Hannibal ante Portus

  • Hannibal ante Portus  meaning ‘Hannibal before the Gates’.
  • It is a quote from Cicero (106-43 BCE).

History

  • The quotation refers to the invasion of Italy by the Carthaginian Commander Hannibal during the Second Punic War (218-201 BCE).
  • The expression refers to the point when Hannibal appeared to threaten the existence of the Roman State altogether.
  • The phrase continued to be uttered by Roman Senators whenever a crisis threatened Rome, and is still in use today.

 

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