Person

Marcus Claudius Marcellus

c. 268–208 BCE · 3rd century BCE · Also known as Sword of Rome

Marcus Claudius Marcellus was a Roman general, five times consul, who won the spolia opima in 222 BCE by killing a Gallic king in single combat. In the Second Punic War he besieged Syracuse from 214 BCE and took it in 212 BCE, when Archimedes was killed and the city's art was carried to Rome. He died in an ambush by Hannibal's troops.

Marcus Claudius Marcellus
Image: Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Syracuse

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Marcus Claudius Marcellus. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/marcus-claudius-marcellus
MLA
“Marcus Claudius Marcellus.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/marcus-claudius-marcellus. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Marcus Claudius Marcellus.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/marcus-claudius-marcellus.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Marcus Claudius Marcellus’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/marcus-claudius-marcellus (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻