Chapter 2.1–3
Hannibal has been expelled from Carthage · Life of Hannibal · A-level Latin · OCR H443/03
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SubjectObjectVerbGenitiveDativeAblativeConjunctionAdverb
Latin
English
nam ut omittam Philippum, quem absens hostem reddidit Romanis,
For, to pass over Philip, whom Hannibal turned into Rome's enemy from a distance,
omnium iis temporibus potentissimus rex Antiochus fuit.
King Antiochus was, in those days, the most powerful ruler of all.
hunc tanta cupiditate incendit bellandi,
Hannibal inflamed him with so great a desire for war
ut usque a rubro mari arma conatus sit inferre Italiae.
that he attempted to bring his forces against Italy all the way from the Red Sea.
ad quem cum legati venissent Romani,
When Roman envoys came to Antiochus's court
qui de eius voluntate explorarent darentque operam consiliis clandestinis
to sound out his intentions and to work through secret schemes
ut Hannibalem in suspicionem regi adducerent,
to make the king suspicious of Hannibal,
tamquam ab ipsis corruptus alia atque antea sentiret,
as though he had been bribed by them and now thought differently than before —
neque id frustra fecissent idque Hannibal comperisset
and their scheme did not fail, and Hannibal found out about it,
seque ab interioribus consiliis segregari vidisset,
and realised he was being shut out of the king's inner counsels —
tempore dato adiit ad regem,
he went to the king as soon as the chance arose,
eique cum multa de fide sua et odio in Romanos commemorasset,
and after reminding him at length of his loyalty and his hatred of Rome,
hoc adiunxit: ‘pater meus’ inquit
he added this: 'My father
‘Hamilcar puerulo me, utpote non amplius VIIII annos nato,
Hamilcar,' he said, 'when I was a small boy, no more than nine years old,
in Hispaniam imperator proficiscens Carthagine,
as he was setting out from Carthage for Spain as commander-in-chief,
Iovi optimo maximo hostias immolavit.’
offered sacrifice to Jupiter, greatest and best of the gods.'
Style notes this section · 22Word order · 5Repetition and structure · 6Sound and metre · 2Word choice · 4Imagery and tone · 4Grammar · 1
ut omittam PhilippumPraeteritio
Nepos says he will pass over Philip (Philip V, king of Macedon, who allied with Hannibal against Rome in 215 BC) yet names him all the same. This lets him slip in one more example of Hannibal turning a king against Rome without breaking off from the story of Antiochus, so the reader sees Antiochus as part of a pattern.
quem absens hostem reddidit RomanisEmphatic placement of absens
absens comes straight after quem, ahead of the rest of the clause, so the stress falls on the fact that Hannibal made Philip Rome's enemy without being there in person. This shows how far his hatred could reach, since even at a distance his influence was enough to turn a king against Rome.
omnium iis temporibus potentissimus rex AntiochusHyperbaton
omnium is separated from potentissimus by iis temporibus and placed first in the sentence. Opening with "of all" stresses the scale of Antiochus's power before we know who is meant, and his name is saved for the end as the climax.
potentissimusSuperlative
Calling Antiochus (Antiochus III, ruler of the Seleucid empire, to whom Hannibal fled in 195 BC) the most powerful king of the age raises his status as high as it can go. The greater the king, the more impressive it is that Hannibal could steer him against Rome.
tanta cupiditate incendit bellandiHyperbaton
bellandi ("of waging war") belongs with cupiditate but is held back until after the verb. This puts "war" in the final position of the clause, so it lands with extra weight and leaves no doubt about what Hannibal's influence was directed towards.
incenditFire metaphor
incendit means "set on fire", so Hannibal is presented as the spark that ignites Antiochus's desire for war. Fire suits the idea because it spreads quickly and is hard to control, which suggests that once Hannibal has lit it, the king's eagerness grows far beyond where it started (as the Red Sea clause then shows). It also makes Hannibal the active force and Antiochus the one acted upon, so the drive for war against Rome clearly comes from Hannibal.
usque a rubro mari ... ItaliaeGeographical extremes
Nepos marks the two ends of the planned expedition, from the Red Sea at the eastern edge of Antiochus's empire all the way to Italy. Stretching the war across almost the whole known world shows how vast an undertaking Hannibal inspired, and so how powerful his hatred of Rome must be to have set it in motion.
arma conatus sit inferre ItaliaeFinal position of Italiae
Italiae is the last word of the sentence, so the target of the whole enterprise is held back until the end. The delay builds towards Rome's homeland as the climax, making Italy feel like the destination of everything Hannibal has stirred up.
ad quem cum legati venissent ... tempore dato adiit ad regemPeriodic sentence
The sentence piles up clauses about the Roman envoys and their plot (cum ... venissent, qui ... explorarent darentque, ut ... adducerent, tamquam ... sentiret) and then Hannibal's discovery of it, and the main verb adiit only arrives at the very end. The reader is kept waiting and hemmed in, much as Hannibal is hemmed in by the scheme, so that when the main verb finally comes it shows him breaking out and acting decisively.
consiliis clandestinisAlliteration
The repeated hard c binds "plans" and "secret" together so that they are heard as a single idea, plotting done out of sight. By making the secrecy stand out, Nepos presents the Roman envoys as sly and underhand, which colours how the reader judges Rome in this episode.
consiliis clandestinis ... de fide suaContrast
The Romans work through secret plans, whereas Hannibal responds by openly reminding the king of his loyalty (fide). Setting Roman deceit against Hannibal's frankness makes him the more trustworthy figure, and makes his hatred of Rome seem more understandable given how the Romans behave.
tamquam ab ipsis corruptusIrony
The envoys aim to make Antiochus think Hannibal has been bribed (corruptus) by the Romans themselves (ab ipsis). The irony is that the only ones acting corruptly are the Romans, who are secretly deceiving the king, while the man they accuse of being bought is the one whose hatred of Rome could never be bought. ipsis sharpens this, since the accusation comes from the very people guilty of underhand dealing.
alia atque anteaAlliteration (minor point)
The repeated a sound ties together "different" and "before", underlining the change of heart the Romans want Antiochus to believe in. The sound draws attention to the very lie being spread, that Hannibal is no longer the man he was.
neque id frustra fecissent idque Hannibal comperisset seque ... segregari vidissetPolysyndeton
Three clauses are joined by repeated connectives: neque ("and ... not"), idque ("and this") and seque ("and himself"). Each connective adds a new stage (the plot works, Hannibal finds out, he sees himself shut out), and chaining them together makes the stages pile up one after another. The pressure on Hannibal builds quickly, so the reader feels his position worsening just before he acts.
ab interioribus consiliis segregariVivid word choice
segregari comes from se + grex and literally means "to be separated from the flock", while interioribus consiliis pictures an inner circle of advisers. Together they show Hannibal being cut off and left outside, and the passive voice stresses that this is being done to him, which makes his danger clear and explains why he must speak up.
de fide sua et odio in RomanosPairing of key ideas
Loyalty (fide) and hatred of Rome (odio in Romanos) are placed side by side as the two things Hannibal stresses. Linking them shows that for Hannibal they go together, since his hatred of Rome is the proof of his loyalty to Antiochus, which is exactly the argument the anecdote that follows is designed to support.
'pater meus' inquitDirect speech
Nepos switches from reporting what Hannibal said to giving his own words. This makes the moment more vivid and dramatic, and because the story comes from Hannibal's own mouth it carries his personal authority, so the hatred is something he himself declares.
pater meus ... HamilcarEmphatic word order
pater meus opens the speech, ahead even of Hamilcar's name. Putting "my father" first frames everything that follows as an inheritance, so the hatred is presented as a family duty handed down from father to son.
puerulo meDiminutive
puerulus is a diminutive of puer, meaning "little boy". It stresses how young Hannibal was, which shows how deeply rooted his hatred is, since it was instilled before he was old enough to choose it and has shaped his whole life since.
utpote non amplius VIIII annos natoPrecise detail of age
Giving an exact age adds a specific, memorable detail that makes the story sound authentic. It also reinforces the diminutive, and non amplius ("no more than") even hints that he may have been younger, emphasising how early the hatred began.
Iovi optimo maximoSolemn religious formula
"Best and greatest" is the formal cult title of Jupiter used in official worship. Such grand, ceremonial language raises the tone and makes the scene feel sacred, so the hatred that comes out of it seems sanctioned by the gods and therefore binding.
hostias immolavitRitual setting
The sacrifice of victims creates a formal religious occasion, which prepares for the oath that follows. An oath sworn in such a setting is all the more serious, so the scene builds up the weight of the promise Hannibal is about to describe.
Notes on the text 6
PhilippumPhilip V
Philip
Philip V, king of Macedon (221 to 179 BC). After Cannae he made an alliance with Hannibal in 215 BC, which led to the First Macedonian War with Rome. Hannibal and Philip never met, hence absens.
rex AntiochusAntiochus III
King Antiochus
Antiochus III, called the Great, ruler of the Seleucid empire from 223 to 187 BC. Hannibal joined him in 195 BC and advised him during his war with Rome (192 to 188 BC).
a rubro mariThe Red Sea
from the Red Sea
For the Romans the mare rubrum could mean the waters south and east of Arabia as far as the Persian Gulf. Nepos means the far eastern edge of Antiochus' empire.
legati … RomaniThe Roman embassy
Roman envoys
Livy tells of a Roman embassy to Antiochus in 193 BC, whose members met Hannibal at Ephesus and talked with him often, so that the king began to distrust him.
in Hispaniam imperator proficiscensHamilcar goes to Spain
setting out for Spain as commander
Hamilcar left for Spain in 237 BC, after the First Punic War, to build a new power base for Carthage there. Hannibal, born in 247 BC, was nine.
IoviRoman name for a Carthaginian god
The god Hamilcar sacrificed to was Carthaginian (probably Baal Hammon), but Nepos gives him Jupiter's name. This makes the scene familiar to a Roman reader, who would immediately grasp how solemn and binding a sacrifice to the chief god was.
Questions to think about · 3
- Nepos begins this chapter by saying he will pass over Philip, and then names him anyway. What does he gain by mentioning Philip at all?
- How does Nepos present the Roman envoys' behaviour at Antiochus' court? Is it what a Roman reader would expect of Rome?
- Hannibal answers suspicion with a story from his childhood rather than an argument. Why might that be more persuasive to the king?
Hannibal at the court of Antiochus background
After Zama and his years in office at Carthage (chapters 6 and 7), Hannibal was forced into exile in 195 BC and went east to Antiochus III, the Seleucid king, whose empire stretched from Asia Minor to the borders of India. Antiochus was already on a collision course with Rome over Greece and the cities of Asia Minor, and in 192 BC he crossed into Greece. The war went badly for him: he was beaten at Thermopylae in 191 BC and at Magnesia in Asia Minor in 190 BC, and the Peace of Apamea (188 BC) required, among other things, that Hannibal be handed over. Hannibal escaped before that could happen.
Nepos has jumped ahead here. Chapter 1 ended by saying that Hannibal never stopped making war on Rome in spirit; chapter 2 proves it with an episode from late in his life, before going back to the beginning of his career in chapter 3.
Vocabulary in this section · 90 wordsVocabulary tester
nam (conj.) for
ut (conj.) in order to, so that
omitto, omittere, omisi, omissum pass over, leave aside, omit
Philippus, -i (m.) Philip, king of Macedon
qui, quae, quod who, which
absens, -entis absent, at a distance
hostis, -is (m.) enemy
reddo, reddere, reddidi, redditum give back; make, render
Romanus, -i (m.) a Roman; (pl.) the Romans
omnis, -e all, every
is, ea, id he, she, it; that
tempus, -oris (n.) time
potentissimus, -a, -um most powerful (superlative of potens)
rex, regis (m.) king
Antiochus, -i (m.) Antiochus, king of Syria
sum, esse, fui be
hic, haec, hoc this; he, she, it
tantus, -a, -um so great, such
cupiditas, -atis (f.) desire, eagerness, longing
incendo, incendere, incendi, incensum set on fire; inflame, rouse
bello, bellare, bellavi, bellatum wage war, fight
usque (adv.) all the way, right up
a, ab (prep. + abl.) from; by
ruber, rubra, rubrum red
mare, -is (n.) sea
arma, -orum (n. pl.) arms, weapons; forces
conor, conari, conatus sum try, attempt
infero, inferre, intuli, illatum bring in, bring against (arma inferre + dat. = make war on)
Italia, -ae (f.) Italy
ad (prep. + acc.) to, towards
cum (conj.) when, since
legatus, -i (m.) envoy, ambassador
venio, venire, veni, ventum come
Romanus, -a, -um Roman
de (prep. + abl.) about, concerning; from
voluntas, -atis (f.) wish, intention, attitude
exploro, explorare, exploravi, exploratum investigate, find out, sound out
do, dare, dedi, datum give (operam dare = take pains, work at) + -que (conj.) and
opera, -ae (f.) effort, work, pains
consilium, -i (n.) plan, scheme; advice
clandestinus, -a, -um secret, hidden
Hannibal, -alis (m.) Hannibal, Carthaginian general
in (prep. + acc.) into
suspicio, -onis (f.) suspicion, mistrust
adduco, adducere, adduxi, adductum lead to, bring
tamquam (conj.) as if, as though
ipse, ipsa, ipsum -self; he himself
corrumpo, corrumpere, corrupi, corruptum corrupt, bribe
alius, alia, aliud other, different
atque (conj.) and; (after alius) than
antea (adv.) before, previously
sentio, sentire, sensi, sensum feel, think
neque (conj.) and not, nor
frustra (adv.) in vain, to no purpose
facio, facere, feci, factum do, make
is, ea, id + -que (conj.) he, she, it; that; and
comperio, comperire, comperi, compertum find out, discover
sui, sibi, se himself, herself, themselves (reflexive) + -que (conj.) and
interior, -ius inner, more private
segrego, segregare, segregavi, segregatum separate, shut out, exclude
video, videre, vidi, visum see; realise
adeo, adire, adii, aditum go to, approach
multus, -a, -um much; (pl.) many
fides, -ei (f.) loyalty, faithfulness, trust
suus, -a, -um his own, their own
et (conj.) and
odium, -i (n.) hatred
commemoro, commemorare, commemoravi, commemoratum mention, recount, remind
adiungo, adiungere, adiunxi, adiunctum add, attach
pater, patris (m.) father
meus, -a, -um my
inquam, inquit (defective verb) say (with direct speech)
Hamilcar, -aris (m.) Hamilcar, Hannibal's father
puerulus, -i (m.) little boy
ego, mei, mihi, me I, me
utpote (adv.) as being, seeing that, namely
non (adv.) not
amplius (adv.) more (non amplius = no more than)
VIIII (numeral) nine
annus, -i (m.) year
nascor, nasci, natus sum be born (with annos: ... years old)
Hispania, -ae (f.) Spain
imperator, -oris (m.) commander, general
proficiscor, proficisci, profectus sum set out, depart
Carthago, -inis (f.) Carthage
Iuppiter, Iovis (m.) Jupiter, king of the gods
optimus, -a, -um best (superlative of bonus)
maximus, -a, -um greatest (superlative of magnus)
hostia, -ae (f.) sacrificial victim, offering
immolo, immolare, immolavi, immolatum sacrifice, offer