The ‘Lightning Bolts’ (Fulmina) of War
The ‘Lightning Bolts’ (Fulmina) of War
This chapter centres on the dynamic between Hannibal and Scipio (Africanus), considering how both are styled by Silius as the symbols of Carthage and Rome respectively. Scipio's position as the leading man for Rome is affirmed by his trip to the underworld in Book 13 and the subsequent divine support that he receives from Jupiter – his biological father – from Book 15 onwards. But though Silius establishes Scipio as Hannibal's ultimate foil in the Punica, Hannibal himself rarely perceives Scipio in these terms. Rather he looks to the generals from his past – notably Paulus and Marcellus – whom he views as his equals in war. That these two should be viewed as the super-uiri (men) of their respective states is, however, confirmed at the battle of Zama where all participants in the conflict recognise that the hopes of Carthage and Rome rest upon these two individuals.
Keywords: Scipio, Hannibal, Zama, underworld, Spain
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