Despite being the ultimate enemy, Hannibal's military acumen, loyalty to his cause, and persistence make him a mirror for Roman identity and values.
A central "interesting paper" (or more precisely, a seminal book often discussed in academic circles) on this exact topic is by Claire Stocks (2014). The roman Hannibal: remembering the enemy in Si...
Stocks argues that Silius’s Hannibal is not just a foreign villain, but a "Romanized" figure who paradoxically exemplifies (Roman-ness). You can find the full text of The
You can find the full text of The Roman Hannibal at Oxford Academic or through retailers like Amazon . Stocks shows how Silius constructs Hannibal using literary
A particularly compelling moment identified in the book is Hannibal's final speech (17.605–15), where he seemingly acknowledges the Roman literary tradition that has constructed his identity. Availability and Further Reading
Silius’s portrayal is seen as the final evolution of centuries of Roman engagement with Hannibal in literature.
Stocks shows how Silius constructs Hannibal using literary models like Homer’s Achilles and Virgil’s Aeneas.