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255:, who up to that point had been allied to Rome. Cassius Dio suggests that this was because Syphax was considered a better ally, while Appian says that Syphax was in love with Sophonisba and actively pressed for the marriage, harassing Carthage with revolts and threatening attacks alongside Roman forces until they conceded. In any case, Sophonisba married Syphax in 206 BC, turning him into Carthage's greatest ally in African terrain. Meanwhile Masinissa, disgruntled by the circumstances, secretly allied himself with
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ingratiating, and altogether so charming that the mere sight of her or even the sound of her voice sufficed to vanquish every one, even the most indifferent." Polybius also emphasizes her youth, calling her a "child" bride, something which
Diodorus also mentions. Nevertheless, those traits have led modern historians to consider her a true political agent for Carthage instead of a mere pawn of the war.
1036:
305:
Although
Masinissa loved Sophonisba, he agreed to leave her to avoid being declared an enemy to Rome, and went to Sophonisba. He told her that he could not free her from captivity or shield her from Roman wrath, and so he asked her to die like a true Carthaginian princess. With great composure, she
266:
Classical chroniclers praise
Sophonisba for her virtues and skill. Diodorus Siculus called her "comely in appearance, a woman of many varied moods, and one gifted with the ability to bind men to her service," while Cassius Dio states she had a high education in music and literature and was "clever,
294:'s inquiries) that Syphax had acted against Rome under the influence of Sophonisba, Scipio refused to agree to this arrangement, fearing she would turn Masinissa against him as well. He insisted on the immediate surrender of the princess so that she could be taken to Rome and appear in the
197:
As a native
Carthaginian woman, Sophonisba's race has been the subject of some discussion. Ancient and medieval sources make little reference to her race, focusing instead on the African origins of her husband. Sophonisba herself, in Petrarch's later Renaissance telling, is described as
671:
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that he offered her and died, berating
Masinissa for making their marriage short and bitter. Afterwards, Masinissa handed Scipio her corpse. His kingdom and Rome remained allied for long after Masinissa's death in 148 BC. (Masinissa survived his wife by 55 years.)
393:, furnished more dramas than any other. The first tragedy is credited to the Italian Galeotto Del Carretto (c. 1470–1530) which was written in 1502, but issued posthumously in 1546. The first to appear, however, was
754:
381:
are examples of works where the intended subject remains uncertain between the two. A 17th century tapestry, showing the meeting of
Sophonisba and Masinissa, is preserved from Brussels, following a painting by
251:, in order to conclude the diplomatic alliance between Carthage and the Massylii. However, the Carthaginian Senate prohibited the wedding and ordered Sophonisba to marry Syphax, chieftain of the western
189:, who had met Masinissa, never refers to Sophonisba by name in his allusions to her (14.4ff.). Nevertheless, it has been proposed that Polybius' account provides the basis for the Sophonisba story.
161:
The form of the name
Sophonisba is not known until the fifteenth century, in a few late manuscripts of Livy, but it is the better known form because of later literature. She is also called
290:. When Sophonisba fell in Masinissa's hands, he freed her and married her, accepting that she had been forced to marry Syphax against her will. However, after hearing claims (confirmed by
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397:'s play of 1515 which, "in codifying the forms of Italian classical tragedy, helped consign Del Carretto's Sofonisba to oblivion." In France, Trissino's version was adapted by
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considers Scipio asked for
Sophonisba's delivery for safety reasons, fearing Masinissa could torment her in revenge for her marriage to Syphax.
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and returned to his lands. Some believe those accounts might be embellished, as Livy implies
Masinissa met her for the first time after the
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Sophonisba became the subject of tragedies (and later operas) from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and, along with the story of
278:
Loyal to her city, Sophonisba managed to make Syphax join forces with
Hasdrubal and face Scipio and Masinissa in the battles of
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to change sides during the war, and later, in an act that became legendary, she poisoned herself rather than be humiliated in a
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There are a number of paintings of Sophonisba drinking her poison, but the subject is often very similar to that of
286:, but the Punic forces ended up ultimately defeated. Syphax was then defeated and captured himself in 203 BC in the
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blonde-haired, with milky skin. This interpretation is adopted by later authors, like the playwrights
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História Antiga: Relações Interdisciplinares. Fontes, Artes, Filosofia, Política, Religião e Receção
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413:(1634) is one of the first monuments of French "classicism", and was followed by a version from
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Identities and Ethnicities in the Punic Wars: Livy's Portrait of the Carthaginian Sophonisba
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Sophonisba in Early Modern literature: Nordic Journal of Renaissance Studies, 20
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Sophonisba was also the subject of vocal musical works by composers including
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of the article “Galeotto Del Carretto’s ‘Sofonisba’” by Lovaniano Rossi, in
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Lastly, she appears as an estranged lover of the East Numidian Prince
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Sex and Gender in Medieval and Renaissance Texts: The Latin Tradition
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Petrarch's Sophonisba: Seduction, Sacrifice, and Patriarchal Politics
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The story of Sophonisba also served as subject for dramatic works by
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Ladefoged Larn, Anastasia; Hasberg Zirak-Schmidt, David (2023).
169:. However, her true name might be unclear. Her story is told in
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940:, p. 56, 1997, National Gallery Publications, London/Yale UP,
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Carmen Soares; José Luís Brandão; Pedro C. Carvalho (2011).
1206:
938:
Discovering the Italian Baroque: the Denis Mahon Collection
263:, but this is not entirely incompatible with the previous.
170:
958:"Tapestry Picture of a Dramatic Scene from the Punic Wars"
761:, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 68–86,
243:
or eastern Numidians who served along with Gisco against
1008:(2000). Universities of Turin and of Piemonte Orientale.
235:
In 206 BC, Sophonisba had been betrothed to the King
1083:. Aarhus; Copenhagen: Forum for Renaissance Studies.
1334:
1090:The Sophonisba Story in French and English Drama
1041:Identities, Ethnicities and Gender in Antiquity
314:
1124:
1054:, Vol. 32, No. 6 (Jun., 1917), pp. 374-375.
797:Hannibal and Scipio. An historicall tragedy
16:Late 3rd century BC Carthaginian noblewoman
1131:
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568:Sophonisba also appears in film, first in
36:
1138:
752:
585:Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal
318:
269:
213:
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936:Finaldi, Gabriele and Kitson, Michael,
869:. Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra.
824:Butler and Scullard (1953) Livy XXX p97
1335:
359:drinking her husband's ashes, and the
333:elaborated her story in his epic poem
1112:
678:Sophonisba Receiving the Poisoned Cup
274:Sophonisba, Jan Brouwer (1652 - 1688)
145:political landscape, convincing king
858:
759:Women and Race in Early Modern Texts
753:MacDonald, Joyce Green, ed. (2002),
801:Sophonisba, Or Hannibal’s Overthrow
683:Artemisia Receiving Mausolus' Ashes
370:Judith at the Banquet of Holofernes
13:
1029:
339:, published posthumously in 1396.
14:
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799:. (London, 1637). Nathaniel Lee,
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1272:Himilco (commander of Lilybaeum)
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442:François Joseph Lagrange-Chancel
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599:against her will in the manga
141:. She held influence over the
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601:Ad Astra – Scipio to Hannibal
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1277:Himilco (fl. 3rd century BC)
434:Daniel Caspar von Lohenstein
209:
7:
1373:3rd-century BC Punic people
543:Pietro Alessandro Guglielmi
315:In literature, art and film
126:) (fl. 206 - 203 BC) was a
21:Sophonisba (disambiguation)
10:
1389:
1282:Mago (agricultural writer)
1075:, Vol. 40 (1989), 171-181.
1035:Jacqueline Fabre-Serris, "
898:Diodorus Siculus, XXVII, 7
606:
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1262:Hasdrubal (quartermaster)
1155:
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74:(m. 206 BC; div? 203 BC)
67:
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35:
28:
1087:Ruth Elizabeth Perkins,
786:Petrarch, Africa, Book 5
721:
409:(1601). The tragedy by
403:Antoine de Montchrestien
1257:Hasdrubal the Boetharch
1073:Classica et Mediaevalia
1071:, "Livy's Sophonisba",
1048:The Story of Sophonisba
1025:xxix.23, xxx.8, 12–15.8
531:Christian Gottlob Neefe
220:The Death of Sophonisba
192:
156:
100:The Death of Sophonisba
1247:Hanno, son of Bomilcar
740:April 5, 2005, at the
539:Joseph Joaquín Mazuelo
399:Mellin de Saint-Gelais
327:
275:
232:
137:, and the daughter of
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1343:3rd-century BC births
1140:Notable Carthaginians
1104:Livius.org: Sophoniba
1052:Modern Language Notes
1023:Ab urbe condita libri
492:Luca Antonio Predieri
395:Gian Giorgio Trissino
357:Artemisia II of Caria
322:
298:. On the other hand,
273:
217:
133:who lived during the
97:
1353:3rd-century BC women
1227:Hannibal the Rhodian
968:(2): 111–112. 1914.
572:'s 1914 silent film
535:António Leal Moreira
475:(1993), and others.
185:(Zonaras 9.11), but
105:Giambattista Pittoni
19:For other uses, see
1242:Hanno the Navigator
1222:Hannibal Monomachus
1212:Hamilcar (Drepanum)
1165:Adherbal (governor)
1093:, MA Thesis (1926).
582:'s 1937 epic movie
504:Maria Teresa Agnesi
407:Nicolas de Montreux
349:The Wonder of Women
1348:Carthaginian women
1190:Hasdrubal the Fair
1160:Adherbal (admiral)
1000:2008-08-04 at the
962:The Lotus Magazine
500:Baldassare Galuppi
328:
326:by Corneille, 1663
276:
239:, a leader of the
233:
181:(Pun. 27–28), and
173:(30.12.11–15.11),
113:
1330:
1329:
876:978-98-926156-3-9
768:978-0-521-81016-6
570:Giovanni Pastrone
555:Vincenzo Federici
473:Vasco Graça Moura
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547:Marcos Portugal
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508:Tommaso Traetta
484:Antonio Caldara
464:
458:Jeronim de Rada
342:The playwright
317:
306:drank a cup of
288:Battle of Cirta
261:Battle of Cirta
212:
195:
159:
139:Hasdrubal Gisco
122:, 𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋
87:Hasdrubal Gisco
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31:𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋
853:XVII, 51–52
849:Cassius Dio
815:, II, 10–11
710: [
644:Georg Pencz
595:married to
523: [
506:(1747-49),
465: [
411:Jean Mairet
405:(1596) and
183:Cassius Dio
124:Ṣap̄anbaʿal
78:(m. 203 BC)
59:203 BC
29:Sophonisba
1337:Categories
1302:Sophonisba
1195:Mago Barca
1016:References
946:1857091779
774:2023-03-16
735:Sophonisbe
703:Sophonisba
640:Sophonisba
621:Sophonisba
324:Sophonisbe
163:Sophonisbe
131:noblewoman
116:Sophonisba
974:2150-5977
851:, H. R.,
688:Rembrandt
593:Masinissa
391:Cleopatra
361:Rembrandt
253:Masaesyli
237:Masinissa
210:Biography
167:Sophoniba
76:Masinissa
1292:Maharbal
1287:Magonids
1202:Carthalo
998:Archived
995:Abstract
982:20543609
908:Plutarch
838:XXVII, 7
738:Archived
680:(a.k.a.
663:Guercino
565:(1945).
557:(1805),
553:(1805),
549:(1803),
545:(1802),
541:(1784),
537:(1783),
533:(1776),
529:(1766),
518:(1765),
514:(1764),
510:(1762),
498:(1746),
494:(1722),
490:(1718),
486:(1708),
482:(1685),
471:(1904),
460:(1892),
456:(1869),
452:(1789),
448:(1770),
446:Voltaire
440:(1729),
436:(1680),
432:(1676),
428:(1610),
424:(1606),
417:(1663).
373:) and a
331:Petrarch
300:Plutarch
282:and the
249:Hispania
241:Massylii
187:Polybius
177:(27.7),
175:Diodorus
143:Numidian
1297:Phameas
1267:Himilco
1170:Barcids
927:, 30.15
607:Gallery
575:Cabiria
377:in the
363:in the
1065:(1997)
1061:," In
1043:(2021)
1039:," In
1021:Livy,
980:
972:
944:
923:Livy,
912:Scipio
873:
813:Appian
803:(1676)
765:
716:(1793)
690:(1634)
665:(1630)
627:(1490)
597:Syphax
384:Rubens
346:wrote
336:Africa
308:poison
179:Appian
147:Syphax
83:Father
72:Syphax
68:Spouse
978:JSTOR
722:Notes
714:]
705:, by
686:, by
661:, by
642:, by
623:, by
527:]
469:]
365:Prado
280:Utica
231:1670)
223:, by
120:Punic
111:1718)
103:, by
62:Cirta
50:1638)
1207:Dido
970:ISSN
942:ISBN
914:, 29
871:ISBN
763:ISBN
245:Rome
202:and
193:Race
171:Livy
165:and
157:Name
118:(in
56:Died
1050:,"
247:in
1339::
976:.
964:.
960:.
910:,
836:,
757:,
712:pl
603:.
588:.
525:it
467:it
386:.
229:c.
153:.
109:c.
48:c.
1132:e
1125:t
1118:v
984:.
966:6
879:.
855:.
227:(
107:(
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23:.
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