Ryan Reeder
History 307/Cl Cv 307: Roman History
Eric D. Huntsman
December 19, 2000
Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, had decided to meet Rome in combat. However, between his armies and Rome lay the Alps, "which rumor said was, to those at all events who had never tried it, a thing to be dreaded" (Liv. Ab Urbe Condita XX1.29). Hence, he needed to encourage his troops for the long, arduous journey ahead. Livy invents the speech that Hannibal might have made to accomplish this task. In the speech, Hannibal argues that the troops should cross the Alps for several reasons. He compliments them on their strength by reminding them of their previous victories, especially the great siege of Saguntum. He points out the difficult treks that they had already made through the Pyrenees and across the Rhone while confronted with Gallic troops. He declares to them that Rome lies on the other side of theAlps, which he describes as being nothing "other than lofty mountains" which do not "touch the sky" and are not "impassable to man." He tells them that the Alps are inhabited and that others had crossed them with their wives and children. Finally, he stirs them up by contending that if the Gauls, whom they had conquered "again and again" could cross the Alps and capture Rome, then they "must confess [them]selves inferior in courage and enterprise [to the Gauls] or else [they] must look forward to finishing [their] march on the ground between the Tiber and the walls of Rome (Liv. Ab Urbe Condita XXI.30).
Titus Livius was born in 59 B.C. and died in 17 A.D. Thus, his lifespan nearly coincides with that of Augustus (63 B.C -14 A.D.), whose idealistic age colored Livy's historical views. We know little of his life, but "he must have spent most of his time at work in Rome or in Padua" (Alexander Hugh McDonald, "Livius (2)," OCD, 509). This assumption is based on the fact that his enormous Ab Urbe Condita consisted of 142 volumes, of which 35 have survived. His major purpose as a historian was "to give Rome a history that in conception and style should be worthy of her imperial rise and greatness, and in influence lend understanding to the Augustan moral recovery" (ibid., 510). His work is biased by the influences of the Augustan age, with their faults and merits, but in many aspects he "ranks among the great historians," and enjoyed "immediate and lasting" success (ibid).
The particular passage under consideration is an invented speech used as a tool to characterize Hannibal and to conjecture at what he might have said to encourage his troops It also serves to summarize reasons why the Carthaginians might have made the attempt to cross the Alps, and to demonstrate the greatness of the Carthaginian troops. It is contained in one of Livy's books of the Ab Urbe Condita, which are books of history describing Rome's rise to greatness and glory. Since this passage is a part of a greater work, it is used as a part of a greater unifying theme. By ennobling Hannibal and his troops, Livy shows the character which opponents of Rome must possess in order to have any success in their efforts. Since this marks the beginning of Hannibal's journey, which in itself is an heroic epic, Livy uses foreshadowing as Hannibal while understanding the feasibility of the task, underestimates the difficulty of the trek. For example, Livy has Hannibal express to his troops, "now that you are within sight of the Alps, on the other side of which lies Italy, you have become weary and are arresting your march in the very gates of the enemy. What do you imagine the Alps to be other than lofty mountains?" (Livy, A.U.C. XXI.30). This shows Livy's use of an invented speech as a literary device to demonstrate the power and might of Hannibal and his army in the face of great obstacles.
Overall, the purpose of Livy's works is to describe Rome's glorious rise in accord with the Augustan ideals of the time. Therefore, as an historical work, this piece must be viewed skeptically. It may serve as little more than a supposition of the motivations behind Hannibal's efforts. The Alps were a great obstacle, and Hannibal was popular with his troops, so it is reasonable that he did speak to them before they began their journey, but not necessarily accurate. The encouragements Hannibal gives to his troops-reminding them of past victories, realistically portraying the obstacle, appealing to their pride by pointing out that weaker people had accomplished the same task-are all valid and real reasons why the Carthaginians might have made the attempt, but none are necessarily what he said. The events Livy is describing occurred two centuries before he wrote them. As such, Livy lacked much in the way of confirmatory primary evidence in creating Hannibal's speech. However, Livy's work is useful because it shows how the people of his generation perceived Rome's past.
Augustus' age was a lengthy one, lasting nearly half a century. During that period, the instability of the previous century was largely forgotten, and he and his people made great strides in civic works and other matters. Livy lived and wrote during this age of enlightenment, and, like every historian in every generation, tinted his writing with the hues of the customs and social mores of his day. Since Augustus' age contained some of the most far-reaching consequences of any in Roman history, it is extremely helpful to understand something of the philosophies and attitudes of that day. Herein lies Livy's great value as a historian. In addition to his preserving many events and details of Roman history over more than seven centuries, his tone and attitude help us to understand the ideas and ways of thinking of the Augustan age. For enhancing our understanding of the times in which he lived, what remains of Livy's works is invaluable.
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