Hannibal Persuades Carthage to Accept These Terms
This was the nature of Scipio's answer to the envoys,
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who hastened home and communicated its
terms to their countrymen. It was then that
the story goes that, upon a certain Senator
intending to speak against accepting the terms
and actually beginning to do so, Hannibal
came forward and pulled the man down from
the tribune; and when the other senators showed anger at
this breach of custom, Hannibal rose again and "owned that
he was ignorant of such things; but said that they must pardon
him if he acted in any way contrary to their customs, remembering that he had left the country when he was but fourteen,
and had only returned when now past forty-five. Therefore
he begged them not to consider whether he had committed
a breach of custom, but much rather whether he were genuinely
feeling for his country's misfortunes; for that was the real
reason for his having been guilty of this breach of manners.
For it appeared to him to be astonishing, and, indeed, quite
unaccountable, that any one calling himself a Carthaginian,
and being fully aware of the policy which they had individually
and collectively adopted against the Romans, should do otherwise than adore the kindness of Fortune for obtaining such
favourable terms, when in their power, as a few days ago no
one—considering the extraordinary provocation they had
given—would have ventured to mention, if they had been
asked what they expected would happen to their country, in
case of the Romans proving victorious. Therefore he called
upon them now not to debate, but unanimously to accept the
terms offered, and with sacrifices to the gods to pray with one
accord that the Roman people might confirm the treaty." His
advice being regarded as both sensible and timely, they resolved
to sign the treaty on the conditions specified; and the senate
at once despatched envoys to notify their consent. . . .
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