Textual Strategies in Ancient War Narrative: Thermopylae, Cannae and Beyond

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In this collected volume fourteen experts in the fields of Classics and Ancient History study the textual strategies used by Herodotus and Livy when recounting the disastrous battles at Thermopylae and Cannae. Literary, linguistic and historical approaches are used (often in combination) in order to enhance and enrich the interpretation of the accounts, which for obvious reasons confronted the authors with a special challenge. Chapters drawing a comparison with other battle narratives and with other genres help to establish genre-specific elements in ancient historiography, and draw attention to the particular techniques employed by Herodotus and Livy in their war narratives.

Author(s): Lidewij van Gils, Irene de Jong, Caroline Kroon
Series: Amsterdam Studies in Classical Philology 29
Publisher: Brill
Year: 2018

Language: English
Pages: x+400

Textual Strategies in Ancient War Narrative: Thermopylae, Cannae and Beyond
‎Contents
‎Preface
‎Notes on Contributors
1 Introduction
‎1 War Narrative
‎2 Two Case Studies: Thermopylae and Cannae
‎3 Narratology, Discourse Linguistics and Classics
3.1 Narratology and Classics
3.2 Discourse Linguistics and Classics
3.3 Joined Forces
3.4 Historiography and Narratology
‎4 Historiography and Discourse Linguistics
5 Outline
‎Bibliography
‎Part 1. Thermopylae
2 Thermopylae: Herodotus versus the Legend
1 Leonidas: Kamikaze or Advance Guard?
2 One Thousand or Three Hundred?
3 The First Two Days of Battle: Close Combat or Archery?
4 The Last Stand: in the Persian Camp or Behind the Phocian Wall?
5 The Legend and the Histories
6 ‘What Really Happened’ at Thermopylae?
Bibliography
3 A Narratological Comparison of Herodotus and Diodorus on Thermopylae
1 Introduction: Two Different Traditions That Have Much in Common
2 Comparative Analysis
2.1 Length
2.2 Proportion of Episodes
2.3 The Voice of the Narrator: Polemics and Historiographical Authentication
2.4 The Handling of Time
2.5 Speeches and Characterisation
2.6 Summary
3 Diodorus’ Discourse in the Fighting Episodes
4 The Origins of the Two Thermopylae Traditions and Their Mutual Interrelationships: a Hypothesis
Appendix 1: Proper Names, Toponyms and Ethnonyms in Herodotus’ and Diodorus’ Versions of the Battle of Thermopylae
I Proper Names
II Toponyms
III Ethnonyms
Appendix 2: Overview of Anachronies in Herodotus’ and Diodorus’ Versions of the Battle of Thermopylae
Appendix 3: Speeches in Herodotus’ and Diodorus’ Versions of the Battle of Thermopylae (incl. Number of Words per Speech That the Narrator Ascribes to the Character)
Bibliography
4 Narrative and Identity in Thermopylae (Herodotus 7.201–7.239)
1 Introduction
2 The Idea of Sparta
3 The Triumph of Death—Highlighted, Anticipated, Focalized, Dimmed
4 Leonidas: Plans, Intentions, Expectations—and Surprise
5 Surrounded by Pluperfects
6 Conclusion
Bibliography
5 Herodotus’ Handling of (Narratological) Time in the Thermopylae Passage
1 Introduction: (Narratological) Time and the Structure of the Histories
2 The Prolepsis about the Anopaea Path
3 The Analepses about the Phocian Wall
4 The Analepsis about Leonidas’ Kingship
5 The Prolepsis about Ephialtes
6 The Analepsis/Prolepsis of the Oracle
7 Conclusion
Bibliography
6 Herodotus and Thucydides: Distance and Immersion
Bibliography
‎Part 2. Cannae
7 Livy on Cannae: a Literary Overview
1 Introduction
2 Structure
3 The Preliminaries to the Battle
3.1 Some Factual Matters
3.2 Suspense and Delay
3.3 Varro, Fabius, Paullus, and Hannibal
4 The Battle Itself
4.1 The Structures of the Narratives
4.2 Explanations of Hannibal’s Victory
5 The Aftermath
5.1 General
5.2 The Two Roman Camps
5.3 Hannibal’s Failure to Attack Rome
5.4 Roman and Carthaginians
Appendix
Bibliography
8 Discourse-Linguistic Strategies in Livy’s Account of the Battle at Cannae
1 Introduction
2 Livy’s Interweaving of ‘Annalistic Material’ and the Main Story Line
3 Narrative Arcs of Tension and the Story of Abelux as an Illustration
4 Digression: Immersion and the Use of the Historic Present in Livy
5 The Battle of Cannae
5.1 The Beginning of the Battle
5.2 Types of Narrative Arcs in the Cannae Episode
5.3 Elections, Armies, Prodigies, Embassies (22.34–22.37)
5.4 Words of Soldiers and Generals (22.38–22.40.4)
5.5 Arrival and First Hostilities in Gereonium (22.40.5–22.42)
5.6 Movement to Cannae and Preparations for Battle (22.43–22.45)
5.7 Description of the Armies and the Battle (22.46–22.49)
5.8 Aftermath of the Battle (22.50–22.54)
5.9 Reactions in Rome (22.55–22.61)
6 Conclusion
Appendix 1: Prototypical Features of Modes of Presentation in Latin Historiography
Appendix 2: Narrative Elements in the Presentation of the Battle of Cannae (22.34–22.61)
Bibliography
9 Who Knows What Will Happen Next? Livy’s fraus Punica from a Literary Point of View
1 Introduction or: Dear Reader, Beware of Unreliable Enemies!
2 The Ambush at the Trebia: Being Blind to Stratagems
3 Too Much Fog at Lake Trasimene: Lessons Still Not Learned
4.1 The Empty Camp on the Way to Cannae: a Pattern Broken?
4.2 In the Middle of all Malice: on Being Circumvented Once More
5 Outlook: Explaining Defeats or Engaging the Reader?
Bibliography
10 Livy’s Use of Spatial References in the Cannae Episode: from Structure to Strategy
1 Introduction
2 The Discourse World of Livy’s Intended Audience versus the Story World of Cannae
3 Text-Structuring Spatial References
4 Strategic Spatial References
5 Narratorial Standpoints and Discourse Modes
6 Frames in Cognitive Linguistics
7 Strategic Interpretations of Space
8 Conclusion
Bibliography
11 ET RATIO ET RES: Characterization of Roman Conduct through Speech Representation in the Battle of Cannae
1 Introduction
2 Speech Representation, Character Portrayal and the Cunctandi Ratio
2.1 Speech Representation II: the Death of Aemilius Paullus
3 The Res: the Story Proper
4 Conclusion
Bibliography
12 Words When It’s Time for Action: Representations of Speech and Thought in the Battles of Cannae and Zama
1 Introduction
2 Narratorial Choices
2.1 Narratorial Choices: Linguistic Forms
2.2 Narratorial Choices: Narrative Techniques
3 Speech and Thought Representations in the Battle Narratives of Cannae and Zama
3.1 Intelligence and Messages
3.2 Strategic Considerations
3.3 Exhortations
3.4 Commands
3.5 Reflections on the Upcoming Battle by the Troops
3.6 Battle Cries and Expressions of Aggression and Contempt
3.7 Focus on Individual Warriors
3.8 Debrief
4 Conclusion
Bibliography
‎Part 3. Beyond Thermopylae and Cannae
13 Thermopylae and Cannae: How One Battle Narrative Enriches Another
1 Introduction
2 Specific Allusions to Thermopylae
2.1 Aemilius Paulus’ Last Stand and Death Speech
2.2 Manlius Torquatus’ Address to the Senate
2.3 Biting the Enemy: When Heroism Turns into Horror
3 Larger Thematic Connections between Cannae and Thermopylae
3.1 Defeat as Anticipation of Future Victory
3.2 Defeat as Anticipation of Future Internal Strife
4 Conclusion
Bibliography
14 The Great and the Small: Thermopylae and Sphacteria
1 The Athenian Assembly: Fear and Pride
2 The Situation on Sphacteria: after the Forest Fire
3 Battlefield Tactics
4 The Reception of the News of the Spartan Defeat
5 Conclusion: Comparing Great and Small
Bibliography
15 Force, Frequency and Focalisation: the Function of Similes in the Battle-Narrative of Vergil, Aeneid 10
1 Introduction
2 Overall Narrative Structure of Aeneid 10
3 Strategies of Variation
4 Catalogue of Similes
5 Distribution of Similes between Scenes
6 Some Individual Similes and Their Narrative Functions
7 Conclusion
Bibliography
16 Parallel Plotlines: the Function of Similes in the Battle Narrative of Vergil, Aeneid 10 (2)
1 Introduction
2 (Not) through Turnus’ Eyes
3 The Structure of Storms
4 Conclusion
Bibliography
‎Index