Malik al-Ashtar vs Marcus Claudius Marcellus

Malik al-Ashtar fought under Caliph Ali at the Battle of the Camel near Basra. He led a key cavalry charge against Aisha's forces, contributing to Ali's victory and the consolidation of his caliphate against the rebellion of Talha and Zubayr.

Caliph Ali appointed Malik al-Ashtar as governor of Egypt. Before he could assume office, he was poisoned on the orders of Muawiyah I, who feared his military and administrative skills. His death removed a key ally from Ali's side.

Malik al-Ashtar commanded the vanguard of Ali's army at Siffin against Muawiyah's forces. He led a successful assault that nearly defeated the Umayyad army, but the battle ended in arbitration after Muawiyah's troops raised Qurans on spears.

Marcellus was elected consul for the first time and campaigned in Cisalpine Gaul against the Insubres. He killed the Gallic chieftain Viridomarus in single combat, winning the spolia opima, a rare honor awarded for killing an enemy leader in battle.

After the disaster at Cannae, Marcellus defended the city of Nola against Hannibal's forces. He successfully repelled the Carthaginian attack, earning a reputation as one of the few Roman commanders able to stand up to Hannibal in the field.

Marcellus captured the Greek city of Syracuse after a two-year siege. The city had allied with Carthage, and its fall was a major blow to Hannibal's strategy. During the sack, the mathematician Archimedes was killed by a Roman soldier, despite Marcellus's orders to spare him.

While reconnoitering near Venusia, Marcellus and his colleague were ambushed by a Carthaginian force under Hannibal. Marcellus was killed in the skirmish, and his death was a significant loss for Rome. Hannibal reportedly gave him a proper burial.