Chapter 10.4–6
Hannibal's plan is set out · Life of Hannibal · A-level Latin · OCR H443/03
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SubjectObjectVerbGenitiveDativeAblativeConjunctionAdverb
Latin
English
classe paucis diebus erant decreturi. superabatur navium multitudine: dolo erat
Within a few days the two sides were due to fight it out at sea. Hannibal was outnumbered in ships, and would have to fight
pugnandum, cum par non esset armis. imperavit quam plurimas venenatas serpentes vivas
by trickery, since he could not match his enemy in strength. He ordered as many live venomous snakes as possible
colligi easque in vasa fictilia conici.
to be gathered and packed into earthenware pots.
harum cum effecisset magnam multitudinem, die ipso, quo facturus erat navale proelium,
Once he had collected a great number of these, on the very day set for the naval battle,
classiarios convocat hisque praecepit, omnes ut in unam Eumenis regis concurrant navem;
he called his marines together and gave the order: all of them were to converge on the one ship carrying King Eumenes,
a ceteris tantum satis habeant se defendere. id illos facile serpentium multitudine
while against everyone else they need only defend themselves: thanks to the great number of snakes, he told them, they would easily
consecuturos.
manage this.
rex autem in qua nave veheretur, ut scirent, se facturum. quem si aut cepissent aut
He would make sure they knew which ship the king himself was sailing on; if they either captured or
interfecissent, magno iis pollicetur praemio fore.
killed him, he promised they would be richly rewarded.
Style notes this section · 17Word order · 4Repetition and structure · 4Word choice · 5Grammar · 4
superabatur navium multitudineEmphatic position
he was outnumbered in ships
The verb comes first, so Hannibal's disadvantage is stated bluntly before anything else, and the reader wonders how he can possibly win.
multitudine … multitudinem … multitudinePolyptoton
the number … a great number … the sheer number
The same word returns in different cases: Hannibal's lack of numbers in ships is answered by a multitude of snakes.
doloEmphatic position
by trickery
dolo is placed first in its clause: since he cannot win by numbers, cunning becomes his weapon, which is the theme of the whole episode.
dolo erat pugnandumGerundive of obligation
he had to fight by trickery
The impersonal gerundive presents trickery as a necessity forced on him, not a choice, which lets Nepos excuse a method that Romans might think unworthy of a soldier.
dolo … armisContrast
by trickery … in arms
Trickery is set against armed strength, the two ways of winning a battle. Hannibal lacks the second, so he turns to the first.
quam plurimasSuperlative
as many as possible
quam with the superlative stresses the scale of the plan: Hannibal does nothing by halves.
venenatas serpentes vivasVivid detail
live poisonous snakes
Three words pile up the danger: they are snakes, they are venomous, and they are alive. The strange weapon would startle any reader.
in vasa fictiliaVivid detail
into earthenware pots
Cheap clay pots that would shatter on impact: the homely detail makes the secret weapon all the more surprising.
die ipsoEmphasis
on the very day
ipso stresses the timing: the plan is revealed to the men only on the day of the battle, which keeps it secret and raises the tension.
convocatHistoric present
he calls together
The switch to the present tense brings the reader into the moment of Hannibal's briefing, which makes the narrative vivid.
omnes ut in unamJuxtaposition
all … onto one
"All" is set right beside "one": every Bithynian ship is to converge on a single target.
omnes … in unam … a ceteris tantumContrast
all on one … only against the rest
The men are to throw everything at one ship and merely defend themselves against the others. The balance makes the plan easy to grasp.
unam Eumenis regis concurrant navemHyperbaton
onto the one ship of King Eumenes
unam is separated from navem, so the single target frames the king's name and the verb.
id illos facile serpentium multitudine consecuturosIndirect speech
that they would easily achieve this through the mass of snakes
Hannibal's orders are reported in indirect speech, so Nepos can summarise the briefing briskly without stopping the story.
facileCharacterisation
easily
Hannibal speaks with complete confidence: the snakes will "easily" do the rest. The reader sees his assurance as a commander.
quem si aut cepissent aut interfecissentConditional
if they captured or killed him
aut … aut makes either outcome worth the reward, which shows that Hannibal wants Eumenes out of the battle whatever it takes.
magno … praemioHyperbaton
a great reward
magno is separated from praemio, so the promise of a great reward stretches across the clause and ends the chapter on the men's incentive.
Notes on the text 3
venenatas serpentesThe snakes
poisonous snakes
The same stratagem is described by Justin (32.4), who adds that the pots were thrown onto the enemy ships, as here.
classiariosMarines
marines
The soldiers carried on board ship to fight, as distinct from the rowers and sailors.
Eumenis regisEumenes
of King Eumenes
Eumenes II, king of Pergamum in north-west Asia Minor from 197 to 159 BC. He was Rome's most loyal ally in the region and Prusias' neighbour and enemy.
Questions to think about · 3
- Nepos says that Hannibal "had to" fight by trickery. Does the chapter present his use of dolus as admirable, or as something that needs excusing to a Roman reader?
- How does Nepos make Hannibal's instructions to his men sound clear, confident and complete?
- Why do you think Nepos sets out the whole plan before he describes the battle? What does the reader gain from knowing it in advance?
The war between Bithynia and Pergamum background
After the defeat of Antiochus at Magnesia (190 BC), the peace terms Rome imposed required that Hannibal be handed over. He escaped, and after a stay on Crete he ended up at the court of Prusias I, king of Bithynia, in north-west Asia Minor. Prusias was at war with his neighbour Eumenes II of Pergamum, Rome's most loyal ally in the region, and he put Hannibal in charge of his forces.
The fighting lasted from about 186 to 183 BC, until Rome stepped in to end it. The story of the snakes thrown in pots onto the Pergamene ships is also told by Justin, in his summary of the lost history of Pompeius Trogus, so it was evidently a well-known episode. For Nepos it is the perfect example of Hannibal winning by intelligence when he could not win by numbers.
Vocabulary in this section · 65 wordsVocabulary tester
classis, -is (f.) fleet
paucus, -a, -um few, a few
dies, diei (m.) day
sum, esse, fui be
decerno, decernere, decrevi, decretum decide, settle, fight it out
supero, superare, superavi, superatum overcome, surpass, outnumber
navis, -is (f.) ship
multitudo, -inis (f.) large number, multitude
dolus, -i (m.) trick, trickery, deceit
pugno, pugnare, pugnavi, pugnatum fight
cum (conj.) when, since, although
par, paris equal, a match for
non (adv.) not
arma, -orum (n. pl.) arms, weapons; armed forces
impero, imperare, imperavi, imperatum order, command
quam (adv.) how; than; (+ superlative) as ... as possible
plurimus, -a, -um most, very many
venenatus, -a, -um poisonous, venomous
serpens, -entis (f.) snake, serpent
vivus, -a, -um alive, living
colligo, colligere, collegi, collectum gather, collect
is, ea, id + -que (conj.) he, she, it; that; and
in (prep. + acc.) into, onto, against; (+ abl.) in, on
vas, vasis (n.) vessel, pot, jar
fictilis, -e made of clay, earthenware
conicio, conicere, conieci, coniectum throw, hurl; put
hic, haec, hoc this; he, she, it
efficio, efficere, effeci, effectum bring about, produce; get together
magnus, -a, -um great, large
ipse, ipsa, ipsum -self; very
qui, quae, quod who, which, that
facio, facere, feci, factum make, do; (with proelium) fight
navalis, -e naval
proelium, -i (n.) battle
classiarius, -i (m.) marine, fighting man of the fleet
convoco, convocare, convocavi, convocatum call together, summon
hic, haec, hoc + -que (conj.) this; he, she, it; and
praecipio, praecipere, praecepi, praeceptum instruct, order, advise
omnis, -e all, every
ut (conj.) that, so that, to; as
unus, -a, -um one, a single
Eumenes, -is (m.) Eumenes, king of Pergamum
rex, regis (m.) king
concurro, concurrere, concurri, concursum rush together, converge; charge
a, ab (prep. + abl.) from, against; by
ceteri, -ae, -a the rest, the others
tantum (adv.) only
satis (adv.) enough; satis habere consider it enough
habeo, habere, habui, habitum have, hold; consider
se (reflexive pron.) himself, herself, themselves
defendo, defendere, defendi, defensum defend, protect
is, ea, id he, she, it; that
ille, illa, illud that; he, she, it
facile (adv.) easily
consequor, consequi, consecutus sum follow; achieve, attain
autem (conj.) but, however, moreover
qui, quae, quod (interrog. adj.) which? what?
veho, vehere, vexi, vectum carry; (passive) travel, sail
scio, scire, scivi, scitum know
si (conj.) if
aut (conj.) or; aut ... aut either ... or
capio, capere, cepi, captum take, capture
interficio, interficere, interfeci, interfectum kill
polliceor, polliceri, pollicitus sum promise
praemium, -i (n.) reward, prize