A Siege of Saguntum (219 BC) – the ancient foundation of the modern myth

Abstract

The author of the article has attempted to prove that Saguntum has been included in the pantheon of cities which have played an important role in history. Both the siege of the city by Hannibal and the heroic defence of the inhabitants against the Carthaginians were depicted by the ancient sources in both a vivid (but also an exaggerated) fashion. The convention of presenting the fate of the besieged city was driven by the ideological goals of Roman writing. The siege and the heroic defence which the inhabitants of Saguntum mounted against the invaders became an integral part of the picture, which demonstrated how the steadfastness of the Romans was greater than that of others. The motif of the heroic defence of Saguntum, deliberately exaggerated in Roman writing, became the mainstay of conservative and patriotic ideals. The myth created by Roman literary circles saw its original function change in later

Keywords

• Second Punic War
• ancient historiography
• siege of Saguntum
• heroic topos
• national mythology