Roman camp, near lake Trasimene. There Gaius Flaminius’ camp. Enter Gaius Flaminius.
Gaius Flaminius: All around me I see, wreckage of burnt mutilation, stretching as far as the horizon. Carnage of the lands, brought about by Carthage, of which I was the sole protector, irritates my living soul, which seeks vengeance. The venom that has defiled the lands seemeth spread like contagion into the minds of my men. This disease must be stopped lest it gathers the strength of an epidemic. We by some clever trickery and deceit have been cutoff from Rome by Hannibal’s men, who continue to ravage these agrarian fields. The strategists mind speaks not to pursue; but diplomacy demands this pursuit for him I must subdue.
Time to stop him is imminent.
Enter a Roman Commander
Commander: Our scouts have reported seeing massive charred lands in Etruria and say that his army are dragging themselves through this land.
Gaius Flaminius: There we shallst follow him and catching them unawares, shallst gleefully put them to the sword. No time to lose; no moment to waste; for haste we make must. Commander givest thou the orders to strike.
Commander: As per thy wish noble Flaminius.
[Exeunt
Lake Trasimene, Hannibal’s camp overlooking the defile.
Enter Hannibal, Mago, Maharbal and Hano.
Hannibal: Maharbal, what do thy scouts report?
Maharbal: Pursuing us they we as thou sayst they would. They shallst soon be here.
Mago: Then let the battle begin; soldiers take thou up thy positions in ambush and await the Romans, as the wolf pack awaits a flock of sheep.
Hano: So we all shallst.
[Exeunt
Desolate defile. Enter the Roman army under the command of Gaius Flaminius.
Gaius Flaminius: This place near the lake is a defile; ay, and ‘tis aptly named. Hannibal thy genius is praiseworthy for thou hast chosen the battleground well, but worry not Carthaginian, seek thee out I shallst. But this place, silence hither rules like a tyrannical lord, who is strong enough to unnerve the bravest of men; but not us, Romans.
Sound of soldiers rushing from all directions.
Enter Carthaginian troops who begin the slaughter.
What noise is that, hark! Ahh; me believes not me eyes, for I see we art caught up in ambush. Dastardly one at that; fight countrymen fight to stop this rabble.
The soldiers begin to fight and full-fledged battle ensues, where the Carthaginians quickly gain the upper hand.
Amidst the carnage; Enter Hannibal
Hannibal: Look, Flaminius, look how these mighty Roman troops, on swollen and unsure land seem astounded and bewildered to face the Carthaginian onslaught.
Gaius Flaminius: So we finally meet; and ay whilst ye hath the vantage, Romans, who are born warriors, shallst be the victors in the long run. Now, face me thou shallst, for let us see who the better champion is in mortal combat.
The two men fight vigorously, and then Flaminius falls to the blade of Hannibal. The battle rages on furiously with both sides locked in mortal combat. Hannibal soon moves on to fight others. Sounds of war, off stage.
Enter Mago.
Mago: Keep fighting men victory is almost reached.
The Romans drop dead one by one till all are killed, generating a heap of bodies in the defile.
Hannibal: The battle is ours.
Mago: Another battle-another victory, we must move on towards Rome.
Hannibal: Ay, brother, we must bury these fallen men hither; and march on the morrow to full fill our destiny.
Soldiers: All hail! Hannibal, all hail!!
