oxford world’s classics HANNIBAL’S WAR books twenty-one to thirty Titus Livius (Livy), the historian, was born in Patavium (mod- ern Padua) in 64 or 59 bc and died in ad 12 or 17 in Patavium, surviving therefore into his late seventies or early eighties. He came to Rome in the 30sbc and began writing his history of Rome not long after. There is no evidence that he was a senator or held other governmental posts, although he was acquainted with the emperor Augustus and his family, at least by his later years. He appears to have had the means to spend his life largely in writing his huge history of Rome, Ab Urbe Condita or ‘From the Foundation of the City’, which filled142 books and covered the period from Rome’s founding to the death of the elder Drusus (753–9bc). Thirty-five books survive: 1–10 (753–293bc) and 21–45 (218–167bc). J. C. Yardley has been Professor and Head of Classics at the Universities of Calgary and Ottawa and is a former President of the Classical Association of Canada. He has also translated The Dawn of the Roman Empire (Books 31–40 of Livy’s history) for Oxford World’s Classics, as well as Quintus Curtius’ History of Alexander for Penguin Classics (1984) and Justin for the American Philological Association Classical Resources series (1994) and (Books 11–12) for the Clarendon Ancient History series (1997). His most recent books areJustin and Pompeius Trogus (2003) and (with Waldemar Heckel) Alexander the Great (2004). Dexter Hoyos was born in Barbados, studied at Oxford, and teaches Roman history and historians, and Latin, at Sydney Uni- versity. His most recent publications include Unplanned Wars (1998), on the causes of the first two Punic Wars, and Hannibal’s Dynasty: Power and Politics in the Western Mediterranean 247–183 B.C. (2003). oxford world’s classics For over 100 years Oxford World’s Classics have brought readers closer to the world’s great literature. Now with over 700 titles––from the 4,000-year-old myths of Mesopotamia to the twentieth century’s greatest novels––the series makes available lesser-known as well as celebrated writing. The pocket-sized hardbacks of the early years contained introductions by Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, Graham Greene, and other literary figures which enriched the experience of reading. Today the series is recognized for its fine scholarship and reliability in texts that span world literature, drama and poetry, religion, philosophy and politics. Each edition includes perceptive commentary and essential background information to meet the changing needs of readers. OXFORD WORLD’S CLASSICS LIVY Hannibal’s War Books Twenty-One to Thirty Translated by J. C. YARDLEY With an Introduction and Notes by DEXTER HOYOS 1 3 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in OxfordNew York AucklandCape TownDar es SalaamHong Kong Karachi Kuala LumpurMadrid MelbourneMexico CityNairobi New DelhiShanghaiTaipeiToronto With offices in ArgentinaAustriaBrazilChileCzech RepublicFranceGreece GuatemalaHungaryItalyJapanPolandPortugalSingapore South KoreaSwitzerland ThailandTurkey UkraineVietnam Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York Translation © J. C. Yardley 2006 Introduction, Notes and other editorial matter © Dexter Hoyos 2006 The moral rights of the authors have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published as an Oxford World’s Classics paperback 2006 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Data available Typeset in Ehrhardt by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk Printed in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc, Suffolk ISBN 0–19–283159–3 978–0–19–283159–0 1 For Andrea, Elaine, Jane, Camilla, Jann, and Barbara This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS Introduction ix Note on the Text and Translation xxxiv Select Bibliography xxxvi A Chronology of Events xxxix Maps xliv HANNIBAL’S WAR 1 book twenty-one 3 book twenty-two 66 book twenty-three 135 book twenty-four 195 book twenty-five 252 book twenty-six 310 book twenty-seven 378 book twenty-eight 448 book twenty-nine 514 book thirty 563 Appendix1. List of Variations from the Teubner Text 619 Appendix2. Hannibal’s Route over the Alps 620 Explanatory Notes 631 Glossary 715 Index 727 This page intentionally left blank INTRODUCTION Livy and his history Titus Livius was born at Patavium in northern Italy, today’s Padua, probably in 64 bc, and died there probably in ad 12; his family’s communal epitaph may still be seen. He began writing his history From the Foundation of the City (Ab Urbe Condita) around 27bc, just as Rome’s latest supreme leader, Augustus, was consolidating his primacy over the city and the empire. Starting with the origins of Rome, he concluded with the year 9 bc in Book 142, an average yearly output of nearly four sizeable books. Of these, only 35 (1–10 and 21–45) survive, though luckily a collection of epitomes or résumés of nearly all 142 is extant. The history made Livy famous in his own lifetime: there is a story of an admirer from Gades (Cádiz) in Spain who travelled to Rome simply to see the man of renown, and then went home. Livy was on friendly terms with Augustus, but From the Foundation of the City was not a commissioned work or propaganda piece for the new regime: Livy openly wondered whether it would have been worse or better for the Roman people if Julius Caesar had never been born, and accorded enough praise to Caesar’s foe Pompey for Augustus to tease him with being a ‘Pompeian’––perhaps a punning joke based on his Patavine origin.1 Books 21–30 of From the Foundation comprise our most detailed and exciting ancient account of the Second Punic War, Hannibal’s war against Rome.2 The two warring states, Rome and Carthage, were supposedly founded within a few decades of each other: Carthage in 814, Rome in 753. It will help a better understanding of Livy’s narrative to summarize the events that led to their rivalry. 1 Doubt about Caesar: Seneca, Natural Questions 5.18. Friendship with Augustus, and the joke: Tacitus, Annals 4.34; perhaps a pun on Livy’s origin––not really a ‘Patavine’ but a ‘Pompeian’ (Pompeii being the well-known town in Campania). 2 ‘Punic’ (Latin Punicus or Poenicus) is an alternative term for ‘Carthaginian’, recall- ing the city’s Phoenician ancestry.