Cornelius Nepos, Life of Hannibal : Latin text, notes, maps, illustrations and vocabulary / Bret Mulligan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nepos, Cornelius, author.

Contributor:

Mulligan, Bret, editor.

Open Book Publishers.

Series:

Dickinson College commentaries ; 2059-5743 volume 1.

Dickinson College commentaries

Standardized Title:

Vitae excellentium imperatorum. Selections

Language:

English

Latin

Subjects (All):

Hannibal, 247 B.C.-182 B.C.

Hannibal.

Nepos, Cornelius--Criticism and interpretation.

Nepos, Cornelius.

Punic wars.

Carthage (Extinct city)--Biography.

Carthage (Extinct city).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (156 pages) : illustrations (some color), color maps, portraits.; digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Open Book Publishers

Cambridge : Open Book Publishers, [2015]

Language Note:

English

Text in Latin; introductory material, notes and translation in English.

System Details:

text file

Summary:

Trebia. Trasimene. Cannae. With three stunning victories, Hannibal humbled Rome and nearly shattered its empire. Even today Hannibal's brilliant, if ultimately unsuccessful, campaign against Rome during the Second Punic War (218-202 BC) make him one of history's most celebrated military leaders. This biography by Cornelius Nepos (c. 100-27 BC) sketches Hannibal's life from the time he began traveling with his father's army as a young boy, through his sixteen-year invasion of Italy and his tumultuous political career in Carthage, to his perilous exile and eventual suicide in the East. As Rome completed its bloody transition from dysfunctional republic to stable monarchy, Nepos labored to complete an innovative and influential collection of concise biographies. Putting aside the detailed, chronological accounts of military campaigns and political machinations that characterized most writing about history, Nepos surveyed Roman and Greek history for distinguished men who excelled in a range of prestigious occupations. In the exploits and achievements of these illustrious men, Nepos hoped that his readers would find models for the honorable conduct of their own lives. Although most of Nepos' works have been lost, we are fortunate to have his biography of Hannibal. Nepos offers a surprisingly balanced portrayal of a man that most Roman authors vilified as the most monstrous foe that Rome had ever faced. Nepos' straightforward style and his preference for common vocabulary make Life of Hannibal accessible for those who are just beginning to read continuous Latin prose, while the historical interest of the subject make it compelling for readers of every ability. This book contains embedded audio files of the original text read aloud by Christopher Francese.

Contents:

Preface

Acknowledgements

List of Illustrations

1. Life of Nepos. Historical Context; Works of Nepos; The Lives of Famous Men; The Lives of Foreign Commanders; Other Works; Reputation in Antiquity and Beyond; Friendships and Social Context; The Caecilii Metelli; Atticus and Cicero; Catullus

2. Reading Nepos. Four Favorite Constructions; Three Key Words; Why Write Biography?; Nepos and Non-Roman Cultures; The Biographical Tradition in Greece and Rome; Nepos' Audience

3. Historical Context and Hannibal. Early History of Carthage; First Punic War (264-241 BC); Between the Wars; Second Punic War (218-201 BC); Aftermath; Hannibal; Evaluating Hannibal

Bibliography

Chronology of Hannibal's Life

Text of Nepos' Life of Hannibal

Notes

Full Vocabulary for Nepos' Life of Hannibal and Prologus to the Lives of Outstanding Commanders.

Notes:

Available through Open Book Publishers.

Includes bibliographical references.

CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed March 15, 2016).

ISBN:

9781783741359

178374135X

9782821876200

2821876203

9781783741342

1783741341

OCLC:

1110347865

Access Restriction:

Open access Unrestricted online access