Act 2 Scene 3

A battlefield, Hispania, area north of new Carthage. Enter Hamilcar with troops and two generals, fighting against the tribesmen.

Hamilcar: Go to; Go to; flee from our sights!
[To the generals] Look how easily the day is won, and victory for Carthage secured.

1st General: Ay, fly naked savages, fly out to thy blasted caves.

[Exeunt tribesmen, fleeing

2nd General: Behold how these wretched fools turn their backs to our superior forces!
[Aside] Our own tribes are more cultured than these barbarians.

Hamilcar: So gentlemen stand thou hither whilst me and my right noble soldiers do bury these fallen foes. Without thine generous support our quest would have met a dismal end. These dead that seem like scattered storm debris must now be returned to their peaceful abode in mother earth’s tomb, so that they never shall have the good fortune of tormenting us as sprites!

Both Generals: Hurrah to our great victory, noble Hamilcar!

Hamilcar: No, but ‘tis not the end, we still must march on and like these tribe crush more’o’them who hath pledged their allegiance to Rome.

2nd General: [To 1st General] Does this mean our tribe? If that is so then me shall never let the peace of our tribe get disrupted. Rome has given them harmony and this shall not br disturbed again!

Hamilcar: [To the soldiers] Then let us bury these corpses and scout the area for a good camping sight.

Soldiers: [To Hamilcar] As per thy wish Lord Hamilcar.

[Exeunt soldiers carrying corpses followed by Hamilcar

1st General: This our Lord has marched his troops northward; at this rate I fear we may have to cut the throats of our fellow men! Surely we must convince him not to do so.

2nd General: Ay, well thought of, however he is hell bent on defeating Rome, and all its allies shall also suffer the same terrible fate. ‘Tis possible he march on the morrow against our tribe. I must make assurance that he shall ‘gainst our tribe not wage unneeded conflict; yet if that be his wish he will feel our wrath.

1st General: What noble brother, meanest thou murder? Must we lift aloft our instruments to strike it down upon the man who had given us hope of survival? That is sacrilegious!

2nd General: When our motherland is threatened, our source of birth right under siege it is not meet to think narrowly of one’s goodwill. Our noble Lord, for whom, I have the most unflinching support, would strike him down first without much thought, if perchance, our beloved country be marched on.

Re-enter Hamilcar Barca

Hamilcar: Well Gentlemen are we prepared to plan our next course of campaigning northward wherein we must face the more advanced and powerful tribes who are as intelligence seemeth to report have allied themselves towards the Roman cause.

1st General: But Lord Hamilcar, thou didst promise us that in return for our expertise in battle and knowledge of the lay of the land that we should not be forced to cross swords with our fellow men.


Hamilcar: Perhaps then thou couldst negotiate our stand as to the Romans, they may pay heed to the words of their kinsmen.

2nd General: For centuries our people had to suffer in the hands of the savages; then came the Romans; who drove out the barbaric hordes with our success, but we doubted the Romans and fled hither to protect our independence. Off late however we here of peace and have noted that Romans have not caused the fall of our autonomy. Nay, we shall not negotiate to break their peace for thy flimsy hatred of Rome.

Hamilcar: This is treason, no short of it! Nay when I didst recruit men in my army I asked of them supreme hatred towards Rome, shall be their only cause of joining in the army.

2nd General: To break their peace and tranquility would mean tyranny, nay we shallst not support thy cause

Hamilcar: Liars and slaves, all Roman spies, thou hast betrayed us to thy blood enemies!

2nd General: So thou likest not our proposal. Then prepare for thy impending gloomy fate. Here I draw this sword and I charge thee; thou shall fall and so, as martyrs shall we!

1st General: Me too shall strike thee down for our motherland.

Hamilcar: What? Treachery, treason; soldiers! To me!! O! O! ‘Tis too late now!

Hamilcar falls to the sword blows of his generals

2nd General: The deed is done!

Enter Hasdrubal the Fair with the troops and Young Hannibal

Hasdrubal the Fair: Hark! what noise comes from here? Who lies there? What? No it can’t be! Our beloved Hamilcar is dead and I see two of his most trusted men with bloody sabers drawn!! O Tyrannical Time! O Murderous Mayhem! O Barbaric Butchery! O Villainous Vandalism! Thou bloody rascals why didst thou do this most ignoble deed?

2nd General: We had to do it to safeguard our homeland where our people support Rome.

Soldiers: This is betrayal; we will avenge thee Hamilcar!

The soldiers fight and kill the two generals

A senior soldier: That ends all the traitors for any one else who may want to betray us shall be rendered the same fate as that has befallen these foes. Lord Hasdrubal, we now make thee our supreme commander and want thee to pursue the same policies as thy predecessor.

Hasdrubal the Fair: Ay I shall fulfill thy wish most noble Hamilcar who were’t a father to me.
Soldiers: Hail Hasdrubal the Fair! Hail!

Hasdrubal the Fair: Comrades, come let us bury these butchers in a place of secrecy and give our departed Lord a honourable state funeral.

[Exeunt soldiers carrying the dead along with Hasdrubal the Fair

Young Hannibal: Time runs out and day fades away; but is it really true; noble father, didst thou begin thy solitary march for thy heavenly abode so soon? Thou hast indeed fallen like a brave champion to the butcher’s blade. Give me strength most noble father that I may keep mine promises and emulate thy valour against Rome. Now I feel the true meaning of the oath that I did take in Carthage. My pledge is fully solemnized. I shall from this day grow tactful, alert and fearless. To avenge thy death Rome shall burn. From this day to me the world grows fallow; for I have a feeling that is empty and hollow. Nothing but victory over Rome is my only desire, without getting that; it shall burn like a raging fire. Justice, peace and harmony remain thou all far away; this world, as I see, only has a treacherous say. Tricks, felony and thoughts abhorrent which does my mind besiege; Thou world, who ever uses them, thou maketh him thy liege. Enough talk I must hush and hie, for I must not be left high and dry. Rome thou tremble in hellish fear, for thy eternal demon, Hannibal is here.

[Exit