The longest surviving Latin poem from antiquity chronicles the epic Second Punic War

Wars & Conflicts · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Written by Silius Italicus in the first century AD, the Punica spans seventeen books and over twelve thousand lines. This monumental work reimagines the clash between Hannibal and Scipio Africanus, blending historical events with divine intervention to create a sweeping narrative that remains a cornerstone of Roman epic poetry.

The Punica was composed by Silius Italicus, who lived from approximately 28 to 103 AD. Scholars date the poem's creation to between 83 and 96 AD, a period during the poet's retirement when he devoted his time to collecting antiques and reciting his work at his Campanian villas. The epic is a massive undertaking, comprising 12,202 lines of dactylic hexameter, making it the longest surviving Latin poem from the ancient world.

Silius drew inspiration from a variety of sources, most notably the historian Livy, though he often embellished themes and altered his narrative focus to suit the conventions of poetry rather than historiography. He explicitly named Virgil, Homer, and Ennius as his primary epic influences. While he adopted Virgilian imagery and tropes, he also incorporated the stoic tone and focus on macabre violence characteristic of Lucan. Frederick Ahl has suggested that Silius intended his work to function as the historical and poetic midpoint between Virgil's Aeneid and Lucan's Bellum Civile.

The narrative centers on the Second Punic War, framing the conflict as a struggle for supremacy between Rome and Carthage. The poem features extensive divine machinery, with Juno acting as a primary antagonist who selects Hannibal as her instrument of revenge. Throughout the seventeen books, Silius weaves in mythological aetiologies, catalogues of troops, and dramatic encounters in the underworld, where Scipio meets the shade of Homer. The poem culminates in the Battle of Zama, where Scipio emerges victorious, leading to a grand triumph in Rome that Silius compares to the deeds of Hercules.

Lost for centuries, the poem was rediscovered in 1416 or 1417 by the humanist Poggio Bracciolini, likely at Constance. This discovery provided the foundation for all existing manuscripts, which date to the 15th century. While an older manuscript from the 8th or 9th century was found in Cologne in the late 16th century, it subsequently disappeared. Today, the work continues to be a subject of academic study, with modern scholars producing new commentaries and monographs to analyze its complex structure and historical significance.

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