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about the same time: Romam per eosdem dies et Magonem et Hannibalem profectos
adlatum est (Livy, 30.21.1).
Silius Italicus elides Mago‟s invasion, the details of the battle and his wound. Mago‟s
defeat is implied in Punica 16 with the reference that he was deprived of his camp and
sailed back to Africa, driven by fear: iam Mago, exutus castris, agitante pavore in
Libyam proper tramisit caerula velo (Pun. 16.26-7).
Hannibal leaves Italy
The capture of Syracuse by Marcellus was a hugely significant contribution to the
Roman war effort which cast a long shadow over Hannibal‟s chances of overall victory
in Italy (Livy, 25.23-41; Pun. 14; Plutarch, Marcellus, 18.3). It would have impacted to
some extent on Hannibal‟s supply routes because control of Syracuse enabled the
Romans to maintain at least some form of naval blockade of the shortest, safest sea-
route between southern Italy and Carthage. Livy devotes much of book 25 to Marcellus‟
successes in Sicily, and Silius Italicus, too, acknowledges the importance of Marcellus‟
contribution by devoting an entire Book, Punica 14, to the capture of Syracuse. Its
possibly ahistorical location in the Punica after the fall of Capua (Livy places it prior to
the fall of Capua) might be a poetic response to Polybius‟ discussion about the Roman
plundering of Syracuse which is located in the Histories 9 after the fall of Capua
(Polybius‟ narrative about the events prior to the capture of Syracuse is no longer
extant). 364
Polybius is initially highly critical of the Roman plundering of Syracuse, arguing that
things that have nothing to do with material wealth should be left in their place. He
points out that by removing not just the gold and silver, but every possible item from the
defeated Syracusans the victors engender rage, jealousy and hatred; his criticsm of the
Roman abuse of power is very thinly veiled (Hist. 9.10).
Silius Italicus seems to respond to this sentiment in Polybius‟ text. The epic
Marcellus recognises that he has the power to decide what will remain standing and
what will be removed; he restrains his men‟s greed. This portrait differs from the one in
Livy who says that the city was given over to the soldiers as soon as guards had been
posted at the houses of those who had supported the Romans (Livy, 25.31.8-.11). The
epic Syracusans were so grateful to Marcellus for his restraint that he was compared to
364 See also Plutarch, Marcellus, 19.3; Val. Max. 8.7. Ext. 7.
164