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Titus Livy was a Roman historian and the author of History of Rome – his only
surviving work, which he wrote not for students of history but rather as a monument
dedicated to Rome. He sought to document all the events, virtues and vices that attributed
Romans to keep the prominence of the empire alive; a moral lesson taught by the history
of Rome. He wanted his readers to be able to take away a sense of what factors had
contributed to Rome’s success and which to her demise, and to be able to use that
knowledge to ensure that the continuation and expansion of her greatness and success
would be imminent. In Book 21: From Saguntum to the Trebia, Livy recounts what he
calls “the most memorable of all wars – the war waged by Hannibal and the
Carthaginians against the Roman people”; both empires were great in strength, rich in
resources, and well prepared to withstand the strain of a long war (21.1). Though Livy
wrote his accounts as a Roman citizen, it is evident in his chronicle of the Second Punic
War that he held a great deal of admiration for Hannibal, the commander-in-chief of the
Carthaginians.
According to Livy, it was Hamilcar – Hannibal’s father – who was the prime
instigator of the war; he was a “man of great pride” and the loss of Sicily and Sardinia
devastated him (21.1). Hamilcar’s desire for retaliation was strong and it was apparent in
the manner in which he conducted the African war – and also from the way in which he
strengthened and extended the rule of Carthage during the nine years’ war with Spain –
that he was meditating a far greater war than any he was actually engaged in. Had he
lived longer, there is no doubt that it would have been under his command that the
invasion of Italy would be carried out; however, his untimely death was opportune for
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Rome. Though Hamilcar had made Hannibal swear that he would show himself the
enemy of Rome as soon as he was able, he was too young to take any action at the time
of his father’s death, so command of the army was taken over by Hasdrubal, Hamilcar’s
son-in-law, for the next five years. Through his diplomacy and tendency of trusting to
policy rather than to arms, he was successful in “conciliating tribes and joining to his
empire” and established a renewed treaty with Rome. Livy admired his success but also
criticized his passive approach, saying that “peace afforded him no great security,” for he
rightful possession of Hannibal. Livy wrote that “upon his first arrival in Spain Hannibal
became the center of attention in the whole army” (21.4); he was a quick favourite of
everyone’s. At first it was because many veterans imagined him as Hamilcar restored to
them as he was in his youth – they saw in Hannibal the same determined expression and
cast of features as his late father – however, it was soon apparent that it was not only his
father’s memory that helped him win the affections of his army. Livy goes on to
It was Hannibal that Hasdrubal chose to put in charge of any business that
required courage and energy, and it was under Hannibal that the soldiers
dangerous enterprises, he was prudent in discharging them. Toil could not weary
his body or subdue his spirit. Heat and cold he endured alike. He ate and drank to
satisfy nature, not pleasure. Hours for sleeping and waking were not determined
by the clock; whatever time was left after work was done he devoted to sleep. Nor
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was sleep wooed by soft couches and stillness; often he could be seen lying on the
ground among the sentries and pickets, covered with a soldier’s cape. His dress
was no different from his contemporaries’, but his arms and horses were
preeminent (21.4).
well as a humble leader. His dress was in no way superior to that of his comrades and he
did not afford himself luxuries or leisure based on his rank; what made him conspicuous
were his arms and horses. He was fearless in the face of danger and perfectly self-
possessed in its presence. Livy goes on to say that, during the whole three years that
Hannibal served under Hasdrubal, Hannibal never once let pass an opportunity to gain by
either practice or observation the experience necessary for him to become a great leader
of men. However, regardless of the many awesome traits he was endowed with, Hannibal
also had characteristics that Livy considered to be enormous faults. In contrast to the
untrustworthiness and utter absence of truthfulness, reverence, fear of the gods, respect
for oaths and sense of religion. To someone like Livy, a man who dwelled with great
delight on the ways of the old republic, these were extremely unattractive features for a
person to have. Such was Hannibal’s character, though – a compound of virtues and vices
Titus Livy intended his didactic view of history to be more than just a means of
for people to see why their predecessors had prevailed or fallen and to learn from
mistakes made in the past. The characteristics that Livy seemed to admire most in
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Hannibal were his military strengths, bravery, his ability to be a great leader and inspire
the best out of those he commanded, his steadfastness, fortitude, dedication and loyalty.
In contrast, he found Hannibal’s complete lack of faith and reverence in the gods or
possessed all the right traits and led and appealed to his men in an unparalleled manner.
The reason why Livy, a Roman writer, would have depicted the enemy leader as having
such amazing qualities and brilliance was so that future Romans could look back and
Works Cited
Livy, The History of Rome, trans. M. Hadas and J.P. Poe, in Livy: A History of Rome
(New York: The Modern Library, 1962), pp. 207-10 and 243-51.
Livy, The History of Rome, trans. Rev. Canon Roberts in The History of Rome, Vol. 3
Pelham, Henry Francis. "Livy (Titus Livius), Roman Historian (59 B.C. - A.D. 17)."