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Once of the greatest military minds of the Ancient World, Hannibal Barca lived a life of daring and survival, massive battles, and ultimate defeat. A citizen of Carthage and military commander in Punic Spain, he famously marched his war elephants and huge army over the Alps into Rome’s own heartland to fight the Second Punic War. Yet the Romans were the ultimate victors. They eventually captured and destroyed Carthage, and thus it was they who wrote the legend of Hannibal: a brilliant and worthy enemy whose defeat represented military glory for Rome.
In this groundbreaking biography, Eve MacDonald employs archaeological findings and documentary sources to expand the memory of Hannibal beyond his military career. Considering him in the context of his time and the Carthaginian culture that shaped him, MacDonald offers a complex portrait of a man from a prominent family who was both a military hero and a statesman. MacDonald also analyzes Hannibal’s legend over the millennia, exploring how statuary, Jacobean tragedy, opera, nineteenth-century fiction, and other depictions illuminate the character of one of the most fascinating figures in all of history.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
August 11, 2020 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
- ISBN: 9780300210156
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780300210156
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780300210156
- File size: 2847 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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March 1, 2015
MacDonald's (archaeology & classical studies, Univ. of Reading, England) scholarly study of Hannibal the Carthaginian (247-182 BCE) begins with a contextual background of the Carthaginian civilization, illustrating its origins in Phoenicia and its colonization of the Mediterranean. Hannibal is revealed as a man with motives, the son of the great warrior Hamilcar. The author contrasts and compares the narratives of Roman historian Livy and Greek chronicler Polybius by detailing the chess match that ensued between Rome and Carthage, including Hannibal's fantastic gamble over the Alps, the shocking outcome at the Battle of Cannae, and General Scipio's invasion of Africa. Keen readers are rewarded with extensive notes and citations; maps of the third-century BCE Mediterranean provide insight into the text's numerous geographic references. MacDonald uses every available resource to understand the conflict from Hannibal's perspective, gleaning Carthaginian cultural information from Roman sources, peeking into the internal motives and structure of Rome's famous rival. The work presents Hannibal's many faces: the military strategist, the impassioned leader of Carthage, the great organizer. VERDICT This text demands intense concentration, but its rewards for serious students of ancient history are boundless.--Jeffrey Meyer, Mt. Pleasant P.L., IA
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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