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Silius Italicus - Punica

19 February 2018

A new translation of Silius Italicus' epic poem Punica, his retelling of the Second Carthaginian War between Rome and Carthage, has been added to the site. Silius was consul in AD68, and governor of Asia in 69. He was born under Tiberius and died under Trajan. He bought the site of Virgil's tomb near Naples and restored it, reflecting his admiration for that poet. He also purchased an estate of Cicero's. Punica, the work of his later years, while living in retirement, is the longest Roman epic poem, and deserves a better press than it has received from the critics. It is a vigorous and lively account, exploiting the resources of Latin, with a pleasant interweaving of mythological, geographical and historical elements. I recommend it to anyone who likes epic battles, and silver age Latin writing.  

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