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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.

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