CONCLUDING CHAPTER.

THE defeat and death of Hasdrubal obliged Hannibal to remain entirely on the defensive. He retired into Bruttium, and still maintained himself in that province against a host of enemies during four years. Though abandoned entirely to himself, the resources of his great mind supplied everything, and his genius is more to be admired in this decline of his fortunes than during the most brilliant period of his success. Exact details of the operations of these years do not exist, but the fact remains that Hannibal maintained a contest with the numerous forces of Rome in her own territory for four years after the death of Hasdrubal; that such was his personal superiority, that his enemies never dared to engage him in a pitched battle; that when he did evacuate Italy, it was because he was recalled by the Carthaginians to defend them against Scipio; and that he then effected the embarkation of his army in perfect security.

In Spain, Scipio, who in the first year of his command (209 B.C.) had taken New Carthage, and by his policy and personal fascination detached most of the Spaniards from the Carthaginian alliance, had in the second year defeated Hasdrubal at Bæcula. After that victory, he

long and patiently guarded the passes of the Eastern Pyrenees, to prevent Hasdrubal from entering Gaul; and on finding that his watchfulness had been in vain, he sent a part of his own army by sea to Etruria, to aid in opposing Hasdrubal in Italy. The campaign of the year 207 B.c. in Spain, was not marked by anything decisive; but in 206 Scipio gained the crowning victory of Ilinga over Hasdrubal Gisco, which destroyed the last remnant of the Carthaginian dominion in Spain. He also succeeded in detaching Massinissa, a Numidian prince, from Carthage, and even went secretly to Africa to endeavour to gain over Syphax the Massisilian king, in which, however, he did not succeed. On his return to Spain he quelled an insurrection of Spaniards, as well as a dangerous mutiny in his own army.

Mago, brother to Hannibal, who was the last Carthaginian commander in Spain, perceived that his country's cause in that peninsula was for the present lost; he accordingly attempted a diversion in favour of Hannibal, by landing in Liguria, where he surprised the town of Genoa early in 205 B.C. His name attracted many adherents among the Gauls and Ligurians, and his growing influence obliged the Romans to keep a large army in the north of Italy to oppose him. Mago maintained himself there until the year 203; and a few weeks before the final departure of Hannibal from Italy, he engaged in an obstinately contested battle with four Roman legions, in which he received a wound whereof he died shortly after on his voyage to Africa, to which country he was recalled to oppose the alarming progress of Scipio.

Scipio meanwhile after his services in Spain, returned to Rome, was elected consul B.C. 205, and began to prepare to attack the Carthaginians in Africa, as the only means of delivering Italy from the presence of Hannibal. He assembled a powerful fleet and army in Sicily, with which he embarked in the spring of the year 204 B.C. at Lilybæum, and landed without obstruction within a few miles of Carthage. His strength is variously stated, but it would appear that he had three legions, and his numbers therefore amounted probably to 30,000 infantry, and about 2700 cavalry. Forty war galleys in two divisions formed the van, and covered the 400 transports in which the troops were distributed. It is worthy of remark that Scipio made choice of the two legions which had been formed out of the survivors of Cannæ, which had been ever since that battle treated as condemned legions and had been employed in Sicily. He was induced to make this choice partly because those troops having been constantly on active service, were the most expert and experienced soldiers of the republic; but chiefly on account of the moral advantages he expected to derive from their employment. He knew that the men of those legions were keenly sensible of the disgrace with which they had been branded by the stern, though perhaps politic severity of the Roman military code, and that they burned to wipe out the shame of a defeat for which Scipio knew they could not justly be blamed; and the result fully answered his expectations.

Scipio having been joined by Massinissa and a strong body of Numidians, first attempted the siege of Utica,

which however the approach of Hasdrubal Gisco and his ally Syphax with a large army of Carthaginians and Numidians obliged him to relinquish. He therefore occupied a strong position near the sea, where, supported and provisioned by his fleet, he determined to pass the winter.

The enemy encamped six miles distant from him. Scipio vainly endeavoured during the winter to gain over Syphax; but the information which he obtained from the messengers who were constantly passing and repassing between him and that prince, of the localities of the hostile camp, enabled him to set it on fire in the night, and having previously stopped up the outlets with his troops, the armies of Hasdrubal and Syphax were either destroyed or dispersed.

Scipio after this success, resumed the siege of Utica, and shortly after defeated another army of 30,000 men which the confederates had collected. After their defeat, Hasdrubal fled to Carthage; Syphax to Numidia.

Scipio now divided his forces, and leaving his fleet to blockade Utica, sent his friend Lælius with Massinissa in pursuit of Syphax with part of his army; while with the remainder he advanced towards Carthage, subduing the surrounding towns and accumulating great plunder.

Syphax having risked a third battle, was defeated, himself made prisoner and his capital taken.

Scipio advanced as far as Tunis, and finding that important place abandoned by its garrison, he established himself there, hoping by his position so close to Car

thage to terrify that city into submission. The Carthaginians sent messengers to recall Hannibal and Mago from Italy, and an attempt was made to raise the blockade of Utica by destroying the Roman fleet. But this attempt failed, and the defeat and capture of Syphax, news of which was now received, appearing to render hopeless the further prosecution of the war, the senate of Carthage sued for and obtained peace from Scipio on the following humiliating conditions, viz. 1st. The evacuation of Italy and Gaul. 2ndly. The cession of Spain and all the islands between Italy and Africa. 3rdly. The surrender of all their ships of war except twenty. 4thly. The payment of an immense contribution in corn and money. The treaty was sent to Rome for ratification, and a truce concluded.

Hannibal landed at Leptis towards the close of the year. He remained during the winter at Adrumetum. The Carthaginians, emboldened by his arrival, broke the truce by detaining some Roman transports which were driven by a storm into the bay of Carthage; and afterwards attacked the officers sent by Scipio to demand satisfaction. Hostilities were therefore resumed, and Hannibal, having united to his own the troops of his late brother Mago as well as the new African levies, advanced to the neighbourhood of Zama, a town situated, according to Polybius, about five days' march to the south-west of Carthage. He here demanded and obtained a personal interview with Scipio who was there encamped, but without result, and on the next day the hostile armies were arrayed against each other for the last decisive struggle.