2004
Volume 58, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 0165-8204
  • E-ISSN: 2667-1573

Abstract

Abstract

This article analyses Hannibal’s march on Rome in Livy’s and Silius Italicus’ . Comparisons between these works typically focus on content rather than style, partly because they belong to different genres – historiography and epic. By analysing their narrative structures, we demonstrate that a stylistic comparison is not only possible but also yields valuable insights into these texts. Using the model of prototypical narrative structures, we systematically analyse the tension curves in the episode in Livy and Silius Italicus, mapping the differences. This study of narrative composition and tension building techniques offers new insights into both authors’ narrative techniques and stylistic choices. Even though the underlying facts of the episode are the same, both authors have created their own version in which the narrative’s tension rises differently.

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2025-09-01
2025-12-13
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