Dive into a pivotal moment in history and examine what the Romans themselves considered their darkest hour: the war with Hannibal Barca. This course offers an in-depth exploration based on close readings from ancient sources in translation to provide a comprehensive understanding of the causes, key battles, and the aftermath of this nearly two-decade-long struggle. We will begin well before the conflict arose tracing the various causes of the war, and we will end after the war itself was completed and consider how this war reshaped the history of the ancient Mediterranean. Explore the rich cultures of Rome and Carthage, and meet the remarkable figures who shaped this far-reaching conflict that threatened Rome’s very survival. Join us for a journey back in time, witnessing the resilience of Rome against the brink of collapse.
Rome’s Darkest Hour: The War with Hannibal
Fall 2024
Required Reading
Livy: Hannibal’s War, transl. J.C. Yardley (Oxford World’s Classics, 2009)
ISBN: 978-0199555970
Meet Your Professor
Philip Waddell
Philip Waddell is an Associate Professor of Classics, whose work in ancient historiography concerns the construction of narrative within the historical texts of Greek and Roman authors. Most recently, he published the monograph Tacitean Visual Narrative with Bloomsbury, and is currently working on a commentary for Livy’s Roman History.
Location
POETRY CENTER
Dorothy Rubel Room
1508 E Helen
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States
Located on the SE corner of Helen Street and Vine Avenue, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell Ave.
