SLC Thesis Template - ResearchSpace@Auckland - The University ...
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political climate of Augustan Rome and ascendancy of the Julio-Claudians over the<br />
Scipios (lauding a „Claudian‟ victory over Hannibal). <strong>The</strong>re is no Roman interception of<br />
spies in the Punica but the personification of Italy who urges Nero to travel north to his<br />
colleague (Pun. 15.546-557).<br />
Hannibal exhibits a rare touch of human frailty because he is deceived by the same<br />
tactics that he had used at Capua against the Romans. When the bulk of the Roman<br />
army slipped away under cover of darkness, Hannibal remained unaware that he was<br />
facing a reduced force (Livy, 27.47; Frontinus, Strat. 1.1.9). Hannibal only learned of<br />
the Hasdrubal‟s defeat through a highly dramatic gesture when Hasdrubal‟s head was<br />
thrown into his camp (Livy, 27.51). This gruesome signal is also preferred by Silius<br />
Italicus despite the fact that it does not reflect well on the Romans in comparison to<br />
Hannibal for honouring the bodies of dead enemy generals (Pun. 15.813-4).<br />
Horace depicts Hannibal lamenting the loss of his brother and voicing a prescience of<br />
overall defeat:<br />
„Carthagini iam non ego nuntios<br />
mittam superbos: occidit, occidit<br />
spes omnis et fortuna nostri<br />
nominis Hasdrubale interempto.‟<br />
„No more shall I be sending to Carthage town<br />
proud messages now. Overthrown, overthrown<br />
is every hope and all our famous<br />
Fortune with Hasdrubal‟s fatal ending.‟<br />
162<br />
Horace, Ode, 4.4.69-72<br />
Lee, 1998, 169.<br />
Hannibal is described as retreating into Bruttium in response to the news, taking as<br />
many supporters as possible, including those who had to be relocated: Bruttia<br />
maerentem casus patriaeque suosque Hannibalem accepit tellus (Pun. 16.1; cf. Livy,<br />
27.51).<br />
Depicting Hannibal with a prescience of defeat in 207 (agnosco infelicitatem<br />
Carthaginis Florus, 1.22.53) supports the presentation of this victory over Hasdrubal as<br />
a critical event, but it is premature to present Hannibal considering defeat. He exhibits a<br />
strong, almost Roman, spirit of doggedly continuing with war. Silius Italicus poetically<br />
363 Walbank, 1967, 251-2 thinks Hasdrubal may have anticipated defeat and sent some elephants and cash<br />
on ahead, which evades the point about the size of army faced by Scipio. Walbank notes that Fabius‟<br />
criticism shows it was a debated issue in ancient times.