Chapter 7.5–7
Making positive changes in Carthage, Hannibal is nevertheless exiled · Life of Hannibal · A-level Latin · OCR H443/03
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SubjectObjectVerbGenitiveDativeAblativeConjunctionAdverb
Latin
English
in eo magistratu pari diligentia se Hannibal praebuit, ac fuerat in bello. namque effecit ex
In that office Hannibal applied himself with exactly the same energy he had shown in war.
novis vectigalibus non solum ut esset pecunia, quae Romanis ex foedere penderetur, sed
For, through new revenues, he made sure there was not only enough money to pay what was owed to Rome under the treaty, but
etiam superesset, quae in aerario reponeretur.
also a surplus left over to store in the treasury.
deinde M. Claudio L. Furio consulibus Roma legati Carthaginem venerunt. hos Hannibal
Then, in the consulship of Marcus Claudius and Lucius Furius, envoys came from Rome to Carthage.
ratus sui exposcendi gratia missos, priusquam iis senatus daretur, navem ascendit clam
Believing they had been sent to demand his surrender, Hannibal boarded a ship in secret, before they could even be granted an audience with the senate,
atque in Syriam ad Antiochum profugit.
and fled to Syria and King Antiochus.
hac re palam facta Poeni naves duas, quae eum comprehenderent, si possent consequi,
Once this became known, the Carthaginians sent two ships to arrest him if they could catch him,
miserunt, bona eius publicarunt, domum a fundamentis disiecerunt, ipsum exulem
confiscated his property, tore his house down to its foundations,
iudicarunt.
and declared him an exile.
Style notes this section · 16Word order · 2Repetition and structure · 4Word choice · 5Imagery and tone · 2Grammar · 3
pari diligentia … ac fuerat in belloComparison
with the same energy as he had shown in war
Peace is measured against war: Hannibal brings to politics the same energy he brought to the battlefield, so his talents are not only military.
diligentiaCharacterisation
energy, care
Diligentia means hard work and attention to detail, a quality Romans admired in a magistrate. Nepos presents Hannibal as a model official.
non solum ut esset pecunia … sed etiam superessetClimax
not only that there was money … but also that some was left over
Not only … but also builds to a climax: Hannibal finds enough to pay Rome and then more besides.
esset … superessetPolyptoton
there was … there was left over
The same verb returns with a prefix, so the step from enough to more than enough is heard in the words themselves.
quae Romanis ex foedere pendereturIrony
to be paid to the Romans under the treaty
Rome's greatest enemy now uses his skill to make sure Carthage keeps up its payments to Rome.
Roma legati CarthaginemJuxtaposition
from Rome envoys to Carthage
The envoys are placed between the two cities' names, so the reader sees Rome reaching directly into Carthage's affairs.
hos Hannibal ratus sui exposcendi gratia missosParticiple
Hannibal, thinking they had been sent to demand his surrender
Ratus gives the reason as Hannibal's own belief. Nepos does not confirm it, so the reader is left to judge whether he was right.
sui exposcendi gratiaGerundive
for the purpose of demanding him
The gerundive of purpose spells out what Hannibal fears: being handed over to Rome, the fate he spends the rest of the Life escaping.
priusquam iis senatus daretur, navem ascendit clamFast pace
before they were given a hearing by the senate, he boarded a ship secretly
Hannibal acts before the Romans can even speak, which shows his decisiveness and his distrust of his own city.
clamVivid detail
secretly
The great general slips away in secret, a sad change from the commander of armies.
profugitWord choice
he fled
The prefix pro- gives a sense of flight far away. It is the first of several escapes in the second half of the Life.
PoeniWord choice
the Carthaginians
Nepos switches to Poeni, the usual Roman name for the Carthaginians, just as they turn on their own hero.
Poeni naves duas, quae eum comprehenderent, si possent consequi, miseruntDelay
the Carthaginians sent two ships to arrest him, if they could catch him
The verb is held back behind a purpose clause and a condition, so the hunt for Hannibal is described before we learn that the ships were actually sent.
miserunt, bona eius publicarunt, domum a fundamentis disiecerunt, ipsum exulem iudicaruntAsyndeton
they sent, confiscated his property, demolished his house, declared him an exile
Four actions follow one another with no connecting words, which makes Carthage's response sound swift and relentless.
domum a fundamentis disieceruntVivid detail
they tore his house down from its foundations
Destroying the house to its foundations wipes out Hannibal's place in the city, an act of hatred as much as of law.
ipsum exulem iudicaruntIrony
they declared him an exile
The man who has just filled the treasury is condemned by the city he served, which shows the jealousy Nepos blamed in chapter 1.
Notes on the text 3
novis vectigalibusHannibal's reforms
from new revenues
Livy (33.46–47) says that as suffete Hannibal broke the power of the corrupt judges' council and exposed the embezzlement of public money, so that the indemnity could be paid without new taxes on ordinary citizens.
M. Claudio L. Furio consulibusThe date
in the consulship of Marcus Claudius and Lucius Furius
They were consuls in 196 BC. Hannibal's flight from Carthage is usually dated to 195 BC.
AntiochumAntiochus
Antiochus
Antiochus III "the Great", Seleucid king from 222 to 187 BC, ruled from Syria an empire reaching to Iran. His ambitions in Asia Minor and Greece brought him into conflict with Rome. Hannibal joined him at Ephesus in 195 BC.
Questions to think about · 3
- Nepos describes Hannibal's work as a magistrate in a single sentence. What does that sentence suggest about his abilities beyond war?
- Was Hannibal right to flee before the Roman envoys were even heard? What does the Carthaginians' reaction suggest?
- How does this section illustrate the judgement in chapter 1 that "multorum obtrectatio devicit unius virtutem"?
Vocabulary in this section · 74 wordsVocabulary tester
in (prep. + abl.) in
is, ea, id he, she, it; that
magistratus, -us (m.) magistracy, office; magistrate
par, paris equal, the same
diligentia, -ae (f.) care, diligence, energy
se, sui himself, herself, themselves (reflexive)
Hannibal, -alis (m.) Hannibal
praebeo, praebere, praebui, praebitum offer, show; se praebere show oneself
ac (conj.) and; (after par) as
sum, esse, fui be
bellum, -i (n.) war
namque (conj.) for, for indeed
efficio, efficere, effeci, effectum bring about, ensure
ex (prep. + abl.) from, out of; by means of
novus, -a, -um new, fresh
vectigal, -alis (n.) tax, revenue; duty
non (adv.) not
solum (adv.) only; non solum ... sed etiam not only ... but also
ut (conj.) that (+ subjunctive)
pecunia, -ae (f.) money
qui, quae, quod who, which
Romanus, -i (m.) a Roman
foedus, foederis (n.) treaty
pendo, pendere, pependi, pensum weigh; pay
sed (conj.) but
etiam (adv.) also, even
supersum, superesse, superfui be left over, remain
aerarium, -i (n.) treasury
repono, reponere, reposui, repositum store, put away
deinde (adv.) then, next
M. = Marcus, -i (m.) Marcus (Roman first name)
Claudius, -i (m.) Claudius (M. Claudius Marcellus, consul 196 BC)
L. = Lucius, -i (m.) Lucius (Roman first name)
Furius, -i (m.) Furius (L. Furius Purpurio, consul 196 BC)
consul, -is (m.) consul
Roma, -ae (f.) Rome
legatus, -i (m.) envoy, ambassador
Carthago, -inis (f.) Carthage
venio, venire, veni, ventum come
hic, haec, hoc this; he, she, it
reor, reri, ratus sum think, believe
exposco, exposcere, expoposci demand; demand the surrender of
gratia, -ae (f.) thanks; (abl. after a genitive) for the sake of
mitto, mittere, misi, missum send
priusquam (conj.) before
senatus, -us (m.) senate
do, dare, dedi, datum give, grant
navis, -is (f.) ship
ascendo, ascendere, ascendi, ascensum climb, go up; board
clam (adv.) secretly, in secret
atque (conj.) and
in (prep. + acc.) into, to
Syria, -ae (f.) Syria
ad (prep. + acc.) to
Antiochus, -i (m.) Antiochus, king of Syria
profugio, profugere, profugi flee, escape
res, rei (f.) thing, matter
palam (adv.) openly, publicly; palam facere make known
facio, facere, feci, factum do, make
Poenus, -i (m.) a Carthaginian
duo, duae, duo two
comprehendo, comprehendere, comprehendi, comprehensum seize, arrest
si (conj.) if
possum, posse, potui be able, can
consequor, consequi, consecutus sum overtake, catch up with
bonum, -i (n.) good; (pl.) goods, property
publico, publicare, publicavi, publicatum confiscate, make public property
domus, -us (f.) house, home
a (prep. + abl.) from
fundamentum, -i (n.) foundation
disicio, disicere, disieci, disiectum scatter; demolish, tear down
ipse, ipsa, ipsum himself, herself, itself
exul, exulis (m.) exile
iudico, iudicare, iudicavi, iudicatum judge, declare