Chapter 6
Having fought several battles in Italy, Hannibal is recalled to Carthage in Africa · Life of Hannibal · A-level Latin · OCR H443/03
Show
SubjectObjectVerbGenitiveDativeAblativeConjunctionAdverb
Latin
English
hinc invictus patriam defensum revocatus bellum gessit adversus P. Scipionem, filium eius,
From here, still undefeated, he was called home to defend his own country, and made war against Publius Scipio, the son of the man
quem ipse primo apud Rhodanum, iterum apud Padum, tertio apud Trebiam
whom he himself had already routed first at the Rhone, again at the Po, and a third time at the Trebia.
fugarat.
cum hoc exhaustis iam patriae facultatibus cupivit impraesentiarum bellum componere, quo
With his homeland's resources by now exhausted, he wanted to settle the war with him for the time being, so as
valentior postea congrederetur. in colloquium convenit; condiciones non convenerunt.
to fight again later from a stronger position. A meeting took place, but no terms were agreed.
post id factum paucis diebus apud Zamam cum eodem conflixit: pulsus incredibile dictu-
A few days after that meeting he fought this same Scipio at Zama. Beaten there, he covered — incredible as it sounds —
biduo et duabus noctibus Hadrumetum pervenit, quod abest ab Zama circiter milia
the distance to Hadrumetum, some three hundred miles
passuum trecenta.
from Zama, in two days and two nights.
in hac fuga Numidae, qui simul cum eo ex acie excesserant, insidiati sunt ei; quos non solum
During this retreat the Numidians who had left the battlefield alongside him ambushed him; not only
effugit, sed etiam ipsos oppressit. Hadrumeti reliquos e fuga collegit; novis dilectibus paucis
did he escape them, he overpowered them in turn. At Hadrumetum he gathered the survivors of the retreat, and within a few
diebus multos contraxit.
days, through fresh recruitment, had assembled a large force once more.
Style notes this section · 14Word order · 1Repetition and structure · 3Sound and metre · 1Word choice · 6Imagery and tone · 1Grammar · 2
invictusEmphasis
undefeated
The first word of the chapter: Hannibal leaves Italy unbeaten, so whatever happens at Zama, his record in Italy stands.
patriam defensumSupine
to defend his country
The supine expresses purpose: Hannibal is called home not to attack but to defend, which makes him a patriot.
primo apud Rhodanum, iterum apud Padum, tertio apud TrebiamTricolon
first at the Rhône, again at the Po, a third time at the Trebia
Three battles, three numbered stages: the list reminds the reader of the father's defeats as the son steps forward.
exhaustis iam patriae facultatibusAblative absolute
with his homeland's resources now exhausted
Carthage's weakness, not Hannibal's, is given as the reason he wants peace, so the blame for the defeat is moved away from him.
quo valentior postea congredereturCharacterisation
so that he could fight later in a stronger position
Even his peace offer is a military tactic: Hannibal is still planning the next war.
in colloquium convenit; condiciones non conveneruntWordplay
they came together for a meeting; the terms did not come together
The same verb is used of the men meeting and the terms failing to meet, a neat play on words that sums up the conference.
in colloquium convenit; condiciones non conveneruntAsyndeton
they met; the terms were not agreed
Two short clauses with no connective make the failure of the talks blunt and final.
apud Zamam cum eodem conflixit: pulsusUnderstatement
he fought the same man at Zama: beaten
The decisive defeat of the war is told in one participle, pulsus, so Nepos moves quickly away from Hannibal's only great loss.
incredibile dictuNarrator's comment
incredible to say
Nepos steps in to marvel at the speed of the retreat, so the focus shifts from defeat to another feat of endurance.
biduo et duabus noctibus … milia passuum trecentaPrecise detail
in two days and two nights … three hundred miles
Exact numbers make the march sound measured and real, which makes the claim more impressive.
qui simul cum eo ex acie excesserant, insidiati sunt eiIrony
who had left the battle together with him laid an ambush for him
His own companions in flight turn against him, which shows how dangerous his position was after the defeat.
non solum effugit, sed etiam ipsos oppressitClimax (non solum … sed etiam)
he not only escaped them but even overpowered them
The construction builds to a climax: escape would have been enough, but Hannibal crushes his attackers too.
novis dilectibus paucis diebus multos contraxitCharacterisation
by new levies he gathered many in a few days
Paucis and multos are set against each other: within days of a crushing defeat Hannibal has a large army again, which shows his energy and resilience.
contraxitEmphatic position
he gathered
The chapter ends on Hannibal rebuilding, not on his defeat, so the reader is left with an image of recovery.
Notes on the text 4
P. Scipionem, filium eiusScipio Africanus
Publius Scipio, his son
Publius Cornelius Scipio (236 to 183 BC), son of the consul of 218 BC. He drove the Carthaginians out of Spain, invaded Africa in 204 BC and defeated Hannibal at Zama, earning the name Africanus.
apud ZamamZama
at Zama
In 202 BC, south-west of Carthage. Scipio won with the help of Masinissa's Numidian cavalry, and the battle ended the Second Punic War.
HadrumetumHadrumetum
Hadrumetum
A coastal city south of Carthage (modern Sousse in Tunisia). The real distance from Zama was well under half Nepos' three hundred miles.
NumidaeThe Numidians
the Numidians
The peoples west of Carthage, famous horsemen. Some fought for Carthage at Zama, others, under Masinissa, for Rome. This ambush is reported only by Nepos.
Questions to think about · 3
- Nepos calls Hannibal invictus as he leaves Italy and then reports his defeat at Zama in a single participle. How does he protect Hannibal's reputation in this chapter?
- What is the effect of reminding the reader that Scipio's father was beaten three times by Hannibal?
- Why might Nepos include the story of the Numidian ambush, which no other ancient writer reports?
Zama background
By 204 BC Rome had decided to carry the war to Africa. Publius Cornelius Scipio, later called Africanus, landed near Utica, and in 203 BC Carthage recalled Hannibal from Italy, where he had been for fifteen years. In 202 BC the two generals met in person before the battle, as Nepos says, but no terms were agreed. At Zama, Scipio's army, strengthened by the Numidian cavalry of the king Masinissa, defeated Hannibal. Carthage made peace in 201 BC: it gave up its fleet and its overseas territory, paid a huge indemnity, and could make war only with Rome's permission.
Vocabulary in this section · 82 wordsVocabulary tester
hinc (adv.) from here, from this point; hence
invictus, -a, -um unconquered, undefeated
patria, -ae (f.) homeland, native country
defendo, defendere, defendi, defensum defend, protect
revoco, revocare, revocavi, revocatum call back, recall
bellum, -i (n.) war
gero, gerere, gessi, gestum wage (war) ; carry on, do
adversus (prep. + acc.) against
P. = Publius, -i (m.) Publius (Roman first name)
Scipio, -onis (m.) Scipio (P. Cornelius Scipio, later called Africanus)
filius, -i (m.) son
is, ea, id he, she, it; that
qui, quae, quod who, which
ipse, ipsa, ipsum himself, herself, itself; the very
primo (adv.) first, at first
apud (prep. + acc.) at, near; among
Rhodanus, -i (m.) the Rhône, river in Gaul
iterum (adv.) again, a second time
Padus, -i (m.) the Po, river in northern Italy
tertio (adv.) for the third time
Trebia, -ae (f.) the Trebia, river in northern Italy
fugo, fugare, fugavi, fugatum put to flight, rout
cum (prep. + abl.) with
hic, haec, hoc this; he, she, it
exhaurio, exhaurire, exhausi, exhaustum drain, exhaust
iam (adv.) now, by now, already
facultas, -atis (f.) ability; (pl.) resources, means
cupio, cupere, cupivi, cupitum want, desire
impraesentiarum (adv.) for the present, for the time being
compono, componere, composui, compositum settle, arrange; put together
quo (conj.) so that, in order that (+ comparative and subjunctive)
valens, -entis strong, powerful; comparative valentior, -ius stronger
postea (adv.) afterwards, later
congredior, congredi, congressus sum meet; engage, fight
in (prep. + acc.) into, to
colloquium, -i (n.) conference, meeting, talk
convenio, convenire, conveni, conventum come together, meet; be agreed
condicio, -onis (f.) term, condition
non (adv.) not
post (prep. + acc.) after
facio, facere, feci, factum do, make
paucus, -a, -um few, a few
dies, diei (m.) day
Zama, -ae (f.) Zama, town in North Africa (site of the battle, 202 BC)
idem, eadem, idem the same
confligo, confligere, conflixi, conflictum clash, fight
pello, pellere, pepuli, pulsum drive back, defeat, beat
incredibilis, -e unbelievable, incredible
dico, dicere, dixi, dictum say, speak
biduum, -i (n.) period of two days
et (conj.) and
duo, duae, duo two
nox, noctis (f.) night
Hadrumetum, -i (n.) Hadrumetum, coastal town south of Carthage
pervenio, pervenire, perveni, perventum arrive, reach
absum, abesse, afui be away, be distant
ab (prep. + abl.) from
circiter (adv.) about, approximately
mille (pl. milia, -ium, n.) thousand; milia passuum miles
passus, -us (m.) pace, step; milia passuum miles
trecenti, -ae, -a three hundred
in (prep. + abl.) in, during
fuga, -ae (f.) flight, retreat
Numida, -ae (m.) a Numidian, one of a people of North Africa
simul (adv.) at the same time, together
ex (prep. + abl.) out of, from
acies, -ei (f.) battle line, battlefield
excedo, excedere, excessi, excessum go out, leave, withdraw
insidior, insidiari, insidiatus sum lie in wait for, ambush (+ dat.)
sum, esse, fui be
solum (adv.) only; non solum ... sed etiam not only ... but also
effugio, effugere, effugi escape
sed (conj.) but
etiam (adv.) also, even
opprimo, opprimere, oppressi, oppressum overwhelm, crush, overpower
reliquus, -a, -um remaining, the rest
e (prep. + abl.) out of, from
colligo, colligere, collegi, collectum gather, collect
novus, -a, -um new, fresh
dilectus, -us (m.) levy, recruitment
multus, -a, -um much, many
contraho, contrahere, contraxi, contractum draw together, assemble