Hannibal Barca has been raised from the dead.

All I can remember from my high school history is that Hannibal was an African general who used elephants to fight the Roman Empire. My ignorance is, apparently, not uncommon. Recently a friend told me that as far as she remembered from high school, Hannibal was a figure of folklore.  Thankfully, then, with his outstanding historical novel, Pride of Carthage (Doubleday), David Anthony Durham has resurrected the real Hannibal from the darkness of poor high school teaching to the light of this day.

In this novel, we see that Hannibal’s life was real, not folklore, and that it was more than elephants used in battles. Durham shows us the social forces that created, motivated and sustained the warrior Hannibal.  He shows us too the social forces at work around Hannibal’s march into the Alps with elephants and his march on Rome. So we come to see that, in context, Hannibal’s life was bold, complex, hard, disciplined, and destined by a family mission.

When Hannibal was eight years old, his father, General Hamilcar, took him out to a battlefield.  There Hamilcar showed to Hannibal a man who had betrayed Carthage. Hamilcar told Hannibal that he must understand that by whatever name this man goes, there are many others like him.  Hamilcar declared to Hannibal, “His name is Rome. His name is mankind.  This is the world we live in, and you’ll find it full of men like this.” Then Hamilcar challenged the boy Hannibal saying, “Never run from battle.  When the time comes to act, do so, with iron in your hand and your loins and your heart.  Unreservedly love those who love you, and protect them without remorse.  Will you always do that?”  Hannibal nods yes and then Hamilcar, Hannibal’s father hands his son a dagger and says “Kill this man.”  And the eight year old Hannibal cuts the man’s throat. Thus Hannibal Barca’s life as a protector of family and kingdom is set in motion.

Durham writes this story so that we live with Hannibal the son, the husband, the father, the brother, as well as the warrior-leader whose very presence could make men stand tall and fight harder, or whittle an enemy’s spirit down to a nub. Understand that this is a big story that covers many years, battles, events and relationships. Durham’s master stroke in telling this epic is to tell the story through many points of view.  So we meet up close, and develop relationships with, a variety of people. We see through each character’s eyes how life is unfolding as Hannibal, the epicenter of all that is happening, is shaking and reshaping the landscape of history.

One person is a soldier who comes to Hannibal’s attention because of his inadvertent bravery; Imco Vaca. Another person is Hanno who hates his brother Hannibal but who tries to live up to the expectations of Hannibal the general. And yet another is Aradna who is one among the vagabond groups of the poor who meek out an existence by scavenging from those left dead after battle and providing services to the soldiers.  Told this way, the story never bogs down. With the different points of view, and leaving and coming back to those points of view, we are always in suspense about what is happening and what is about to happen.

From my high school history I know that Hannibal was an African.  I do not remember if this was ever considered in the American context of race.  Whether it was or not, this novel shows us that in Hannibal’s time skin color did not have the meaning we have given to it. Carthage and Rome developed alliances with whatever peoples served their interests.  So Hannibal’s army is made up of many nations and tribes. Durham describes in detail the members of these different ethnic groups; some are brown skinned, some dark brown with straight, oily and thick black hair; some have skin the color of oiled mahogany; some were longhaired and pale as pine flesh.  All manner of skin color and hair fought for Hannibal and for Rome. Superiority or inferiority was not attached to color. That is a modern invention.

Hannibal came close to conquering Rome because he was a military genius. Durham’s descriptions of military thinking are clear and exciting. Hannibal was also one who could motivate his army, get them to believe they could do anything. Durham has given his speeches a kingly air.  When he spoke, it seemed the very earth listened.  And when he moved his army and directed their maneuvers the earth watched, waited and shook with the earthquake that was Hannibal’s victory.

Dramatic and regal is the language Durham employs. For Durham it seems, this story required a royal descriptive language. As a novelist (Gabriel’s Story and Walk Through Darkness) Durham has already proven that he is a lyrical writer. But in Pride of Carthage, at least by my reckoning, Durham has elevated his writing to match the epic nature of the story and to match the regal, warrior, character of Hannibal.

In his attempt to take Rome, Hannibal did not prevail. Yet, Hannibal’s name has lived because he was a shaper of history. The only way the Romans were able to defeat him was to learn from him.  In fact when late in the story Hannibal laments that the Romans “… fight more sensibly than before.  They win where they used to lose…” One of his commanders replies, “If that is so… you have changed them very greatly.”  With this novel, in addition to showing himself to be a multifaceted writer, Durham has resurrected Hannibal for our historical edification.  Like Hannibal himself, Durham calls out to us with vigor and challenge.  He says, come now and read of Hannibal Barca and the times he made the very earth tremble