Silius' Roman Hannibal
Silius' Roman Hannibal
In this chapter the focus shifts to close textual readings of the Punica. Beginning with a discussion of Hannibal's early life and career in the Punica, this chapter discusses the three main influences on Silius’ Hannibal: his father Hamilcar, the goddess Juno, and Dido. Of these three, Hannibal, who for the most part remains unaware of the machinations of Juno, only acknowledges the influence of Dido and Hamilcar. It is argued that Hannibal's association with Dido casts him in the role of her Virgilian avenger, whose arrival is foretold by Virgil's Dido in the Aeneid. Meanwhile the influence of his father Hamilcar – both in life and in death – ensures that Hannibal's campaign is presented as a Barcid quest for revenge where ‘hatred for Rome’ becomes a mantle that is passed from father to son.
Liverpool Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.