Hannibal Swearing Eternal Enmity toward Rome
Unknown Artist
c. 1808
Medium
pen and black and brown ink, brush and brown and gray wash, and white paint over graphite
Dimensions
34.4 × 42.9 cm
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Muriel Butkin
Accession Number
2008.349
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This scene from ancient history shows a moment in the boyhood of the great Carthaginian general Hannibal (247-about 183 bc). While sacrificing to the gods in preparation for a military campaign, Hannibal's father decided to have his son swear an oath to remain the eternal enemy of Rome. At the center of the composition, the nine-year-old Hannibal imitates the gesture and stance of his father, while a bull is sacrificed below. The unknown creator of the scene probably planned to make a larger pai...