Painting the Enemy: How Classical Greek Historians Portrayed Military Adversaries

Analysis of an author's narrative technique is crucial for understanding ancient history. This talk analyzes how ancient Greek historians generated particular images of "the enemy" that served their purposes and modes of analyses. By considering the characterizations of the Persian kings Darius and Xerxes in Herodotus and that of Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, by Polybius, we can better understand how the motives of a historian can shape history. While Herodotus’ Histories seem to be more of a narrative that served to entertain his audience, Polybius’ work is more didactic, written to advise and educate his readers. The different intentions of these authors formulate their narrative content and style and are evident in their depictions of the great opposition leaders in their works.  In his portrayal of Darius and Xerxes, Herodotus constructs them as characters of a larger, compelling narrative, thus their actions and motives become driving forces in his narrative. He also embellishes their character by imbuing them with qualities that his readers could relate to, something that an author of fiction is readily able to do. Polybius, on the other hand, uses Hannibal’s character in a way that conveys political, military, and moral lessons. He analyzes Hannibal’s emotions, actions, and motives not only as part of his historical narrative, but also to provide his readers with educational anecdotes. Through the exploration of these historians' methods, we can obtain a more accurate view on classical history, understand how opposing leaders in war were perceived by certain people, and formulate conclusions regarding the overall themes of historiography and historical narrative.