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fourth chapter. Mago describes Hannibal‟s takeover of Capua in terms of Capuan
surrender, not a change of allegiance. 72
A number of Hannibal‟s reputed achievements are disputed, and for a given tradition
in one text, another will present an alternative tradition. This is particularly evident
between Livy and Polybius for some of the features discussed in this thesis. In respect of
the tradition of Hannibal‟s record of victories in Italy it will be shown that a surprising
choice has been made by the „rational‟ historian, Polybius. As will be discussed further
in chapter six, Polybius describes Hannibal as undefeated throughout the time he was in
Italy; it is a „fact‟ which Polybius 73 sustains through elision of claimed defeats of
Hannibal in Italy and criticism of accounts that present Hannibal being defeated before
Zama. Polybius‟ elision is criticised by Plutarch, particularly in respect of Marcellus,
and implicitly opposed by Livy whose text includes two carefully presented defeats of
Hannibal in Italy by Marcellus, as well as references to claims by others for defeating
Hannibal. It is possible, from Livy‟s detailed descriptions of Marcellus‟ battles, that
some of his readers might decide that Marcellus‟ victories do not „count‟ in comparison
to Cannae or Zama. Interestingly, Silius Italicus includes the first defeat of Hannibal by
Marcellus given in Livy‟s text, but not the second, and furthermore, his description of
first battle follows a different tradition to Livy. Consequently Silius Italicus offers
different reasons to his audience as to why Marcellus‟ „win‟ may not „count‟ as a defeat
in Italy for Hannibal. Indeed, it seems that Silius Italicus himself did not „count‟ it in the
poetic reckoning because the reason that Venus rescues Hannibal from drowning in the
Sicilian Sea in Punica 17 is to prevent the Carthaginians glorifying Hannibal as an
undefeated hero (Pun. 17.286). 74 Although Silius Italicus‟ allusion to the Polybian
tradition seems unequivocal it may, of course, have come from a Scipio or Hannibal
biography or similar text, now lost.
Divine or supernatural influence on the affairs of humans takes various forms, in
large part depending on the genre of the text. It tends to be excluded in the
72 Cf. Will, 1983, 173-5 that it is exaggeration by Mago.
73 Polybius‟ decision to subscribe to the „myth‟ of Hannibal being undefeated in Italy brings to mind three
options that Marincola referred to in respect of myths from the earliest times. „For non-contemporary
history there was myth, and that post-Thucydides historiography had three options, to avoid myths
completely, to rationalise or de-mythologise them, or to include them and leave the credibility to the
reader (which may require some justification).‟ Marincola, 1997, 189.
74 There has been much discussion over whether or not Hannibal is the „hero‟ or „anti-hero‟ of the Punica.
Duff, 1996, xi: „Hannibal is the true hero;‟ Bassett, 1966, 265 argues for Scipio. Cf. Campbell, 1970, 989:
„Scipio fails... Hannibal is nearer the part;‟Ahl, Davis & Pomeroy, 1986, 2519 „everyone Rome could
muster against one enemy general,‟ also n29; Pomeroy, 2000, 160 argues for Aeneas; Dominik, 2003, 472
Hannibal. See Feeney, 1986, 140 and Marks, 2005, 61-65 for „polyheroic‟ reading of „Romans‟ generally.
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