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Although there is much in common between Livy‟s and Polybius‟ presentations of
Zama, 372 there are subtle differences between them, and a number of alternative
traditions may be identified in other texts. Silius Italicus has what is today a unique
focus on Hannibal with a series of soliloquies, including the last spoken word in the
Punica. The focus of this section compares the representations of Hannibal and to a
lesser extent, Scipio, over what the protagonists thought they were fighting for at Zama,
as well as the content and patterning of the two pairs of speeches by Hannibal and
Scipio.
Polybius opens the episode with an anachronistic exaggeration in his introductory
overview of what he thought Carthage and Rome were fighting for at Zama:
εἰο δὲ ηὴλ ἐπαύξηνλ ἅκα ηῷ θσηὶ ηὰο δπλάκεηο ἐμῆγνλ ἀκθόηεξνη θαὶ
ζπλίζηαλην ηὸλ ἀγῶλα, Καξρεδόληνη κὲλ ὑπὲξ ηῆο ζθεηέξαο ζσηεξίαο
θαὶ ηῶλ θαηὰ ηὴλ Ληβύελ πξαγκάησλ, Ῥσκαῖνη δὲ πεξὶ ηῆο ηῶλ ὅισλ
ἀξρῆο θαὶ δπλαζηείαο.
Hist. 15.9.2.
On the following morning at daybreak they led out their armies and
opened the battle, the Carthaginians fighting for their own safety and
the dominion of Africa, and the Romans for the empire of the world.
Paton, 2000, 485.
Polybius emphasises his perception of the Roman purpose through its repetition in
Scipio‟s harangue to his men (Hist. 15.10.2). It also echoes his sentiments in his earlier
discussion about the Roman plundering of Syracuse in which he considers the
impossibility of them aiming for world domination without removing the wealth of
others (Hist. 9.10.11-13).
Livy represents both parties fighting for world domination; it is written into his text
as a report that both Hannibal and Scipio announce to their men:
Roma an Carthago iura gentibus daret ante crastinam noctem scituros;
neque enim Africam aut Italiam, sed orbem terrarum victoriae
praemium fore; par periculum praemio quibus adversa pugnae fortuna
fuisset.
Livy, 30.32.2
372
Until the late twentieth century most studies comparing this episode between these two texts focus on
Livy‟s use or otherwise of the Histories as a historical source e.g. Miller, 1975, 52 believes it „probably
right‟ that Livy worked directly from Polybius. Cf. Tränkle, 1977, 241, who suggests the similarity
between the two versions reflects close adherence to a mutual source rather than Livy‟s direct use of
Polybius. Chaplin, 2000, 25, and Burck, 1967, 440-52: that the „Hannibal speech‟ before Zama is the
closest that Livy comes to simply reproducing Polybius. Walbank, 1967, 446, notes that there are more
problems - sources, chronology, site, numbers and tactics - over Zama than for any other battle in the war.
For discussions of the battle, see Goldsworthy, 2001, 298-309; 193-203; Bradford, 1981, 193-203.
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