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(Hist. 3.48.12). He debunks any pretence that Hannibal‟s feat was heroic by pointing out
that the Gauls who lived near the Rhône regularly crossed the Alps with large armies to
fight alongside the Gauls of the Po Valley against the Romans. Polybius acknowledges
Hannibal‟s intelligence and common sense, claiming that Hannibal researched both the
route and temperament of the local populations even before leaving Spain (Hist. 3.34.2-
6; 48.9-10). Livy, too, alludes to this view when he states that traversing the Alps was
rumoured (fama) to be worse than it really was: sed magis iter immensum Alpesque rem
fama utique inexpertis horrendam metuebat (Livy, 21.29.7). The routes through the
Alps were well established and much safer in the Flavian period and these make good
reasons for Silius Italicus to make fun of the journey.
The summit of the pass is an irresistible backdrop for Polybius and Livy to present
Hannibal poised on the brink addressing his men before their descent into the Po Valley
and invasion of Italy. There are slight, but important, variations in content and context
between their presentations. Significantly, Silius Italicus does not employ that „critical
moment‟ for a speech by Hannibal, reserving it instead for Jupiter‟s reassurance to
Venus. Instead, the epic Hannibal addresses his men shortly before reaching the pass
and this representation, as well as the tone and content of the speech, arguably applies a
more plausible sense of „reality‟ than historiographical representations of Hannibal
giving a speech at the summit.
Polybius uses indirect speech to represent Hannibal encouraging his despondent men.
Hannibal indicates the view of the Po Valley, and reminds everyone of their friendship
with the Gauls who lived there. He compares the Alps to a citadel overlooking the plain
and even points out Rome itself, which is a rare fanciful moment on the part of Polybius
(Hist. 3.54.2-8). Livy, having a particular focus on Rome, reworks the same analogy so
that the Alps represent the walls of Rome itself; Hannibal cheers his men with the
thought that they had scaled the walls not just of Italy, but of Rome, and that after a
couple of battles the city would be theirs (Livy, 21.35.9). Silius Italicus also reworks the
analogy to bring them within the city itself: shortly before reaching the pass Hannibal
directs his men to believe not only that they are scaling the walls of Rome but that they
are about to enter the Capitol (Pun. 3.509-10). In this way the summit of the pass is
equated with the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitol and the moment that Hannibal enters
the pass is the cue for Jupiter‟s speech to Venus over the outcome of the war (Pun.
3.557-629).
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