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Hercules possibly goes back to Hannibal himself, the difference between us is that
Rawlings does not discuss why Hannibal might promote a connection with Hercules. 137
There were risks to appearing Herculean or being favoured by Hercules, and
ultimately, of course, Hannibal‟s failure to achieve overall victory against Rome meant
that any adoption of divine support or appearance would be turned against him by later
authors. The first section of this chapter begins with a brief overview of the Hercules
figure as a potentially useful tool for Hannibal in a psychological war against Rome.
The overview will show that, although there were risks for Hannibal using the analogy
in the long term, these were outweighed by the short-term benefits. The first subsection
examines the possible representations of Hannibal as analogous with Hercules found in
coinage and in certain texts. Hercules was a very popular cult figure at Rome and for
Hannibal to proclaim support would signal a suggestion that Hercules may have
deserted the Romans. The second subsection examines what might be the contemporary
Roman reaction in numismatic changes, the vows to establish temples to other cults,
such as to Mens and Venus Erycina, as well as increased veneration of Hercules.
Of the later Roman responses, it will be argued that Livy adapts Hannibal‟s
appropriation to present a negative moral example, while Statius and Silius Italicus
present Hannibal as ultimately deluded in his belief of Herculean support. The Punica
shows how Hannibal could never become a „new‟ or „reincarnated‟ Hercules, an
interpretation which is similar to Hardie‟s view that Silius Italicus represents Hannibal
attempting to be another Hercules but only succeeding in playing the role of a Titan or
Giant. 138 It is also compatible with Augoustakis‟ reading of the Punica that Hannibal
embodies the negative characteristics of Hercules while Scipio embodies the positive. 139
Hannibal was neither the first nor the last general from the ancient world said to
claim descent or special favour through a particular god or hero. 140 His father, Hamilcar
Barca was said to have been compared to Mars: 141 sed pater ipse Hamilcar Mars alter,
137 Billot, 2005b, 111-118 and Rawlings, 2005, 153-181.
138 Hardie, 1993, 80. For the Hercules theme in the Punica (esp. Punica 3, 4) see Augoustakis, 1994, 35-
76; 2003, 235; Spaltenstein, 1986, 231; Ripoll, 1998, 112-132; von Albrecht, 1964; Marks, 1999, 147-
193; Wilson, 1993, 221-9.
139 Augoustakis, 2003 argues that the mythical hero becomes the model for two opposing figures,
Hannibal and Scipio. Cf. Bassett, 1966, 263-5 who argues that Silius represents Scipio as a successor of
Hercules and that Silius follows Virgilian precedent by sometimes associating another Roman with
Hercules.
140 E.g Plutarch records the myth that Hercules was an ancestor to the Fabii, although Plutarch prefers the
alternative „local‟ folklore tradition of Fabian ancestry (Fabius Maximus, 1.2). Plutarch also notes a
tradition that Theseus was descended from Hercules (Plutarch, Thes., 6).
141 Mars was Venus‟ lover. There may be a connection with the shrine of Venus Erycina on Mt Eryx,
where Hamilcar was based.
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