Words When It’s Time for Action: Representations of Speech and Thought in the Battles of Cannae and Zama

Authors
Publication date 2019
Host editors
  • L. van Gils
  • I. de Jong
  • C. Kroon
Book title Textual Strategies in Ancient War Narrative
Book subtitle Thermopylae, Cannae and beyond
ISBN
  • 9789004383333
ISBN (electronic)
  • 9789004383340
Series Amsterdam studies in classical philology
Event International Conference Textual Strategies in Greek and Latin War Narrative, Amsterdam
Pages (from-to) 293-315
Publisher Leiden: Brill
Organisations
  • Faculty of Humanities (FGw) - Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research (AIHR) - Amsterdam School of Historical Studies (ASH)
Abstract In battle, warriors should act, not speak or think. This, in any case, is the impression we get from Latin narratives about battle, in which speech and thought tend to be less frequent than in other types of episodes. The preference of narrators for actions over words in the thick of battle is a reason to give all the more significance to the speeches and thoughts that they do present in their battle episodes. Therefore, the topic of this article is formed by the speeches and thoughts in Livy’s episode about the battle of Cannae, in contrast to those in the episode about the battle of Zama.
Document type Chapter
Language English
Published at https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004383340_013
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