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Chapter 7: The Legacy ‘War’
This chapter is divided into four parts as it examines the treatments of Hannibal
following his defeat at Zama and his metamorphosis to an eternal enemy of Rome. The
first section covers the immediate aftermath of the battle at Zama when authors faced
the choice of depicting Hannibal accepting the defeat as final or choosing to continue
warfare, and both representations are extant.
For those texts that depict Hannibal as a sworn enemy of Rome, presenting him not
accepting the defeat as final is easily compatible with the author‟s overall presentation
(e.g. Cornelius Nepos, Hannibal, 7.3; Seneca, NQ 3, praef. 5-7; Silius Italicus, Pun.
17.611-2). The portrait becomes more complex in those texts that depict Hannibal as a
sworn enemy and accepting the defeat as final, especially if he is also presented actively
persuading the Carthaginians either to sue for peace or to accept Scipio‟s terms (e.g.
Polybius, Hist. 15.19.2-9; Livy, 30.35.11). On the face of it, a „sworn enemy‟ of Rome
seems an unlikely figure to sue for peace. If, on the other hand, Hannibal dissembled his
attitude toward Rome in order to save both citizens and the physical city of Carthage
from the consequences of slavery, plundering and burning at the hands of Scipio‟s army,
the representation may be interpreted as displaying Punic trickery.
From the Carthaginian point of view, Hannibal might even be considered a saviour of
their city. The first section explores this slightly incongruous (for Roman texts) portrait
of Hannibal because such a depiction adds to the aura of his reputation as an
extraordinary figure, and, although it may not be considered a particularly strong or
„iconic‟ representation of Hannibal today, it has an intrinsic value as an alternative,
positive portrait of Hannibal that probably has non-Roman origins. It is also important
because it reappears in a slightly different guise in Livy‟s fourth decad a few years after
Zama when Hannibal again saves Carthage from Roman punishment. He solved an
economic crisis that enabled the Carthaginians to continue paying the indemnity due to
Rome, although the traditions differ on Hannibal‟s methodology.
In the second section of this chapter it will be argued that Livy‟s depiction of
Hannibal as a controversial politician develops into the next portrait of Hannibal: The
scapegoat and warmonger. Hannibal became the focus for Roman anger and had to
escape from Carthage. The devolution of blame onto one man has advantages for the
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