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In contrast to fides, apart from perfidia which is also used in relation to Hannibal, 89
the Romans had a saying, Punica fides, which roughly relates to someone being
untrustworthy, a liar. 90 Livy famously concludes his otherwise positive introductory
portrait of Hannibal with the modification that Hannibal was someone whose
untrustworthiness went beyond even that of Carthaginians generally:
Has tantas viri virtutes ingentia vitia aequabant: inhumana crudelitas,
perfidia plus quam Punica, nihil veri, nihil sancti, nullus deum metus,
nullum ius iurandum, nulla religio.
Livy, 21.4.9. 91
These admirable qualities of the man were equalled by his monstrous
vices: his cruelty was inhuman, his perfidy worse than Punic; he had
no regard for truth, and none for sanctity, no fear of the gods, no
reverence for an oath, no religious scruple.
Foster, 1949, 11.
Hannibal‟s Punica fides or duplicity is later illustrated with what might be considered as
necessary „underhand‟ tactics for warfare: he is a master of pretended surrenders and
ambush; he is depicted making treaties and promises to townspeople in Italy that he
does not intend to keep; he is said to wear disguises. Roman distaste for such deceits
may be read into the parody of these characteristics for slave figures in Plautine comedy
whose roles require them to behave as generals. 92
Polybius, Livy and Silius Italicus all place the anecdote about Hannibal‟s childhood
oath early in their texts as part of their introductory material but they differ on context
which impacts on their overall representation of Hannibal. The earliest extant reference
to the anecdote is in Polybius‟ Histories, 3.11.1-9 and Polybius attributes it to what, at
first sight, is an impeccable source: Hannibal himself. This stated source is, like much of
Polybius‟ text, deceptively plausible, in part because the anecdote belongs to Hannibal‟s
childhood and is therefore unlikely to have been documented or noted as a special event
by the other participants.
89 E.gs. Ennius, fr., 272/3; Horace, Odes 4.4.49; 3.5.33-4; Martial, Ep., 4.14.3-4 (dedicated to Silius);
Statius, Sil., 4.6.77-8 refers to Hannibal‟s oath-breaking sword.
90 Sallust, Jug., 108.3; Livy, 21.4.9; 22.6.12; 42.47.7; Cicero off., 1.38; leg. agr., 2.95; Virgil, Aen., 1.661.
Strabo, Geog., 5.3.26. Franko, 1994, 154 observes that the proverb was not fides Carthaginiensis and
argues that poenus and/or punic carried negative connotations whereas Carthaginiensis was more neutral.
„Punica‟ has more punch, but that may be the modern ear.
91 Starkes, 1999, 258 argues Livy invented the description because Punica fides was a common phrase.
92 Plautus, Poenulus, Prologue, 114-5, alludes to this Carthaginian trait as the main character dissimulates
his knowledge of languages. Leigh, 2004a, 52-6 notes the fragility of constructing Plautus‟ comic
characters against Hannibal. Almost any „generic‟ Roman, Greek or Carthaginian aristocratic general can
be read into Plautus‟ character parodies which are pointedly non-specific.
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