mitted’ to his au 
jis alliance. Du- 
y and Plutarch, to have been gained over Hannibal 
Marcellus, it is affirmed by Nepos, that the latter 
“was always victorious in Italy, and by Polybius, that 
@ was never vanquished before the battle of Zama. 
the eighth year of the ‘war, while Capua was hard 
the Romans, Hannibal made an attempt to 
draw off the besiegers, marching to the gates of 
“Rome, but found Rainy too well forest 
_ an attack, which he seems after all to have rather feign- 
“ed than intended. After the fall of Capua, he was 
in generals were now ready to offer ; and at length, 
“in the thirteenth year of the war, after the death and 
defeat of his brother Asdrubal, being unable to pre- 
“serve his conquests in Italy, he retired with all his for- 
es to the barren rocks of Bruttium. Even in’ this 
“weakened condition, in a country incapable of supply- 
ing him with subsistence, and at the head of an arm 
com of Africans, Spaniards, Gauls, Carthagini- 
ans, Italians, and Greeks, he continued, by his extra- 
ordiary talents as a general, to preserve the discipline 
of his troops, and to render himself formidable to the 
Roman commanders, till, in the sixteenth year of the 
war, he was recalled to Africa for the immediate pro- 
tection of Carthage against the victorious legions’ of 
Scipio. Eeavitig Tisly with the utmost reluctance, and 
ding at Little Leptis, a city between Susa and Adru- 
“metum, he received instant orders from the  Cartha- 
rinian senate to advance and give battle to the Romans. 
n obedience to these instructions, he proceeded by 
forced marches to Zama, about five days journey south 
‘west from Carthage ; and: being struck with the un- 
daunted generosity of Scipio in sending back the spies 
who had b taken in his camp, requested an inter- 
view. with. the Roman general. The armies had en- 
‘camped within four miles of each other, and there was 
hae. open plain between them, where no ambush 
could be laid. Here the two generals, escorted by an 
Y oe number of ioe arrived for the conference ; 
each, attended by an interpreter, met in the’ mid- 
way, where they remained for a while in silence, view- 
ing ee eet Me et gen Hannibal first 
‘spoke, and proposed a treat: se, upon terms 
BLK Wd Healt Heebtinly: agrakll phn Bhi “ihe 
two countries ; but Scipio insisting upon the 
of the Carthaginians in breaking the truce ‘during the 
negociations, required them to surrender at discretion. 
‘Hannibal, however, much disheartened by his misfor- 
tunes, and doubtful ‘of victory, could not bring him- 
~ self to make, at ‘the head of an iaimy, so geen 
“a submission. The conference termmated ; and~ 
the generals returning to their eamps, prepared for 
battle on the following day. According to the testimo- 
ny of Polybius, Hannibal drew bys his ‘army in the 
most skilful manner, and performed every thing in ‘the 
engagement which could have been expected from a 
great commander, The victory was long and eagerly 
contested ; and the Romans, though superior in num- 
bers, appear to have at one time been on the point of 
losing the battle. But Masinessa, who commanded the 
Numidian cavalry, and Lolias who headed that of the 
Romans, having routed the wings ofthe Carthaginian 
army, came in the rear of Hannibal's veteran soldiers, 
who were almost entirely cut to pieces in their ranks. 
Of the Carthaginians, 20,000 are said to have fallen in 
ofitin pasar vs to decline the battle which the Ro- 
‘HANNIBAL, 
 sitation between peace and war. 
‘ general ?”” 
631 
the field, and about the same number were taken pri- Mannibei. 
soners. Hannibal with a few horsemen to ——y— 
Adrumetum, whence he was called to to aid 
the falling republic with his counsels. He 
cept in a peace ; 
declared, that there was no resource ex 
and this reply, from the constant advocate of the war, 
and most inveterate foe of the Roman name, decided 
the senate to submit to the conqueror, See Canruasor 
‘and Rome: 
Hannibal, who had now spent thirty-six years in 
arms, continued to reside at Corth ; and i after. 
wards honoured with the chief magistracy ‘in that: re- 
public. Having exerted himself to remedy various 
“abuses in the management of public affairs, and having 
tnt o's brought to light many instances of the em- 
zlement of the revenue, he was accused by his ene- 
‘mies to the’ Romans of! rar ae intelligence 
with Antiochus the Great, in designe which that 
prince was meditating against the power of Rome. In 
spite of the remonstrances of Scipio, (who generously de« 
fended his former opponent in arms, and strongly in- 
sisted that it was below the dignity of the Roman peo- 
on to range themselves among the personal enemies of 
annibal, and take part in the factions of Carthage,) 
ambassadors were dispatched by the senate to bring the 
charge against Hannibal, and to require that he should 
be delivered imto their hands. Aware of their design, 
and doubtful of his countrymer, he made his escape to 
Tyre,’ where he was received and entertained in a man- 
ner suited to his reputation ; and afterwards joined 
Antiochus at Ephesus, whom he found in a state of he- 
Upon being consult- 
ed on the subject, he asserted, as he had always'done, 
that the Romans were invincible every where but in. 
Italy ; proposed, if entrusted with 10,000 foot and 1000 
horse, to make a descent in that country; and, at the 
same time, dispatched a messenger to Carthage to per- 
suade them to join in the enterprize. Before the com- 
mencement of hostilities, a Roman ambassador, accom. 
panied by Scipio Africanus, arrived at Ephesus ; and, 
during their residence there, many civilities are said to 
have passed, and uent conversations to have taken 
place between them and Hannibal. It is reported that, 
during this friendly intercourse, Scipio one day asked 
the Carthaginian, “« Whom he thought the greatest 
annibal immediately replied, «‘ Alexander,” 
because that, with a small body of men, he had defeat- 
ed very numerous armies, and had overrun a great 
ofthe world. And, who do you think deserves the 
next place ?”” continued the Roman. “ Pyrrhus,” re« 
plied the other: “ he first taught the method of form- 
Ing a camp to'the best advantage. Nobody knew bet- 
ter how to choose, or post more. properly.’ 
«And, whom do you place next to those ?” said Scipio. 
Hannibal named himself; at which Scipio asked, with 
a smile, “ Where, then, would you have placed your- 
‘self if you'had conquered me?” “ Above Alexander,” 
lied the Carthaginian, « above Pyrrhus, and above 
ail other generals;” thus, by a most refined strain of 
compliment, separating Scipio from the.crowd of com- 
manders, as one of inestimable qualities. These fami- 
liar conversations are said to have been sought by the 
Roman deputies for the p of discovering the de- 
signs of Hannibal; and they had-at least the effect of 
rendering him suspected by Antiochus. That prince, 
though afterwards cured of their suspicions of his guest, 
refused to follow his counsels.as to the prosecution of 
the war ; and, upon ey Sat ge after his defeat at 
Magnesia, was required, among other conditions, to 
