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Product Description
In The War with Hannibal, Livy (59 BC AD 17) chronicles the events of the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, until the Battle of Zama in 202 BC. He vividly recreates the immense armies of Hannibal, complete with elephants, crossing the Alps; the panic as they approached the gates of Rome; and the decimation of the Roman army at the Battle of Lake Trasimene. Yet it is also the clash of personalities that fascinates Livy, from great debates in the Senate to the historic meeting between Scipio and Hannibal before the decisive battle. Livy never hesitates to introduce both intense drama and moral lessons into his work, and here he brings a turbulent episode in history powerfully to life.
About the Author
Titus Livius (59BC-AD17) began working on his History of Rome at the age of 30 and continued for over 40 years until his death. The history ran to 142 books, of which 35 survive. Aubrey de Selincourt (1896-1962) translated Livy, Heroditus, and Arrian for Penguin Classics. Betty Radice was joint editor of the Penguin Classics and an honorary fellow at St Hilda's College, Oxford. She died in 1985.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
1. Most historians have prefaced their work by stressing the importance of the period they propose to deal with; and I may well, at this point, follow their example and declare that I am now about to tell the story of the most memorable war in history: that, namely, which was fought by Carthage under the leadership of Hannibal against Rome. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
1. Most historians have prefaced their work by stressing the importance of the period they propose to deal with; and I may well, at this point, follow their example and declare that I am now about to tell the story of the most memorable war in history: that, namely, which was fought by Carthage under the leadership of Hannibal against Rome. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great History By A Great Historian,
By AntiochAndy "antiochandy" (Antioch, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Penguin Classics War With Hannibal (Paperback)
By any measure, the Second Punic War is one of the most fascinating episodes in history. The audacious invasion of Italy through the Alps (imagine leading elephants through the Alps on foot trails), Rome's defeat at Cannae, The delaying strategy of Fabius Maximus that kept Rome alive while it rebuilt its strength, and Rome's ultimate victory are extraordinary.Livy gives a lively and detailed account. True, this isn't an eyewitness account. He borrowed liberally from Polybius. He also must have had other sources that are long since lost, however, so his telling is his own. He also is known for being pro-Roman. His respect for Hannibal's accomplishments comes through clearly in his narrative, though, and he has no reason to belittle Hannibal or what Hannibal did. It would only belittle the Roman accomplishment in ultimately defeating a formidable foe. Moreover, Livy wrote for a Roman audience familiar with the story, so he must make his work as dramatic as tha material permits. All in all, this is a great story recorded by a consummate historian. It makes for a very interesting and informative read. I recommend it highly.
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Greatest Stories in World History,
By Johanys (Korea) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Penguin Classics War With Hannibal (Paperback)
The great Roman historian Livy tells a story as interesting as that of the American Civil War. The Second Punic War was a great crisis in Roman history. This book starts with the uneasy peace after the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage. Rome won that war. Carthage swore revenge, and Hannibal devoted his life to conquering his bitter enemy. He invaded Italy via Spain and the Alps with his elephants. No Roman army could stay in the field against his Carthaginians. A Roman consul named Fabius persuaded the Romans not to give battle, and for twenty years Hannibal roamed wherever he liked in Italy. But he wasn't strong enough to capture Rome, and there were Roman generals such as Marcellus who were able to defeat him partially. Meanwhile in Spain a young Roman general whose father and uncle had been killed by Hannibal devoted his life to defeating Hannibal. But not by fighting Hannibal in Italy. Rather, by first conquering Spain, then invading Africa, so Hannibal had to depart Italy, as it turned out forever, to defend his homeland. In Africa, at Zama, Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal. Scipio became the first of the great Romans who broke the mould of the Republican conventions. His family was instrumental in bringing Greek culture to Italy. Was this good for Rome? It was inevitable. The historian Livy wrote in the times of Augustus, about the time of Christ. Livy is not considered the best of historians, he's more interested in gripping narrative than in careful checking of sources. He writes in the annalistic format, that is, one year at a time. Livy wrote two hundred years after the events; it'd be like a modern historian describing the American Revolution. But he is Roman, and the flavor he imparts to events is very different from that of a modern day historian. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in thrilling history or in Rome.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing,
By
This review is from: Penguin Classics War With Hannibal (Paperback)
The book is like peering into the past. Although by far a perfect work of history in terms of accuracy, it is a near perfect work of literature in that it is fascinating and inspiring. I wish that Livy did not give away the results of battles 10 pages before he discribed the battles and I wish there was a better glossary. Despite these drawbacks, I was six ways to entralled while reading the book.
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