisions have been tough, but absolutely necessary if I intended to fulfill what I believe God has called me to do. In reality, without a purpose, a person is similar to a boat sailing in a sea with no rudder. It just goes with the wind, not towards any intended target. Everyone has a choice on what to do with his or her life, but as for me, I intend to follow my purpose to my destiny. The LIFE Business reaching millions of people is my destiny and I intend to fulfill my destiny one family or one person at a time.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Hannibal’s Pledge

Hamilcar Barca, commander of the Carthaginian forces defeated in the first Punic war vowed to have his revenge. Having lost Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia, Hamilcar was assigned to defend the Carthaginian territories of Spain, accompanied by his nine-year old son, Hannibal. Vowing revenge, Hamilcar brought his young son to an altar and made him stretch his hand over the fresh sacrifice to pledge undying hatred and enmity against the Romans. Indeed, this was an oath that Hannibal fulfilled to his last dying breath.

Crossing the Alps

Hannibal’s father died when he was 18 years old. By 26, Hannibal had succeeded his brother-in-law as leader and commander of the Carthaginian forces in Spain. Exercising all his mental and physical talents to fulfill the oath promised to his dad, Hannibal built a powerful army and developed a daring plan to strike a blow at his hated Romans rivals. As part of his total strategy, Hannibal befriended the Gallic tribes that controlled the passes over the Alps. Soon afterwards, he besieged the city of Saguntum in northern Spain. Despite being 100 miles south of the border between Carthaginian and Roman territory, Saguntum was considered an ally of Rome, thus initiating the Second Punic War. Rome didn’t fear anyone, especially since they controlled the sea lanes and knew Hannibal could never transport an army of the needed size across the Mediterranean Sea without risk of annihilation by the stronger Roman fleets.

Consequently, Hannibal moved his troops, consisting of nearly 50,000 men and around 40 elephants, north into France and eventually over the passes of the Alps into Italy. No one had dared such an audacious plan before and it caught the Romans completely by surprise. Leaving his brother Hasdrubal to defend Spain, Hannibal’s expected to raise further troops from disgruntle allies of the mighty Roman empire. In concept it was a brilliant plan; however in execution many of his men and nearly all of his elephants died on the journey. In fact, Hannibal, exhausted and feverish, lost sight in one of his eyes on the journey. Remarkably, only 20,000 of the original 50,000 departing men arrived on Italian soil, yet Hannibal refused to yield to circumstances. He was determined and to fulfill his vow by inspiring his men with thoughts of taking down the growing Roman Empire.

Battles in Italy

Hannibal’s army rallied to his call and he defeated the first Roman army sent against him at the River Trebia. Enticing the Romans into crossing a waist-deep frigid stream, Hannibal’s men defeated the exhausted Romans. The next battle, at a narrow pass between Lake Tasimene and the mountains, Hannibal’s strategy of hiding his calvary until it fell upon the Roman rearguard, pinched the Romans and ended in another victory for Hannibal’s outnumbered troops. After various delaying tactics by the Roman general Fabius, the Romans decided on a final all-out offensive to rid themselves of the pesky invader. At Cannae, Hannibal’s strategy achieved, not just a victory in battle, but everlasting fame as one of the classic maneuvers in military history. Using superior discipline, Hannibal’s middle gave ground while his wings swept forward, leaving the Roman’s surrounded as they surged into the middle gap and the wings closed in upon them. The massacre of tens of thousands of Romans left Hannibal in charge of the Italian countryside and no Roman army ever fought a pitched battle against Hannibal again on the Italian mainland.

Hannibal’s Recall

Amazingly, however, Rome still refused to surrender. Hannibal, although victorious on the battlefield, did not feel he could conquer the city of Rome with its strong fortifications. Consequently, the Fabian Roman tactics of attrition warfare led to the demoralization of morale and men in the Carthaginian army. Hannibal had counted upon reinforcements from discontented allies; however, most of the allies remained loyal to Rome rather than join in rebellion. Between Rome’s naval supremacy and the inherent dangers of the mountain passes, Hannibal reinforcements were few, while Rome continued to rebuild its army to defeat the invader. Finally, to break the deadlock, Scipio, in a brilliant maneuver, attacked the Carthaginians in Africa, thus forcing the recall of Hannibal’s army. Strikingly, the Romans had survived the greatest threat to their empire until its eventual collapse 600 years later.

In 202 BC, at Zama, in south-west Carthage, Hannibal was finally defeated. Rome’s victory over Carthage ensured Roman supremacy in the Mediterranean waters. Shortly afterwards, Hannibal, upon learning his enemies in Carthage intended to turn him over to Rome, went to exile where he eventually killed himself rather than surrender to Roman forces intent upon his capture. A sad ending to one of the best generals and leaders of all-time.

Hannibal’s somber story makes one reflect upon the importance the driving force in one’s life. His vow led to his destiny – a series of battles against Rome – leading ultimately to his exile and death. Hannibal was brave, courageous, and focused in the pursuit of his purpose, but the question is: was it a worthy purpose?  Invariably, one’s purpose determines one’s destiny. Consequently, it’s important to determine what one is called to do and then do it with all one’s might. Hannibal, because of his passion to pursue his purpose, nearly defeated the mighty Roman empire. Knowing the importance of purpose in one’s life, perhaps its worth investing the time to detect the God-given purpose inside and resolve to courageously pursue it for the Glory of God.