Punicorum Libri Septemdecim by Silius Italicus is the longest surviving poem in Latin literature — 12,000 lines of Virgilian epic recounting the Second Punic War. Written in the late first century AD, it follows Hannibal’s campaigns from his oath against Rome through the decisive Roman victory, drawing on Livy and Polybius while imbuing the narrative with epic grandeur. This edition is in Latin and is intended for readers with classical Latin.
This free EPUB is formatted for readers of classical Latin literature. Silius Italicus has long been overshadowed by Virgil and Lucan, but Punica is an important and underappreciated monument of Silver Age Latin literature, worthy of renewed attention.