Secondary sourcePainting
The battle between Hannibal and Scipio Africanus
A print showing a battle between Hannibal and Scipio Africanus, the Roman general who defeated him, in a medieval-style illuminated page.
Shows Hannibal in a later illustrated tradition, fighting Scipio Africanus, the Roman commander who became his rival.
About this source
What it is
This is a print held by the KB, the National Library of the Netherlands, showing a painted battle scene in a red-bordered panel. Armored knights on horseback and on foot fight with swords, lances and shields, and some lie fallen on the ground. Dutch text in columns surrounds the panel. The collection record gives no date or artist.
Why it matters
The page presents the rivalry between Hannibal and Scipio Africanus as a battle of medieval-looking knights. Scipio is known from Roman sources as the general who defeated Hannibal, so the scene connects two commanders across the Second Punic War. The image shows how later readers imagined ancient warfare.
Look closer
- How do the armor and horses in the picture compare with what you know of ancient armies?
- Why might the text in Dutch surround the image, and what does it tell readers?
- What does the scene leave out about the strategy and outcome of the wars?
This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Hannibal Barca on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
More Hannibal Barca sources
Meet the AI Hannibal Barca →
BookSecondary source
The Histories
Polybius · c. 150 BCE
BookPrimary source
History of Rome
Titus Livius · 27-9 BC
Secondary source
Life of Hannibal
Cornelius Nepos
BookSecondary source
The Hannibalic War and The Punic Wars (Libyca)
Appian of Alexandria · c. AD 150
SculptureSecondary source
Capuan bust of Hannibal
1st century BC - 4th century AD
Ready when you are
Start chatting with Hannibal Barca now.
20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.