Customer Reviews

The War with Hannibal: The History of Rome from Its Foundation, Books XXI-XXX (Penguin Classics) (Bks. 21-30)

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I have just finished reading The War With Hannibal, and I must say that not only is it a masterpiece, but it is one of the books I most enjoyed reading. I had never read Livy before and this was a great discovery for me. Although it was written about two thousand years ago, this book is as engaging and appealing as if it had been written today. It is important, however, to make some points clear if you are not acquainted with Livy or other similar classical writers. First, this extense history of the Second Punic War is not history in the modern, scientific sense of this word. It is not a methodic, systematic and objective approach what you will find here: some parts are conjectural, some are simply invented. Throughout his account Livy inserts his political opinions and he is, of course, partial to the Romans. These is not being critical, because we can't judge Livy by our own, contemporary, cultural standards, but just something you should know before reading the book. Second, this is not a social or an economic history but basically a military history of the war with Hannibal. Livy focuses on the description of battles and sieges, on logistics like the movement of armies or the getting of supplies and on the commanders and the tactics employed. If this interests you, you should not hestitate to read it. With the ability of the best novelists, Livy constructs a wonderful narration of events, which never slackens its pace and is always interesting and entertainig. His descriptions of battles is vivid and some passages are full of tension and suspense. As an analyst, Livy is weaker than in his descriptions. His opinions, however, are highly lucid and you can see the influence his thought had upon Machiavelli, for instance when he speaks of the dangers of using armies made up of mercenary soldiers. This Penguin Classics' edition is very good and De Selincourt's translation is superb. I give this book the highest possible rating.

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 Rome 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.

Popular histories really are sooooo popular nowadays, but few people realise that they have a tradition going back to Ancient Roman times. Mr Livy wrote his masterpiece around 25AD, about 250 years after the Roman Republic was very nearly destroyed by its most serious rival, the city of Carthage, located on the Northern African coast near modern day Tunis. This, the Second Punic War, lasted about 15 years, cost the Ancient World countless lives, and causing widespread suffering. The peoples of Carthage were avenging their own losses during the First Punic War, when the Roman forces narrowly beat and killed their great general, Hamilcar, forcing them to sign a most humiliating peace treaty. And the leader of the avenging Carthaginian forces? The mighty Hamilcar's even mightier son, Hannibal: a young man, born with a sword in his hand, leadership in his blue blood, and a personal vendetta against all things Roman.

The amazing crossing of the Swiss Alps by Hannibal's army (which included a number of battle elephants!) is about all that most people think of when they hear his name. Either that, or Anthony Hopkins. Yes, the crossing was miraculous: no convenient tunnels in those days, no romantic roads winding between meadows full of Alpine flowers, and no ski-lifts either. A significant proportion of his army was lost, to the cold, inevitable accidents, and incessant raids by grumpy locals. But his army remained intact enough for Hannibal's purposes: destroy Rome, conquer its territories, kill the men, sell the women and children into slavery, and haul its renown treasures back to Carthage.

His ambition was exceeded only by his imagination.

As Mr Livy makes very clear, the crossing of the Alps was yet another coup in Hannibal's long string of magnificent successes: the capture of the Spain peninsular; the crossing of the Alps into Italy; the total destruction of a mighty Roman army at Cannae (Just round the corner from Rome. Gulp!); countless other victories. For year after year, Hannibal wandered with impunity across the Italian peninsular causing havoc: laying siege to wealthy cities; ravaging the countryside to feed his huge and hungry army.

Hannibal was simply unbeatable in the field, and the Romans knew it.

But the Romans had other weapons, which Mr Livy takes great patriotic delight in showing off to great effect: it had a population large enough to keep producing army after army, even as Hannibal slaughtered them; it had a strong and effective government, unwilling to give up its republican ideals, no matter how closely the Carthaginian army camped by its city gates; it had talented generals who time and again diverted Hannibal from his main purpose; and most of all, it had the bravery, discipline and organisation for which Rome was, is, and will continue to be, famed. Yes, time would tell which of these two powerful cities would dominate the world for the next seven hundred years.

So why didn't Hannibal destroy Rome? How and where was he finally beaten? What happened to Carthage?

Read the book!

Livy really does make for good reading. He has a great subject matter, so that's a great place to start. But what's enjoyable about this is that Livy really has an ear for a good story. This is much more readible than Polybius. It may not be as reliable, but from beginning to end it has a novelist's flow. Livy didn't necessarily walk the battlefields and he certainly didn't interview participants - like Polybius did, but he knew how to write an engaging tale. You have to remember that Livy was a Roman writing for Romans, probably even glorifying the ancestors of certain powerful people in the process. This is doesn't make for a particularly fair view of Hannibal. And yet the Carthaginian still comes across as an amazing character, as does Publius Scipio. I think that David Anthony Durham based much of his great novel, Pride of Carthage, on this book. I suggest reading both of them. Also, try John Prevas' Hannibal crosses the Alps. Together, they're three fine books that'll give you a lot of history and enjoyment and action.

This book was orginally written by Livy (around the time of Christ) and translated into modern English by Aubrey de Selincourt. This is the classic account of the war as described by one of Rome's great patriotic (but occasionally factually-questionable) historians.

Livy describes the background to war as the continuance of an old feud carried on by Hannibal. Starting with the sack of Saguntum, Hannibal then crosses the Alps to descend into northern Italy, taking the war to Roman territory. His bold and energetic tactics unhinge the Roman commanders and the armies that come to stop him.

Hannibal is literally unstoppable as he wins an impressive string of victories at the Ticinus, the Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and finally Cannae. He doesn't just defeat whole consular Roman armies - he annihilates them and their leaders. No Roman force dares meet Hannibal's army in open battle, so Rome once again resorts Consul Fabius' old strategy of shadowing Hannibal to limit his troops' freedom to forage and plunder. As the Roman-allied cities of southern Italy switch their allegiance to Hannibal, the future never looks darker for the Rome.

However, Rome's robust republican spirit and organization rise to the challenge as the Roman people and their loyal allies refuse to concede defeat. Instead, they rebuild their shattered armies, time and time again, and discover many great new leaders, such as Fabius, Marcellus, Livius, Nero, Metullus, Gracchus, Cornelius Scipio, Gnaeius Scipio, Laelius, and Scipio Africanus. Scipio Africanus finally defeats the great Hannibal himself at the Battle of Zama almost 20 years after the war began. Rome victoriously emerges from the conflict strengthened in every way - militarily, economically, morally, diplomatically - and with a host of successful young leaders. At this point in its history, Rome's historical greatness becomes almost inevitable.

This is a good campaign history of the war. The book focuses on policy, leadership, and the movement of the Roman and Carthaginian armies. The descriptions of actual battle are relatively short. It is organized chronologically by year (from 219 BC to 201 BC) and then by theatre (Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Spain, Africa, Greece). Livy gives a brief annual account of each theatre's significant actions. He also describes the annual election of Roman officials and names each of them, as well as tiring lists of superstitious portents. Although the campaign history uses a rather plain style, Livy writes up dramatic and fiery speeches for his key protagonists, imagining what rhetoric they might have used to motivate their troops before battle.

Livy does an excellent job describing political and military events in this text. What began as a classroom assignment (University) turned into one of my all-time favorite books. Not only is does Livy describe the events in such detail, the story actually makes you feel as if you are riding alongside Hannibal and listening to his thoughts as he plans an assault on Italy. Highly advise giving this text a try!

This work should be championed for the fantastic narrative that it is. Livy surveys the full spectrum of human emotions and events brought on by the yolk of war (on both sides) and though biases abound these should not be feared in the same way we fear the word 'bias' in this uber-PC, Brave New world of ours. This was written long before philosophers decided history could be treated as a science and as such Livy had a great deal more discretion as to what he could include and how to construct his narrative than do contemporary historians. A social/economic history this most certainly is not.

It's a wonderful narrative of determination, faith and despair. Of how a man was reared from birth to bring about the destruction of Rome, of how he devoted his adult life (17 years fighting in Italy alone) to fulfilling this dream of his father, and of how he came within a nights march of realizing that dream and sacking what was latter to become possibly the greatest city man has ever known.

Mostly of course this is an tribute the Roman spirit and the great sacrafices made by the millions who were prepared to do literally anything to prevent themselves from coming under Hannibal's lash of slavery. It is a testament to how the sacred principles of civic responsibility, duty and virtue enabled a people to come together and fend off one the most ruthless and skilled army's the Ancient World had ever known and bring the great city of Carthage to her knees.

I think this same spirit and refusal to accept defeat is shown in the Carthaginians as well as they continued fighting to the death even when the Romans were in Africa and everything must have seemed completely hopeless. Obviously much credit is given to Hannibal, Hasdrubal and the Carthaginians as being masters of arms, diplomacy and civilization. This after all serves in amplifying what a momentous accomplishment the defeat of such a powerful empire was for the Romans themselves.

You'll laugh at times (I laughed out loud at the story of a wolf running off with some guys sword), you probably won't cry but you'll share the sense of despair gripping each side. Livy is a master of conveying meaning and emotions more than he is at painting a visual image so while some of the battle scenes are a bit difficult to clearly envision you'll still hear the joints of the soldiers begin to creek after marching in the cold rain. You'll still have compassion for the darkness and humiliation that these people were gripped with after great loss in battle. You'll share their sense of ecstacy in realizing their greatest dreams. It's a history you feel really more than you envision which is not something commonly found in military histories.

Essential.

The Latin translation is clear and concise, presented well for the modern reader. Livy gives a wonderful account of the Second Punic War, specifically the events surrounding the Battle of the Metaurus. This book should be in every classicists' library.

The Romans looked upon Vergil's Aeneid as their greatest work of literature, and it became a focal point of their entire culture, replacing Ennius' earlier epic of Rome's origins so thoroughly that Rome's older central epic has not survived the years. Livy's ten book set devoted to the war with Hannibal has a similar status in prose to the Aeneid's in verse. In fact, one of the three major tales being told simultaneously in the Aeneid is that of the war with Carthage. The point being that the Second Punic War was the defining moment in Roman history. It was the only time the Romans had really met their match. Their superior political, military and economic systems enabled them to outperform the older civilizations of the Mediterranean and gradually gobble them up, but Carthage was the one, and only one, true rival to Rome in the Mediterranean world during entire ancient period. And it has been stated many times that Rome eventually fell from within due to dissatisfaction with mismanaged despotism, rather than being overrun by outside forces. The Western Empire "fell" to Romano-Germanic military units working within and for the Empire. The period of the Second Punic War was always looked back at by Romans as their nation's most trying and revealing moment. All the republican institutions were put to the test under the absolutely most difficult circumstances. No doubt one major reason for the lingering attachment to the Punic War era in imperial times and beyond was how the history of the time preserved a solid working memory of the old republican ways. Livy's history was an instant success, with the first set of ten books too remaining very popular through the years. These two sets of his history were well known and honoured in the Middle Ages, and they played a huge role in the formation of modern republicanism and democracy. I find it kind of odd that I came to Livy's "Hannibalia" a long time after becoming interested in ancient history. This book really is the centre piece of Roman prose literature. Granted, Cicero's works held higher status for their practicality as writing and speaking models, but Livy has more than mere rhetoric in his work. There is rhetoric to be sure, and that makes it all the more fun to read, but he balances it with plenty of quite decent history, drama and political science to boot. A very respectable piece of work to tell your greatest national story. Lots to learn about politics, speaking, statecraft and war here.

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.