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(Horace, Epode, 16.8). The quotation from the Punica for the title of this chapter
poetically reinterprets a remark by Polybius that the Romans lived in dread of Hannibal
until they defeated Hasdrubal at the Metaurus River in 207. The sentiment is similarly
located in both texts, shortly after Hasdrubal‟s defeat at the Metaurus River (Hist. 11.3;
Pun. 16.19). Livy does not directly admit to Roman fear of Hannibal at this stage of the
war, but that fear underlies his statement that, despite their victory over Hasdrubal, the
Romans did not provoke Hannibal as long as he remained inactive, such was the power
that they believed he held: tantam inesse vim, etsi omnia alia circa eum ruerunt in uno
illo duce censebant (Livy, 28.12.1).
Hannibal undefeated in Italy
Associated with the Roman fear of Hannibal is a tradition that Hannibal remained
undefeated in battle throughout the time that he was in Italy; it glorifies Scipio as the
first Roman to defeat Hannibal and, of course, enhances Hannibal‟s own reputation. The
claim was disputed in ancient times, especially in relation to Marcellus (Livy, 23.15;
Plutarch, Marcellus).
Polybius supports the tradition by placing a claim in Hannibal‟s harangue to his men
before Zama, that, in the previous seventeen years of fighting together, they had been
invincible:
Ἀλλίβαο δὲ ηνὺο κεζ᾽ αὑηνῦ παξαγεγνλόηαο ἐπηπνξεπόκελνο ἠμίνπ θαὶ
παξεθάιεη δηὰ πιεηόλσλ κλεζζῆλαη κὲλ ηῆο πξὸο ἀιιήινπο
ἑπηαθαηδεθαέηνπο ζπλεζείαο, κλεζζῆλαη δὲ ηνῦ πιήζνπο ηῶλ
πξνγεγνλόησλ αὐηνῖο πξὸο Ῥσκαίνπο ἀγώλσλ. ἐλ νἷο ἀεηηήηνπο
γεγνλόηαο νὐδ᾽ ἐιπίδα ηνῦ ληθᾶλ νὐδέπνη᾽ ἔθε Ῥσκαίνηο αὐηνὺο
ἀπνιεινηπέλαη.
Hist. 15.11.6-7
They did as they were ordered, and Hannibal himself went the round
of his own troops, begging and imploring them to remember their
comradeship of seventeen years and the number of the battles they had
previously against the Romans. „In all these battles, you proved so
invincible that you have not left the Romans the smallest hope of ever
being able to defeat you...‟
Paton, 2000, 489.
Its location in a speech by Hannibal immediately prior to battle at Zama imparts a sense
of credibility, and serves to remind the audience that, according to this presentation,
Scipio will become the first Roman to defeat Hannibal in a formal battle.
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