It came in a torrent of digital fury, a declaration that sent shockwaves through the halls of power.
Just hours ago, President Donald Trump announced he has ordered the Defense Department to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria.
Accusing the West African nation of “severe religious freedom violations,” he warned the United States “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing.'”
The justification? A “mass slaughter” of Christians.
But as with so many declarations that promise simple solutions to complex problems, the reality on the ground is dangerously different. The violence in Nigeria is a tangled web of ethnic tensions, resource disputes, and religious extremism that victimizes both Christians and Muslims—with most reports indicating the majority of victims are, in fact, Muslim.
It’s a move based on a dangerously incomplete picture. A threat to charge headfirst into a foreign land, ignoring the intricate local realities, all for the promise of a decisive, glorious victory.
This isn’t just a modern political gamble. It’s an ancient echo.
It’s the story of a man who, over 2,000 years ago, made the same fatal calculation… and paid for it with his life, his son’s life, and the blood of 30,000 of his men.
The Story of the Richest Man in Rome
His name was Marcus Licinius Crassus. And in 55 BCE, he was, for all intents and purposes, on top of the world.
He was a hero of the war against Spartacus. He was a member of the all-powerful First Triumvirate, ruling Rome alongside Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. And he was, by a staggering margin, the richest man in the entire Republic.
But he was haunted by one thing: a desperate hunger for military glory.
Caesar had his legendary conquests in Gaul. Pompey had cleared the Mediterranean of pirates. Crassus had… money. He needed a war. A big, glorious war that would cement his name in history forever.
He set his sights on Parthia, the vast and wealthy empire to the east. It was a land of mystery, rumored to be overflowing with gold. How hard could it be?
He ignored the peace treaties Pompey had already signed. He dismissed the warnings from his own generals. He scoffed at the advice of the Armenian king, a man who actually knew the terrain and the enemy, who begged him to take a safer route.
Crassus knew better. He would march straight into the heart of the desert. He would go in, “guns-a-blazing.”
A Symphony of Death
The disaster began almost immediately.
The 36,000 Roman legionaries, the most feared fighting force in the world, were suffocating in the unbearable heat of the Syrian desert. Their heavy armor, designed for the fields of Europe, became a furnace.
Then came the sound.
It was a low, dismal, terrifying drone that seemed to come from every direction at once. The Parthians didn’t use horns or trumpets. They used massive, hollow drums, beaten in unison, a sound that Plutarch wrote “confounded one’s soul.”
And then came the arrows.
The Romans formed their classic square, a fortress of shields and steel, and waited for a charge that never came. Instead, 10,000 Parthian horse archers, the most skilled in the world, galloped around them in endless circles.
They were masters of the “Parthian Shot”—firing backwards at a full gallop, a feat of horsemanship that was impossible to defend against. Their arrows were so powerful they punched straight through Roman armor.
When the Romans hoped the enemy would run out of arrows, they saw a line of camels on the horizon, their backs laden with fresh supplies. Hope died in that moment.
Desperate, Crassus sent his beloved son, Publius, with the best of his cavalry to charge the enemy. They rode out… and never came back.
A short time later, a great cheer went up from the Parthian lines. A long spear was raised. On its tip was the head of Publius Crassus.
The battle was over. The rest was a slaughter.
The Ancient Warning
Of the 36,000 men who marched into the desert with Crassus, 20,000 were killed. 10,000 were captured, marched to the far end of the Parthian empire, and never seen again.
Crassus himself was tricked into a fake peace negotiation and killed. His head was cut off and, in a final, grotesque humiliation, used as a stage prop in a Greek play for the entertainment of the Parthian king.
Legend says that before they killed him, the Parthians poured molten gold down his throat—a gruesome tribute to the greed that had driven him to his doom.
The story of Crassus is a 2,000-year-old warning that echoes with terrifying clarity today.
It is a warning about the catastrophic danger of hubris. It is a warning about launching invasions based on arrogance, false pretenses, and a profound ignorance of the situation on the ground.
Crassus, like Trump, saw a complex situation and believed a simple, overwhelming show of force was the answer. He dismissed local knowledge, underestimated his enemy, and marched his men into a disaster from which they would never recover.
History shows us that when powerful leaders threaten to go in “guns-a-blazing,” the result is rarely the glory they seek. It is humiliation, defeat, and a sea of blood.
It is the ghost of Carrhae, a specter of imperial overreach that has haunted ambitious leaders for millennia. And it is a warning we ignore at our peril.
5 Things You Can Do This Week to Prepare for the Unthinkable
The story of Crassus isn’t just ancient history; it’s a lesson in how quickly the ambitions of the powerful can destabilize the world. When leaders gamble with war, the shockwaves can be felt by everyone. Being prepared isn’t about predicting the future, it’s about building a resilient life that can withstand the follies of those in charge.
1. Build Your Personal “Granary.” The Romans understood that a stable food supply was the bedrock of civilization. When the state fails, you are your own last line of defense. Learn the seven major methods of food preservation—from canning to dehydrating to fermenting—so you can build a food supply that can last your family for months, not days. Discover the secrets to preserving food for the long-term at SurvivalStronghold.com
2. Declare Your Independence from Fragile Systems. Our world is built on long, complex supply chains that can shatter in an instant. The less you depend on them, the safer you are. Explore practical ways to reduce your reliance on the grid and global trade. Start your journey to self-reliance with this guide from SelfRelianceReport.com
3. Turn Your Home into a Fortress of Self-Sufficiency. You don’t need a massive farm to provide for your family. A small, well-managed homestead can be an oasis of stability in a world of chaos. Learn the principles of productive, small-space farming and modern homesteading technology. Find out how to create your own food-producing haven at HomesteaderDepot.com
4. Fortify Your Mind Against Chaos. The greatest battles are often fought within our own minds. Constant news of war and political instability is designed to create fear and stress. Learn how to build mental resilience and maintain your peace, no matter what headlines are thrown at you. Protect your mental health with these strategies from FreedomHealthDaily.com
5. Master the Art of Holistic Well-being. A strong body and a clear mind are your most valuable assets in a crisis. True health isn’t just the absence of sickness; it’s a state of complete physical, mental, and spiritual well-being that can endure any storm. Learn the 7 pillars of holistic health at SevenHolistics.com
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Sources:
- Plutarch, Parallel Lives, “Crassus”
- Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 40
- Wasson, Donald L. “Battle of Carrhae, 53 BCE.” World History Encyclopedia, July 2, 2019.
- CNN Politics Live Updates, November 1-2, 2025
- USA Today, “SNAP in limbo as government shutdown hits Day 32,” November 1, 2025
