Chapter 3
Hamilcar dies and Hannibal takes control · Life of Hannibal · A-level Latin · OCR H443/03
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SubjectObjectVerbGenitiveDativeAblativeConjunctionAdverb
Latin
English
cuius post obitum, Hasdrubale imperatore suffecto, equitatui omni praefuit. hoc quoque
After his death, Hasdrubal took over as commander, and Hannibal was put in charge of the whole cavalry.
interfecto exercitus summam imperii ad eum detulit. id Carthaginem delatum publice
When Hasdrubal too was killed, the army handed him supreme command, and this was publicly
comprobatum est.
approved once word reached Carthage.
sic Hannibal minor quinque et viginti annis natus imperator factus, proximo
So it was that Hannibal, not yet twenty-five, became commander, and within the next
triennio omnes gentes Hispaniae bello subegit; Saguntum, foederatam civitatem, vi
three years subdued every people of Spain by war; he took Saguntum, an ally of Rome, by
expugnavit, tres exercitus maximos comparavit.
storm, and raised three very large armies.
ex his unum in Africam misit, alterum cum Hasdrubale fratre in Hispania reliquit, tertium in
One of these he sent to Africa, a second he left with his brother Hasdrubal in Spain, and the third he took
Italiam secum duxit. saltum Pyrenaeum transiit, quacumque iter fecit, cum omnibus incolis
with him into Italy. He crossed the Pyrenean pass, and wherever his march took him he fought every people he met,
conflixit: neminem nisi victum dimisit.
letting no one go free unless defeated.
ad Alpes posteaquam venit, quae Italiam ab Gallia seiungunt, quas nemo umquam cum
When he reached the Alps, which separate Italy from Gaul — mountains no army had ever crossed
exercitu ante eum praeter Herculem Graium transierat, quo facto is hodie saltus Graius
before him except that of the Greek Hercules, which is why the pass is still called the Graian Pass
appellatur, Alpicos conantes prohibere transitu concidit; loca patefecit, itinera muniit, effecit,
today — he cut down the Alpine tribes who tried to stop his crossing, opened up the terrain, built roads, and made it possible
ut ea elephantus ornatus ire posset, qua antea unus homo inermis vix poterat repere. hac
for a fully laden elephant to travel where, before, a single unarmed man could barely crawl. By this route
copias traduxit in Italiamque pervenit.
he brought his forces across and reached Italy.
Style notes this section · 16Repetition and structure · 6Word choice · 7Imagery and tone · 1Grammar · 2
cuius post obitum, Hasdrubale imperatore suffecto … hoc quoque interfectoFast pace
after his death, with Hasdrubal appointed commander … when he too was killed
Two ablative absolutes dispose of two commanders in a few words, hurrying the story on to the moment Hannibal takes charge.
equitatui omni praefuitCharacterisation
he commanded all the cavalry
Even before he is in overall command, Hannibal is given a major responsibility, which marks him out early.
detulit … delatumPolyptoton
conferred … reported
The same verb is used for the army giving him command and the news being brought to Carthage, linking the soldiers' choice to the city's approval.
publice comprobatum estEmphasis
was officially approved
Nepos stresses that Hannibal's command was legitimate, approved by the state, not seized by force.
minor V et XX annis natusEmphasis
under twenty-five years old
His youth is spelt out precisely, so the reader is struck by how young he was to command a whole army.
omnes gentes HispaniaeHyperbole
every people of Spain
Nepos claims Hannibal conquered all of Spain in three years, an exaggeration that makes his speed and success seem astonishing.
omnes gentes Hispaniae bello subegit; Saguntum … vi expugnavit, tres exercitus maximos comparavitAsyndeton
he subdued every people of Spain; took Saguntum by storm; raised three huge armies
Three achievements follow one another without connecting words, which gives an impression of rapid, relentless activity.
Saguntum, foederatam civitatemContrast
Saguntum, a city in alliance with Rome
Foederatam reminds the reader that Saguntum was Rome's ally, so the attack is an act of war on Rome itself, told in a single matter-of-fact phrase.
unum in Africam misit, alterum cum Hasdrubale fratre in Hispania reliquit, tertium in Italiam secum duxitTricolon
one he sent to Africa, the second he left in Spain with his brother Hasdrubal, the third he led into Italy
The three armies are dealt out in three balanced clauses, and the climax is the one Hannibal leads himself.
neminem nisi victum dimisitEmphatic negative
he let no one go unless defeated
A strong negative with nisi leaves no exceptions: every people on the march was beaten.
quae Italiam ab Gallia seiunguntRelative clause
which separate Italy from Gaul
Nepos explains the Alps as a natural barrier, which builds up the scale of what Hannibal is about to do.
nemo umquam cum exercitu ante eum praeter Herculem GraiumComparison
no one ever with an army before him except Greek Hercules
Hannibal's only predecessor is a legendary hero, so his crossing is placed on the level of myth.
concidit; loca patefecit, itinera muniit, effecitAsyndeton
he cut them down; opened up the ground, built roads, made it possible
A string of short verbs with no connectives conveys the speed and energy of the work.
elephantus ornatus … unus homo inermisContrast
a fully equipped elephant … a single unarmed man
The huge, laden elephant is set against a lone man without even a weapon, which shows how completely Hannibal transformed the route.
vix poterat repereVivid detail
could barely crawl
Repere, "to crawl", paints the mountain path as almost impassable before Hannibal's engineers arrived.
hac copias traduxit in Italiamque pervenitFast pace
by this route he led his forces across and reached Italy
After the long description, the arrival is told in a few quick words, so the chapter ends on Hannibal in Italy.
Notes on the text 4
HasdrubaleHasdrubal
Hasdrubal
Hamilcar's son-in-law, who commanded in Spain from 229/8 BC until he was murdered in 221 BC. Not to be confused with Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal (unit 7).
SaguntumSaguntum
Saguntum
A city on the east coast of Spain, south of the Ebro, on friendly terms with Rome. Hannibal's siege of it in 219 BC led directly to the Second Punic War.
cum Hasdrubale fratreHasdrubal, Hannibal's brother
with his brother Hasdrubal
He held Spain for Carthage until 208 BC, then led an army into Italy to reinforce Hannibal, but was defeated and killed at the Metaurus in 207 BC.
Herculem GraiumHercules and the Alps
Greek Hercules
Legend said that Hercules had crossed the Alps on his way back from Spain with the cattle of Geryon. The name of the Graian Alps (the area of the Little St Bernard Pass) was linked with him, though it more likely comes from a local people.
Questions to think about · 3
- Nepos covers nearly twenty years (from Hamilcar's death to the arrival in Italy) in a single chapter. What does he choose to dwell on, and why?
- How does Nepos make the crossing of the Alps seem a superhuman achievement? Pick out three techniques.
- Saguntum, the event that started the war, gets only three words. What does that tell you about Nepos' priorities as a biographer?
From Spain to Italy background
Hamilcar died in Spain in 229 or 228 BC, and command passed to his son-in-law Hasdrubal, who extended Carthaginian power and founded New Carthage (Cartagena). When Hasdrubal was murdered in 221 BC, the army chose Hannibal, and Carthage confirmed the choice.
In 219 BC Hannibal besieged Saguntum, a city on the east coast of Spain that had made friends with Rome. It fell after eight months, and Rome declared war. In 218 BC Hannibal marched out of Spain, over the Pyrenees, across southern Gaul and the Rhône, and through the Alps in late autumn, arriving in northern Italy with perhaps half the army he had started with and only a few of his elephants. Which pass he used is still argued about.
Vocabulary in this section · 107 wordsVocabulary tester
qui, quae, quod who, which; (connecting) this, he
post (prep. + acc.) after
obitus, -us (m.) death
Hasdrubal, -alis (m.) Hasdrubal, Hamilcar's son-in-law
imperator, -oris (m.) commander, general
sufficio, sufficere, suffeci, suffectum appoint as a replacement; be enough
equitatus, -us (m.) cavalry
omnis, -e all, every, whole
praesum, praeesse, praefui be in charge of, command (+ dat.)
hic, haec, hoc this; he, she, it
quoque (adv.) also, too
interficio, interficere, interfeci, interfectum kill
exercitus, -us (m.) army
summa, -ae (f.) the whole; supreme power
imperium, -i (n.) command, power, empire
ad (prep. + acc.) to, towards
is, ea, id he, she, it; this, that
defero, deferre, detuli, delatum hand over, confer; report
Carthago, -inis (f.) Carthage
publice (adv.) publicly, officially, by the state
comprobo, comprobare, comprobavi, comprobatum approve, sanction, confirm
sum, esse, fui be
sic (adv.) thus, so, in this way
Hannibal, -alis (m.) Hannibal, Carthaginian general
minor, minus smaller, younger (comparative of parvus)
quinque (indecl.) five
et (conj.) and
viginti (indecl.) twenty
annus, -i (m.) year
nascor, nasci, natus sum be born
facio, facere, feci, factum make, do; (passive) be made, become
proximus, -a, -um next, nearest
triennium, -i (n.) period of three years
gens, gentis (f.) people, tribe, nation
Hispania, -ae (f.) Spain
bellum, -i (n.) war
subigo, subigere, subegi, subactum subdue, conquer
Saguntum, -i (n.) Saguntum, a city in eastern Spain allied to Rome
foederatus, -a, -um allied, bound by treaty
civitas, -atis (f.) state, city, community
vis, vim, vi (f.) force, violence
expugno, expugnare, expugnavi, expugnatum take by storm, capture
tres, tria three
maximus, -a, -um very large, greatest (superlative of magnus)
comparo, comparare, comparavi, comparatum prepare, raise, get together
ex (prep. + abl.) out of, from, of
unus, -a, -um one
in (prep. + acc./abl.) into, to; in, on
Africa, -ae (f.) Africa (Carthaginian territory in North Africa)
mitto, mittere, misi, missum send
alter, altera, alterum the other, the second (of two)
cum (prep. + abl.) with
frater, fratris (m.) brother
relinquo, relinquere, reliqui, relictum leave, leave behind
tertius, -a, -um third
Italia, -ae (f.) Italy
se (reflexive pron.) himself + cum (prep. + abl.) with
duco, ducere, duxi, ductum lead
saltus, -us (m.) mountain pass; woodland
Pyrenaeus, -a, -um of the Pyrenees, Pyrenean
transeo, transire, transii, transitum cross, go across
quacumque (adv.) wherever, by whatever route
iter, itineris (n.) journey, march, route, road
incola, -ae (m.) inhabitant
confligo, confligere, conflixi, conflictum fight, clash
nemo, neminis (m.) no one, nobody
nisi (conj.) unless, except
vinco, vincere, vici, victum conquer, defeat
dimitto, dimittere, dimisi, dimissum send away, let go, dismiss
Alpes, -ium (f. pl.) the Alps
posteaquam (conj.) after, when
venio, venire, veni, ventum come
ab (prep. + abl.) from
Gallia, -ae (f.) Gaul
seiungo, seiungere, seiunxi, seiunctum separate, divide
umquam (adv.) ever
ante (prep. + acc.) before
praeter (prep. + acc.) except, besides
Hercules, -is (m.) Hercules, Greek hero
Graius, -a, -um Greek; (of the pass) Graian
hodie (adv.) today
appello, appellare, appellavi, appellatum call, name
Alpicus, -a, -um Alpine; (m. pl. as noun) the Alpine tribes
conor, conari, conatus sum try, attempt
prohibeo, prohibere, prohibui, prohibitum prevent, keep from (+ abl.)
transitus, -us (m.) crossing, passage
concido, concidere, concidi, concisum cut down, cut to pieces
locus, -i (m.; n. in pl. loca) place; (pl.) region, ground
patefacio, patefacere, patefeci, patefactum open up, lay open
munio, munire, munivi, munitum fortify; build (a road)
efficio, efficere, effeci, effectum bring about, make, cause (that)
ut (conj.) that, so that (+ subj.)
ea (adv.) by that way, there
elephantus, -i (m.) elephant
orno, ornare, ornavi, ornatum equip, fit out, adorn
eo, ire, ii, itum go
possum, posse, potui be able, can
qua (adv.) where, by which way
antea (adv.) before, previously
homo, hominis (m.) man, person
inermis, -e unarmed
vix (adv.) scarcely, hardly, barely
repo, repere, repsi, reptum creep, crawl
hac (adv.) by this way, this way
copia, -ae (f.) supply, abundance; (pl.) forces, troops
traduco, traducere, traduxi, traductum lead across, bring across
pervenio, pervenire, perveni, perventum arrive, reach