Study Guide for Livy 21-30

If it is necessary to limit oneself to three main characters, they are:

Hannibal Barca; introduced at 21.1
Q. Fabius Maximus, afterwards called Cunctator; first appears at 21.18
P. Cornelius Scipio, afterwards called Africanus; introduced at 21.46; note his role after the Battle of Cannae in Book 22

Other noteworthy people in Book 21 (and often subsequently) include:

P. Cornelius Scipio, consul in 218, the father of Scipio Africanus
Cn. Cornelius Scipio, consul in 222, the brother of the elder Publius
M. Livius Salinator, consul in 219 and 207
L. Aemilius Paullus, consul in 216
Tib. Sempronius Longus, consul in 218
Hasdrubal Barca, brother of Hannibal
C. Flaminius, consul in 223, 220, 217
Hiero, king of Syracuse (city in Sicily), first appears in 21.49

People who become prominent in Book 22 include:

M. Minucius Rufus, appointed Master of Horse when Fabius is dictator (22.9)
C. Terentius Varro, consul in 216
L. Aemilius Paullus, consul in 216 (whose grandson, many years later, was adopted by the son of Scipio Africanus; this grandson was known as Scipio Aemilianus, and was a close friend of the Greek historian Polybius, Livy's best source)
M. Claudius Marcellus, consul in 222, 214, 210, 208; aka the Sword of Rome
Q. Fabius Pictor (especially noteworthy as Rome's first historian; he wrote in Greek)
P. Sempronius Tuditanus, consul in 209, 204 (22.50)

NB: If you wonder about the Camillus to whom both Flaminius and Minucius compare themselves, he is a great military hero (and rather independent person) of the late fifth and early fourth centuries. He appears again as an example in Books 25.4 and 27.34.

Interesting people in Book 23 include:

Tib. Sempronius Gracchus, consul in 215 and 213, master of horse to the dictator M. Junius Pera
M. Fabius Buteo (if you blink, you'll miss him)
Philip V, King of Macedon

People in Book 24:

Archimedes
P. Sempronius Tuditanus (cf. 22.50)
Q. Fabius Maximus, consul 213, son of Fabius Cunctator
Masinissa, a Numidian

People in Book 25:

Q. Fulvius Flaccus, consul 212, 209 (first mention at 22.12)
App. Claudius Pulcher, consul 212 (first mention at 22.53)
C. Claudius Nero, consul 207
M. Cornelius Cethegus, consul 204
P. Licinius Crassus, consul 205, elected Pontifex Maximus
L. Marcius
P. Sulpicius Galba, consul 211, 200

People in Book 26:

Q. Navius
M. Valerius Laevinus, consul in 210, commander in the First Macedonian War (see also 24.40, 24.44)
Attalus, king of Asia (this means Asia Minor)
C. Laelius

People in Book 27:

Livius Andronicus the poet (mentioned at 27.37)
Syphax, king of Maesulii in N. Africa
Indibilis, prince of Ilergetes in Spain (first appearance at 22.21)
Mandonius, a Spaniard (first appearance at 22.21)
Aratus of Sicyon, a leader of the Achaean League (27.31)

People in Book 28:

L. Cornelius Scipio, consul in 190, brother of Scipio Africanus
M. Atilius Regulus (the one who messed up in Africa in First Punic War), cited as an example
M. Junius Silanus

People in Book 29:

Q. Pleminius
Cybele (a divinity)
Claudia Quinta
Sophonisba
M. Porcius Cato

Book 30:

Cn. Servilius Caepio, consul in 203
Tib. Claudius Nero, consul in 202
Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, consul in 201
Q. Terentius Culleo

Things to look out for:

About Livy:

About the War

Book 21:

21.2 end: Saguntum as a neutral buffer? cf. 21.19
21.7 stubborn (foolish?) loyalty of Saguntum
21.18 speech of Carthaginian to Roman delegation different in Polybius
    M. Fabius Buteo or Q. Fabius Maximus
21.29 omen of outcome given by first skirmish
21.38 the famous passage on sources
21.40ff paired speeches
21.46 bad omens for the Romans before battle (Ticinus): intro of the hero
    Why does Livy prefer not to believe Coelius Antipater's version?
21.57 aftermath of the Trebia battle
21.62 UFOs
21.63 Flaminius' impiety

Book 22:

22.4-7 Trasimene (magna inquit pugna victi sumus)
22.13 end reason for loyalty of Romans' allies: just and moderate rule? their betters
22.14 Minucius' speech full of exempla: Camillus (ter), L. Papirius Cursor, Catulus
22.18 tense moment when Fabius leaves for Rome, Livy warns his advice will be in vain, and then switches scene to Spain
    Note throughout: internal dissension and who gets the glory
22.37 advice of Hiero to invade Africa
22.39ff. Fabius and Paullus
22.43-52 Cannae
22.53 our hero!
22.57 human sacrifice
22.59-60 debate over captives; T. Manlius Torquatus
22.61 Varro forgiven

Book 23:

23.2 Capua
23.5 end (Varro) anti-barbarian propaganda
23.8 the banquet: first step on the road to perdition
23.8-10 the adventures of Decius Magius
23.12-13 Hanno and Mago at Carthage
23.14-16 Nola; Marcellus wins over Bantius
23.17-18 Acerrae burned (but the men escaped), Casilinum (attempt abandoned)
23.18 fateful winter at Capua
23.19 gruesome siege at Casilinum (Gracchus outside) (note statue of M. Anicius)
23.22 Latins in the senate? (Carvilius) - Manlius objects, Fabius swears to secrecy
23.23 M. Fabius Buteo's dictatorship
23.24 Elections, death of cos-elect L. Postumius, with army, in Gaul
23.26-29 Spain; Hasdrubal could not march to Italy
23.30 Sicilian politics
23.31 heaven aids patrician politicians (Marcellus is out, Fabius in)
23.33 and 39 Philip V
23.41 Torquatus reports Sardinia is Roman
23.42 Samnites remonstrate to Hannibal
23.43-47 Marcellus vs Hannibal at Nola (also the duel that never happens)
23.48 financial problems and public debt

Book 24:

24.3 Crotoniates move to Locri
24.4-7 Syracuse after Hiero's death
24.8 Fabius messes with elections
24.12 senators of means told to pay seamen
24.13-16 Gracchus and slave volunteers at Beneventum
24.18 voluntary offers of credit
24.21-39 Syracuse and Leontini
24.34 Archimedes
24.37-39 L. Pinarius: good Roman, pious, and smart
24.40 war with Philip
24.41-42 Spain
24.43 first stage plays
24.45 Hannibal burns up the wife and children of deserter from Arpi
24.47 Recover of Arpi, themselves helping vs Carthage
24.48 Spain; Masinissa; Rome's first mercenaries are Celtiberians

Book 25:

25.2 Scipio is aedile (a little too young)
25.3-4 the affair of the tax farmers
25.7-11 Tarentum goes over to Hannibal
25.12 Marcius' prophecies and Apollo
25.14 a victory with standards at Beneventum
25.16-17 bad omen and end of Gracchus
25.22 leaving Capua in suspense
25.23-31 Syrcuse captured
25.32-39 Spain; end of P. Scipio (25.34) and Cn. Scipio (25.36); L. Marcius
25.40 Marcellus sends Greek art works to Rome

Book 26:

26.1 much prorogation
26.2-3 Senate vs L. Marcius; Cn. Fulvius goes into exile for loss in Apulia
26.4-6 Capua; Q. Navius' innovation & with the standard (M. Atilius too)
26.7-11 Hannibal to Rome
26.12-16 Rome deals with Capua (NB Fulvius)
26.17-18 Nero in Spain, Roman concerns
26.19-20 Scipio goes to Spain, honors Marcius
26.21 Marcellus returns to Rome, has an ovation
26.22-23 Elections; Torquatus and other wise Romans
26.24-26 Laevinus and Aetolians
26.26-34 Distress of Sicilians (Fate is after Marcellus) and Capuans
26.35-36 Finances, Laevinus and the senators
26.38.4 on Hannibal's destroying what he could not have: id foedum consilium cum incepto tum etiam exitu fuit (praef. 10 inde foedum inceptu, foedum exitu, quod vites) = p. 404 of the Penguin
26.38-40 southern Italy and Sicily; Laevinus takes Agrigentum again and punishes the citizens, again
26.41 Scipio's speech in Spain about family, Fortuna, the gods
26.42-51 capture of New Carthage
26.49.3 adeo nullus mentiendi modus est (on Valerius Antias' figures)

Book 27:

27.8 the new flamen Dialis
27.9-10 trouble with the Latin colonies
27.11 Fabius is princeps senatus
27.15-16 Fabius retakes Tarentum
27.17-20 Spain
27.19 Scipio saluted imperator but does not want to be king
27.25-28 End of Marcellus
27.29-33 Philip and the Greeks (groupies and Aratus' wife)
27.34-35 Nero and Livius are consuls
27.40-46 Nero vs Hannibal, then he goes north
27.47-51 battle at Metaurus and the aftermath

Book 28:

28.1-4 Spanish victories, Scipio's magnanimity to Silanus and L. Scipio
28.5-8 Greece
28.9 Triumph of Livius and Nero
28.11 observations on rural economy
28.12 praise of Hannibal
28.12-16 Spain (NB Augustus): great victory vs. Hasdrubal Gisgonis
28.17-18 Scipio visits Syphax
28.19-23 punishment of Spanish traitors; funeral games for Scipios
28.22 desperation at Astapa
28.24-29 illness and mutiny at Sucro
28.31-34 Spanish rebellion and lenient treatment
28.32 note Scipio's new clients, the soldiers
28.35 Masinissa and Scipio
28.38-46 Scipio at Rome: election, debate with Fabius, plans

Book 29:

29.1 Scipio in Sicily
29.1-3 end of Indibilis, arrest of Mandonius; despair in Africa at raids
29.4 Carthage calls on Philip, Masinissa calls on Scipio
29.6-10 Locri captured; Pleminius
29.11-12 going after the Magna Mater, Attalus in Pergamum; peace in east
29.14 P. Scipio Cn. filius, Claudia Quinta, the Magna Mater
29.15 getting even with the 12 Latin colonies
29.16-22 Locri; Fabius vs. Scipio, who redeems himself
29.19 Scipio the philhellene
29.23-24 Syphax and Sophonisba; Scipio's coverup to his army
29.25-29 departure for Africa; Carth. panic, first Roman victory near Utica
29.30-33 digression on Masinissa
29.34-36 Roman victories in Africa and Italy
29.37 Nero and Livius are censors

Book 30:

30.3-4 Scipio's pretense of peace negotiations
30.5-6 night attack on Numidians and Carthaginians
30.7-8 battle, all Celtiberians killed, Hasdrubal & Syphax escape again
30.9 Hannibal recalled
30.12-15 capture of Syphax, end of Sophonisba
30.16 new peace negotiations; Carthage waiting for Hannibal
30.18-19 "Gaul", Mago wounded and dies; personal triumph for Servilius
30.20 Hannibal leaves Italy
30.21 senate proposes thanks to the gods
30.22-25 peace talks collapse
30.26 death of Fabius
30.27 Nero as consul can go to Africa; cf. Lentulus 30.40, 30.43
30.28 fears about Hannibal at Rome and Scipio at Carthage
30.29-35 Zama
30.36-43 peace negotiations: practical reasons to spare Carthage a siege
30.42 trouble brewing with Philip
30.44-45 Hannibal's prophecy and Scipio's return and cognomen

In general:

Note on translations of Livy: If you cannot find the Penguin translation of Livy, you can use any other translation.

Last updated: 16 September 2008 Send Comments to: Barbara Rodgers, bsaylor@zoo.uvm.edu Copyright © 2007 Barbara Saylor Rodgers All Rights Reserved.