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as the importance of the city not just to Hannibal, but to the decad and to Livy‟s whole<br />

work, ab urbe condita.<br />

Silius Italicus, on the other hand, reminds his audience that the events of 390 are long<br />

since avenged; Roman honour was restored by conquest and memorialised by Gallic<br />

helmets and the sword of Brennus hanging in the entrance to the Senate House (Pun.<br />

1.609-29). <strong>The</strong> Punica does not locate Hannibal meeting with Gallic chiefs prior to<br />

crossing the Alps. On the other hand, it is more apparent in the Punica than in Livy that<br />

many Gauls support Hannibal because they feature in the catalogue of peoples that<br />

comprise Hannibal‟s army shortly before leaving Spain (Pun. 3.340; 345). Silius Italicus<br />

also more plausibly indicates that there are mixed reactions to Hannibal and his army<br />

from different tribes as Hannibal crosses their lands from the Pyrenees to the Alps:<br />

iamque per et colles et densos abiete lucos<br />

Bebryciae Poenus fines transcenderat aulae.<br />

inde ferox quaesitum armis per inhospita rura<br />

Volcarum populatur iter tumidique minaces<br />

accedit Rhodani festino milite ripas.<br />

83<br />

Pun. 3.442-446<br />

And now, marching through hills and dense pinewoods, Hannibal<br />

crossed the territory of the Berbrycian king. <strong>The</strong>nce he boldly forced<br />

his way through the land of the inhospitable Volcae, and ravaged it,<br />

till he came with rapid march to the formidable banks of the swollen<br />

Rhône.<br />

Duff, 1996, 147.<br />

iamque Tricastinis incedit finibus agmen<br />

iam faciles campos iam rura Vocontia carpit.<br />

Pun. 3.466-7<br />

Now Hannibal moved on through the territory of the Tricastini and<br />

made an easy march through the land of the Vocontii.<br />

Duff, 1996, 149.<br />

An easy march may refer to local topography but may equally imply conquest or<br />

negotiating safe passage, and the only tribe shown to be explicitly hostile (and<br />

conquered) are the Volcae. 219 Nonetheless, Hannibal later claims, as he does in Livy,<br />

that he forced or conquered his way across southern Gaul from Spain to Italy:<br />

219 Contra Spaltenstein, 1986, 235 „Sil. néglige le combat contre les Volcae…‟

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