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PUNICORUM
LIBER PRIMUS
ARGUMENT
The subject of the poem is the Second Punic War (1-20).
The cause of the war was Juno's hatred of Rome. She
chooses Hannibal as her instrument (21-55). HannibaVs
character, and the oath he swore in boyhood (56-139). Hasdrubal
succeeds Hamilcar as commander in Spain : his
character, conquests, and death (140-181). Hannibal is
chosen to succeed Hasdrubal by all the army in Spain, both
Ordior arma, quibus caelo se gloria tollit
Aeneadum patiturque ferox Oenotria iura
Carthago, da, Musa, decus memorare laborum
antiquae Hesperiae, quantosque ad bella crearit
et quot Roma viros, sacri cum perfida pacti 5
gens Cadmea super regno certamina movit,
quaesitumque diu, qua tandem poneret arce
terrarum Fortuna caput, ter Marte sinistro
iuratumque lovi foedus conventaque patrum
Sidonii fregere duces, atque impius ensis 10
ter placitam suasit temerando rumpere pacemi.
* Oenotria, the Greek name of an ancient kingdom in
S. Italy, is one of the many synonyms for Italy which occur
in the poem : see p. xiii.
" Sidonians, Tyrians, Cadmeans, and other names are
used by Silius to denote the Carthaginians.
2