Chapter 11.1–3
Hannibal puts his plan into action · Life of Hannibal · A-level Latin · OCR H443/03
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SubjectObjectVerbGenitiveDativeAblativeConjunctionAdverb
Latin
English
tali cohortatione militum facta classis ab utrisque in proelium deducitur. quarum acie
With his men encouraged in this way, the two fleets moved out to fight. Once the battle lines
constituta, priusquam signum pugnae daretur, Hannibal, ut palam faceret suis, quo loco
were drawn up, and before the signal for battle was given, Hannibal, wanting his own side to know exactly where
Eumenes esset, tabellarium in scapha cum caduceo mittit.
Eumenes was, sent a messenger out in a small boat carrying a herald's staff.
qui ubi ad naves adversariorum pervenit epistulamque ostendens se regem professus est
When the man reached the enemy ships and, holding up a letter, announced that he was looking
quaerere, statim ad Eumenem deductus est, quod nemo dubitabat, quin aliquid de pace esset
for the king, he was taken straight to Eumenes, since no one doubted the letter contained some offer
scriptum. tabellarius ducis nave declarata suis eodem, unde erat egressus, se recepit.
of peace. Once the messenger had pointed out the commander's ship to his own side, he returned the way he had come.
at Eumenes soluta epistula nihil in ea repperit, nisi quae ad irridendum eum pertinerent.
But when Eumenes opened the letter, he found nothing in it except words meant to mock him.
cuius etsi causam mirabatur neque reperiebat, tamen proelium statim committere non
Though he was baffled by this and could find no explanation for it, he still did not hesitate to
dubitavit.
join battle at once.
Style notes this section · 16Word order · 1Repetition and structure · 4Word choice · 5Imagery and tone · 2Grammar · 4
tali cohortatione militum factaAblative absolute
with the men encouraged in this way
The ablative absolute wraps up the previous scene in a few words, so the story moves straight on to the battle.
deduciturHistoric present
is led out
The present tense makes the launching of the two fleets vivid and immediate.
priusquam signum pugnae dareturDelay
before the signal for battle was given
The temporal clause holds the fighting back: Hannibal's trick takes place in the tense moment before the battle begins.
HannibalEmphatic position
Hannibal
His name comes in the middle of the long sentence, after the scene is set, so attention moves from the two fleets to the one man in control.
ut palam faceret suis, quo loco Eumenes essetDramatic irony
to make clear to his men where Eumenes was
The purpose of the messenger is told to the reader before the enemy can guess it, so we watch the Pergamenes walk into the trap.
in scapha cum caduceoVivid detail
in a small boat with a herald's staff
The tiny boat and the herald's staff make the messenger look harmless and official, which is exactly why the trick works.
mittitHistoric present
he sends
The sentence ends on a crisp present-tense verb: Hannibal acts.
epistulamque ostendensVivid detail
holding up a letter
The letter held up for all to see is the bait: it gets the messenger taken to the king, and so reveals which ship is his.
statimEmphasis
at once
The messenger is taken to the king immediately, which shows how easily the trick succeeds.
quod nemo dubitabatIrony
since no one doubted
Everyone is sure the letter is about peace, but the reader knows the plan. The same words opened the Life (1.1), where they backed a certainty that was true; here the certainty is wrong.
ducis nave declarataAblative absolute
once the commander's ship had been pointed out
The real purpose of the mission is achieved in an ablative absolute, almost in passing, as if it were a minor detail.
eodem, unde erat egressusRing structure
back to where he had set out from
The messenger returns exactly where he started, his job done, which shows how smoothly the plan unfolds.
at EumenesContrast
but Eumenes
at marks a sharp turn from the messenger's success to the king's confusion.
nihil … nisi quae ad irridendum eum pertinerentEmphatic negative
nothing except what was meant to mock him
The letter holds only insults: Hannibal humiliates the king even before the battle, which shows his contempt for Rome's ally.
mirabatur neque reperiebatPairing
he wondered and could not find
Two verbs show Eumenes puzzled and baffled, so the reader enjoys knowing what he does not.
non dubitavitLitotes
he did not hesitate
The understatement makes Eumenes seem bold, but the reader knows he is hurrying into a trap.
Notes on the text 1
caduceoThe herald's staff
herald's staff
The caduceus (Greek kerykeion) was the staff of heralds and envoys and the emblem of Hermes. It marked its bearer as sacred and not to be harmed, so it guaranteed the messenger safe passage.
Questions to think about · 3
- Is Hannibal's use of a herald with a herald's staff a fair stratagem or a breach of the rules of war? How does Nepos seem to want us to judge it?
- How does Nepos use the reader's knowledge of the plan to create tension and humour in this chapter?
- Why do you think the letter was written to mock Eumenes rather than simply left blank?
Vocabulary in this section · 71 wordsVocabulary tester
talis, -e such, of such a kind
cohortatio, -onis (f.) encouragement, rallying speech
miles, militis (m.) soldier
facio, facere, feci, factum make, do
classis, -is (f.) fleet
a, ab (prep. + abl.) by, from
uterque, utraque, utrumque each of two; (pl.) both sides
in (prep. + acc.) into, onto, against; (+ abl.) in, on
proelium, -i (n.) battle
deduco, deducere, deduxi, deductum lead out, bring, escort
qui, quae, quod who, which, that
acies, -ei (f.) battle line
constituo, constituere, constitui, constitutum draw up, set up, establish
priusquam (conj.) before
signum, -i (n.) sign, signal
pugna, -ae (f.) battle, fight
do, dare, dedi, datum give
Hannibal, -alis (m.) Hannibal, Carthaginian general
ut (conj.) that, so that, to; as
palam (adv.) openly; palam facere make known
suus, -a, -um his own, their own; (m. pl.) his own men
qui, quae, quod (interrog. adj.) which? what?
locus, -i (m.) place
Eumenes, -is (m.) Eumenes, king of Pergamum
sum, esse, fui be
tabellarius, -i (m.) letter-carrier, messenger
scapha, -ae (f.) small boat, skiff
cum (prep. + abl.) with
caduceus, -i (m.) herald's staff (sign of truce)
mitto, mittere, misi, missum send
ubi (conj.) when; where
ad (prep. + acc.) to, towards
navis, -is (f.) ship
adversarius, -i (m.) opponent, enemy
pervenio, pervenire, perveni, perventum arrive, reach
epistula, -ae (f.) letter + -que (conj.) and
ostendo, ostendere, ostendi, ostentum show, hold out, display
se (reflexive pron.) himself, herself, themselves
rex, regis (m.) king
profiteor, profiteri, professus sum declare, state openly
quaero, quaerere, quaesivi, quaesitum look for, seek; ask
statim (adv.) at once, immediately
quod (conj.) because, since
nemo, neminis (m.) no one, nobody
dubito, dubitare, dubitavi, dubitatum doubt; hesitate
quin (conj.) that (after a negative verb of doubting)
aliquis, aliquid someone, something
de (prep. + abl.) about, concerning; from
pax, pacis (f.) peace
scribo, scribere, scripsi, scriptum write
dux, ducis (m.) leader, commander
declaro, declarare, declaravi, declaratum point out, make clear, reveal
eodem (adv.) to the same place
unde (adv.) from where, whence
egredior, egredi, egressus sum go out, set out
recipio, recipere, recepi, receptum take back; se recipere withdraw, return
at (conj.) but
solvo, solvere, solvi, solutum loosen, untie, open
nihil (indecl. n.) nothing
is, ea, id he, she, it; that
reperio, reperire, repperi, repertum find, discover
nisi (conj.) unless, except
irrideo, irridere, irrisi, irrisum mock, laugh at
pertineo, pertinere, pertinui relate to, be aimed at
etsi (conj.) although, even if
causa, -ae (f.) reason, cause
miror, mirari, miratus sum wonder at, be puzzled by
neque (conj.) and not, nor
tamen (adv.) nevertheless, still
committo, committere, commisi, commissum join, begin; proelium committere join battle
non (adv.) not