It just be like that sometimes
This depends on who you consider to be the author. If the author in your case would be a famous old historian, then they would probably marvel at the architectural accomplishments of ancient Rome and how they were able to create such magnificent structures in such a short amount of time.
Hannibal’s cavalry commander, Maharbal, supposedly uttered the famous phrase: “Hannibal, you know how to gain a victory, but not how to use one.” This came after Hannibal declined to besiege Rome following his victory at Cannae. A major reason for this was that Hannibal was far less skilled at sieges than field battles.
