Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/353

Rh HANNIBAL. factor}', Hatinibal spent much time in various unim- portant movements, before he advanced northwards into Apulia, where he was met by the Uoman consul, and not only held in check, but so effectu- ally deceived, that he knew nothing of Nero's march to support his colleague until after his return, and the first tidings of the battle of the Metaurus were conveyed to him by the sight of the head of Hasdrubal/(Liv. xxvii.40— 51 ; Polyb. xi. 1—3; Appian, Annib. 52 ; Zonar. ix. 9.) But, whatever exaggeration we may justly sus- pect in this relation, it is not the less certain that the defeat and death of Hasdrubal was decisive of the fete of the war in Italy, and the conduct of Hannibal shows that he felt it to be such. From this time he abandoned all thoughts of offensive operations, and, withdrawing his garrisons from Metapontum, and other towns that he still held in Lucania, collected together his forces within the peninsula of Bruttium. In the fastnesses of that wild and mountainous region he maintained his ground for nearly four years, while the towns that he still possessed on the coast gave him the com- mand of the sea. Of the events of these four years (b. c. 207 — 203) we know but little. It appears that the Romans at first contented themselves with shutting him up within the peninsula, but gradually began to encroach upon these bounds ; and though the statements of their repeated victories are doubt- less gross exaggerations, ifnot altogether unfounded, yet the successive loss of Locri, Consentia, and Pandosia, besides other smaller towns, must have hemmed him in within limits continually narrow- ing. Crotona seems to have been his chief strong- hold, and centre of operations ; and it was during this period that he erected, in the temple of the Lacinian Juno, near that city, a column bearing an inscription which recorded the leading events of his memorable expedition. To this important monu- ment, which was seen and consulted by Polybius, we are indebted for many of the statements of that author. (Polyb. iii. 33, 56 ; Li v. xxvii. 51, xxviii. 12,46; xxix. 7, 36.) It is difficult to judge whether it was the ex- pectation of effective assistance from Carthage, or the hopes of a fresh diversion being operated by Mago in the north, that induced Hannibal to cling so pertinaciously to the corner of Italy that he still held. It is certain that he was at any time free to quit it ; and when he was at length induced to comply with the urgent request of the Carthaginian government that he should return to Africa to make head against Scipio, he was able to embark his troops without an attempt at opposition. (Liv. xxx. 19, 20.) His departure from Italy seems, indeed, to have been the great object of desire with the Romans. For more than fifteen years had he carried on the war in that countr}', laying it waste from one extremity to the other, and during all this period his superiority in the field had been uncon- tested. (Polyb. X. 33, XV. 1 1 ; Corn. Nep. Hann. 5.) The Romans calculated that in these fifteen years their losses in the field alone had amounted to not less than 300,000 men (Appian, Pun. 134) ; a statement which will hardly appear exaggerated, when we consider the continual combats in which they were engaged by their ever-watchful foe. Hannibal landed, with the small but veteran army which he was able to bring with him from Italy, at Leptis, in Africa, apparently before the close of the year 203. From thence he proceeded HANNIBAL. 339 to the strong city of Hadrumetum. The circum- stances of the campaign which followed are very differently related, nor will our space allow us to enter into any discussion of the details. Some of these, especially the well-known account of the in- terview between Scipio and Hannibal, savour strongly of romance, notwithstanding the high au- thority of Polybius. (Comp. Polyb. xv. 1 — 9 ; Liv. xxx. 25 — 32 ; Appian, Pun. 33 — 41 ; Zonar. ix. 1 3.) The decisive action was fought at a place called Naragara, not far from the city of Zaraa ; and Hannibal, according to the express testimony of his antagonist, displayed on this occasion all the qualities of a consummate general. But he was now particularly deficient in that formidable cavalry which had so often decided the victory in his fa- vour: his elephants, of which he had a great num- ber, were rendered unavailing by the skilful ma- nagement of Scipio, and the battle ended in his complete defeat, notwithstanding the heroic ex- ertions of his veteran infantry. Twenty thousand of his men fell on the field of battle ; as many more were made prisoners, and Hannibal himself with difficulty escaped the pursuit of Masinissa, and fled with a few horsemen to Hadiiimetum. Here he succeeded in collecting about 6000 men, the remnant of his scattered army, with which he re- paired to Carthage. But all hopes of resistance were now at an end, and he was one of the first to urge the necessity of an immediate peace. Much time, however, appears to have been occupied in the negotiations for this purpose ; and the treaty was not finally concluded until the year after the battle of Zama (b. c. 201). (Polyb. xv. 10—19 ; Liv. xxx. 33 — 44 ; Appian, Pun. 42 — QQ ; Zonar. ix. 14.) By this treaty Hannibal saw the object of his whole life frustrated, and Carthage effectually hum- bled before her imperious rival. But his enmity to Rome was unabated ; and though now more than 45 years old, he set himself to work, like his father, Hamilcar, after the end of the first Punic war, to prepare the means for renewing the contest at no distant period. His first measures related to the internal affairs of Carthage, and were directed to the reform of abuses in the administration, and the introduction of certain constitutional changes, which our imperfect knowledge of the government of Carthage does not enable us clearly to under- stand. We are told that after the termination of the Avar with Rome, Hannibal was assailed by the opposite faction with charges of remissness, and even treachery, in his command — accusations so obviously false, that they appear to have recoiled on the heads of his accusers ; and he was not only acquitted, but shortly afterwards was raised to the chief magistracy of the republic, the office styled by Livy praetor — by Avhich it is probable that he means one of the suffetes. (Liv. xxxiii. 46 ; Com. Nep. Hann. 7 ; Zonar. ix. 14.) But the virtual control of the whole government had at this time been assumed by the assembly of judges (ordo Judicum (Liv. /. c.) apparently the same with the Council of One hundred ; see Justin, xix. 2, and Aristot, Pol.' ii. 11), evidently a high aristocratic body ; and it was only by the overthrow of this power that Hannibal was enabled to introduce order into the finances of the state, and thus pre- pare the Avay for the gradual restoration of the re- public. But though he succeeded in accomplishing this object, and in introducing the most beneficial z 2