Summary of Livy Books 26-30

Livy is one of the major historical sources for the detail of Hannibal's life.

This helpful summary of Books 26-30 of Livy's History of Rome is by Timothy Moore of the University of Texas, taken from his course - Hannibal: Hero or Monster?

Livy Book 26

Rome
1 Allotment of Troops
2-3 Response to dispatch from Lucius Marcius; exile of Gnaeus Fulvius

The Fall of Capua
4-6 Battle outside Capua
7-11 Hannibal's march on Rome fails to remove Romans from Capua
12 Hannibal retreats to Bruttium; Capuans fail to get letter to him
13-14 Speech of Vibius Vitrius and mass suicide; surrender of Capua
15 Fulvius executes leading Capuans
16 further punishment of Capua; Livy concludes all was done admirablySpain17 Hasdrubal eludes Gaius Nero
18 election of Scipio to lead troops in Spain
19-20 description of Scipio's character; his acceptance speech; Scipio arrives in Spain

Tarentum, Rome, Sicily
20 Romans hang on in citadel in Tarentum
21 Marcellus returns from Sicily
22 Elections in Rome; Torquatus refuses consulship because he does not see well
23 More elections; prodigies; allotment of troopsGreece24-26 Laevinus makes treaty with Aetolians and they fight Philip of MacedonRome27 Fire in Rome; Capuans convicted; Capuans go with Laevinus to Rome to plead for mercy
28 Allotment of troops
29-34 Complaints of Sicilians and Capuans heard in Senate
35-36 In reponse to unrest over taxes, senators give state their gold
37 summary of state of the war: uncertainty on both sidesSouthern Italy38 Hannibal can't hold cities; Salapia goes over to Roman
39 Romans lose sea battle at Tarentum but win on land, hold out on citadel

Sicily
40 Romans take AgrigentumScipio takes New Carthage41 Scipio addresses troops
42-47 Capture of New Carthage
48 dispute over who climbed the wall first
49-50 treatment of Spanish hostages
51 Carthaginians worried at loss of New Carthage

Livy Book 27

Lucania
1 Hannibal defeats Gnaeus Fulvius
2 Marcellus and Hannibal skirmish

Capua
3 Capuans caught trying to burn Roman camp

Rome (with some diversions elsewhere)
4 election uncertainties, reports of ambassadors, prodigies
5 Roman fleet attacks Africa
6 elections, censorship
7 reports of success in Spain; allotment of troops
8 new priests, recruitment
9-10 some Latin colonies refuse to send more troops
11 prodigies, revised list of senators

Apulia
12 Hannibal defeats Marcellus
13-14 Marcellus harangues his men, and they defeat HannibalTarentum15-16 Fabius retakes Tarentum and then avoids being trapped by Hannibal

Spain
17-20 Scipio defeats Hasdrubal

Rome (with some diversions elsewhere)
21 elections, news of revolt in Etruria, games
22 allotment of troops
23 prodigies, games
24 rebellion in Arretium put down
25 decision on how to treat Tarentum; consuls set out for southern Italy

Apulia
26-27 Numidians ambush Marcellus and Crispinus
28 Hannibal fails to take Salapia
29 Crispinus moves troops to BruttiumGreece30-33 campaigns of Philip of Macedon

Rome
33 Crispinus dies
34 Nero and Livius elected consuls
35 allotment of troops; Nero and Livius reconcile

Defeat of Hasdrubal at Metaurus
36 anxiety about Hadrubal's arrival; allotment of troops
37 prodigies
38 recruitment
39 Hasdrubal arrives in Italy and beseiges Placentia
40 anxiety at Rome as consuls set out
41-42 Nero and Hannibal play cat and mouse
43 Hasdrubal's letter to Hannibal intercepted; Nero marches to join Livius against Hasdrubal
44 anxiety in Rome at Nero's marching
45 Nero addresses troops, joins Livius
46-49 Battle at Metaurus
50-51 Reaction to Metaurus of Romans and of Hannibal ("Now, at last, I see the destiny of Carthage plain")

Livy Book 28

1-8 Events in Spain, Sicily, and Greece
9 Triumph of Nero and Livius
10-11 Elections, prodigies, etc.
12 Assessment of the situation in Italy and Spain; praise of Hannibal
13-38 Further successes of Scipio in Spain (including the squelching of a mutiny and of rebellion by Spanish tribes); Scipio elected consul
39 ambassadors from Saguntum thank Romans for avenging their city
40-42 Fabius speaks against Scipio's plan to attack Africa
43-44 Scipio defends his plan to attack Africa
45 Scipio granted permission to take troops to Africa
46 Scipio sails to Sicily; Mago lands in Genoa


Livy Book 29

1 Scipio's preparations in Sicily
1-3 Rebellion in Spain put down
3-4 Laelius arrives in Africa and meets Masinissa; reaction in Carthage
5 Mago seeks help from Ligurians
6-7 Romans retake Locri
8-9 Pleminius pillages Locri
10-11 Events in Rome: elections, importation of cult of Magna Mater, etc.
12 Events in Greece
13-15 Allotment of troops
16-22 Trial and punishment of Pleminius
23-24 Syphax asks Scipio not to attack Africa
24-28 Scipio sails to Africa
29 Scipio's cavalry wins skirmish
29-33 Digression on Masinissa
34 Romans and Masinissa win second cavalry battle
35 Siege of Utica
36 Romans defeat Hannibal near Croton
37-38 Acts of censors and other events in Rome; Romans take more towns in Bruttium


Livy Book 30

1-2 Allotment of troops; prodigies
3-7 Scipio burns Carthaginian and Numidian camps
8 Scipio defeats Carthaginians at Great Plains
9-10 Scipio survives attack by Carthaginian fleet
11-15 Defeat of Syphax, marriage of Sophinisba and Masinissa; death of Sophonisba
16 Scipio and Carthaginians make armistice
17 Senate hears envoys from Scipio and Masinissa
18-19 Mago is defeated and leaves Italy
20 Hannibal leaves Italy
21 Reaction in Rome to departure of Mago and Hannibal
22-23 Senate refuses Carthaginian offer of peace
24-25 Carthaginians seize Roman ships and attack Roman envoys; Hannibal arrives in Africa
26-27 Miscellaneous events in Rome
28 Anxieties and hope in Rome as Scipio prepares to meet Hannibal
29-31 Conversation between Hannibal and Scipio at Zama
32-35 Battle of Zama
36 Carthaginians seek peace; defeat of Syphax's son
37 Carthaginians accept Scipio's terms; Hannibal in Carthaginian assembly
38-39 Miscellaneous events in Rome
40-43 Romans accept Carthaginian plea for peace
44 Hannibal laughs as Carthaginians weep over money they must spend
45 Scipio's triumph