Act 6 Scene 2

The Roman senate, meeting of the senators.

Enter Gaius Terentius Varro, Scipio the younger and other senators

Gaius Terentius Varro: How goes the siege at Capua? 

Scipio the younger: It goes well, but 15000 infantry and 1000 cavalry are recalled to aid in Rome’s defences, for the air is thick with the rumour of Hannibal's march on us. 

Gaius Terentius Varro: Romans be not alarmed, for to take us they have the power not. Even so, we must be cautious for this could be a ruse to lure us out of our strongholds. 

Scipio the younger: We are prepared your liege.

Alarum, Enter excited porter.

A senator: What brings thee hither boy at this hour? From thy face I perceive the looks of one who hath stared at a ghost! Porter: Hannibal ante portas! Hannibal ante portas! Hannibal at the gates! Hannibal at the gates!
 

Senators exchange worried looks and thoughts

 

Senator: This is most incredible news boy! One finds it hard to fathom, and yet we must act for Rome canst fall to this barbarian. Yet I am most amused by his audacity – to think marching on us would make us yield. By now aware he must be that we are of a sterner mettle than most others!

Scipio the younger: Stupidity my lord, is what I wouldst like to call it for he soon shallst be surrounded by our troops that we have retained in our barracks outside and those returning from Capua. 

Gaius Terentius Varro: Methinks it would be wise to call off the siege at Capua, for methinks that is what unites those Republics of Rome who still aid our foe. What say you son of Scipio?

Scipio the younger: Aye, thought about it well yea hast; and thus we must embark on new strategies to counter Hannibal. 

Another Senator: So son of Scipio, how doth thou propose to carry it out? 

Scipio the Younger: We must at once strike him so as to pluck the very ground on which he doth lay camp. I propose an auction of that plot, this ought to unnerve him and his troops. Then I propose another radical measure, one that wouldst turn the war completely in our favour! We must immediately stop all our attacks upon the Roman republics sworn to Hannibal, for it wouldst unite them ‘gainst us. We shouldst rather, win them over to our camp through diplomatic missions.

Gaius Terentius Varro: Methinks ‘tis wise to heed the words of our valour tongued friend, for I shallst reach out to our brethren of Italia to unite ‘gainst the foreigner and not us. 

Another Senator: Aye, both thy arguments bear merit! What says the other senators? 

Other Senators: We agree and hereby by the will of all the Gods do declare Scipio the younger, commander of all of Roman legions.

Scipio the Younger: Then ‘tis settled. Senators I thank for this gift of responsibility and I shallst see to it that I do it justice! All: Rome!! Rome!! Invincible Rome!!

[Exeunt 

Rome, Hannibal's camp, night time just before dawn.Enter Hannibal & his generals.

Hannibal: How goes the mood in the camp? Ready are they to do as bid? 

1^st General: My Lord, they are tired and wouldst rather return than face the might of Rome with such feeble numbers. The scouts say that Rome has recalled 15,000 troops and 1000 horses to aid in its defence. ‘Twill be tough to fight on both ends. 

2^nd General: Aye, but not impossible, for troops of greater numbers we have beaten in the field.

 3^rd General: Aye, but the mood goes sour for most of them, victory has eluded them thus far and there has been many deserters. 

Hannibal: Morale should never be lost for that is the divine drug, the elixir of bravery that doth rejuvenate even the most mortified of souls; but aye; there be a great difference between courage and foolery! 

2^nd General: Worry not my lord, for I believe that they shallst find the internal reserves of courage, which thou hath taught us to bear and store when ‘tis time for a reckoning! 

1^st General: Aye, but will they beckon that on empty stomachs and aching hearts. 

3^rd General: ‘Ts hard to tell but we must wait for answers, hark- 

   

Enter a soldier with a letter.

Soldier: My lords, I have a letter for thee from Rome. Prithee read this and spare me for I am on watch.

 

[Exit soldier

3^rd General: Now that was a queer move. What shallst we make of this? 

Hannibal (opening and reading the letter intently): Whatever there is to be made of it, Whoa! This canst not be true at all!

The Generals: What is it, my lord? 

Hannibal: This very plot of land on which our army is camped has been bought by a Roman at an auction. Therefore it doth seem we have been as well. The Romans consider us but items to be bought and sold, objects of commercial value rather than objects of fear. Gentlemen, they have ignored our threat, or have never considered us a threat at all. ‘Tis at this time when yea doth lose thy fearsome reputation yea forego advantages in war. No elixir of courage can now save us from this enemy who fear us no longer. So I order a full retreat and revaluing of our positions.

 Generals: Aye, we must!

[Exeunt

Same time or just after, a deserted street in Rome. A soothsayer and a knave talk under a starry, cloudless sky.

Knave: I heard today that Rome didst face its greatest adversary outside our gates! Is that true, master? 

Soothsayer: Aye, ‘tis true but bother not little one, for much to learn you still have. Well, yes to quench thy thirst I must tell thee that Rome soon shallst end this war and emerge victorious, and Hannibal, its greatest adversary, shallst meet his greatest defeat. 

Knave: So now does Rome have nothing to fear from him? So will we see the days of peace that thou didst promise me the other night?

 Soothsayer: Aye, though loon listen up, the ways of the heavens canst be known for certain, but there are signs and they grow clearer by the day, that the gods no longer intend to teach Rome in the arts of war, for our own hero hath emerged. But at this late hour we must hie to our homes as good citizens and leave the matters to the silvery heads in the senate. 

Knave: Aye, we must!

[Exeunt 

Act 6 Scene 1

Hannibal’s camp, near Campania. There inside Hannibal’s tent.Enter Hannibal, who sits in the chair and painfully reflects.

Hannibal: Parched, scorched, burnt, charred and pillaged, I and my armies have for the past four years since the great battle of Cannae. That battle has brought me futile glory, which I canst not use for disowned I have been by my beloved Carthage, for whom me and my men have bled. Carthage’s petty political motives have shaken us into nothingness, my desire for men, materials, and supplies from Hispania it comes and yet suffices not!

Rome has more allies than I didst fathom and whilst mine have quietly slipped away, My army is home-sick and weary and the days hither are dreary, they long action and want not to tarry; and yet ‘tis would be prudent to gather resources to launch a siege. Now as time would have it neither siege weapons nor men I do possess, nor can I withstand a counter siege. Yet my fellow commanders think me meek, and incompetent and one of them, ‘twas Maharbal methinks didst once come to me and said, “Yea couldst gain victories but yea couldst not use them”. Hark! Even the rains have stopped showering these sweet drops on these bald lands, turning them sour to every soul that strides them; save the all enduring Romans, who have chosen attrition and cowardice, and rightly so on their part, so as not to fall prey to my myriad strategies, and thus, methinks they have begun the unstoppable march to the crystal halls of supreme rule, whilst we ourselves mayst be doomed to drown in the abyss of obscurity. But ‘tis only the duty of an honourable soldier to fight on till the end. Then Hannibal –wait!

Alarum, outside and excited screams.
Enter 2 chiefs of Republics allied to Hannibal.

1^st chief: Rome is attacking us, we must reply aptly!

2^nd chief: No longer can yea tarry thy advance, march thou must on Rome to deliver the decisive punch, doth yea have the requisite forces?

Hannibal: nay good lord, nay but Prithee hark my plan. Besiege Rome I shallst to put a halt to its attacks and broker a peace treaty by intimidating them, for still wary of me they are. Go rally thy men and horses and I shallst do mine, for this hour beckons us to act! Hie, we must!

 [Exeunt

Act 5 Scene 8

Roman Senate, urgent meeting of the senators is called.Enter Gaius Terentius Varro, Scipio the younger, Fabius Maximus and senators.

Gaius Terentius Varro: We are gathered hither at this most pernicious hour to discuss the course of battle. Our foe has dealt us a blow from where he doth feel victory within his grasp. But, ay, he doth think so unwise for Romans gathered hither wouldst agree that ‘tis not sooth. We the Republic must now endure a winter longer than the season’s natural course through austerity and steadfastness. This hour is of grief-many sons of Rome have been martyred for her cause, but not inaction lest our enemy the marauder be at our gates-hence noble Fabius thy presence in this morose moment is most welcome.  

Fabius: Senators, countrymen and Romans – it maketh me feel grateful and thankful to yea all to have vested thy trust in me despite my several failures in battle,  almost flattered I am by such an honour, and yet I doth not feel how helpful I mayst be at this time of great sorrow? 

 Scipio the Younger: Tried we have all and yet vanquished we have been, but thy tactics of attrition, which at that time didst seem futile soon shallst bear fruit, but now going by our scouts’ report, which I present before thee with sure and certain tone, his troops lack supplies and numbers to besiege us, and are wary of war, and our spies report of lack of Carthaginian unity, thus leaving Hannibal less than he didst hope. Thereby good and noble Flavius by thy decree we shall in small numbers prize out landholdings in his grasp and tire his battle-weary soldiers.  

A Senator: What he besiege us still and prize out our Republics himself? Surely they shallst not render themselves to us just for the glory of Rome! 

Gaius Terentius Varro: There old father we have crafted a policy of unity and ‘tis to put in motion have we joined this meeting. This Republic must endure these dark times with desperate steps. To them we will send word to maintain support and allegiance to Rome. To all condemned criminals, convicted of petty thefts to murder to high treason, I propose an amnesty for all those willing to be enlisted to fight in the legions and replenish our depleted troops. To able-bodied slaves we give propose to give them the laurel wreath of freedom, if they wish to join the ranks. To all citizens of the Republic, I ask them, being worthy of Romans, we must appeal to their reasons, that do they wish to fall to the ravings of this bloodthirsty lunatic, who speaks of imagined slights ‘gainst his father, to us, the Roman Senate, who we promise to give rule of law and protection of citizenry, and rights to courts. So Senators this is the first course of our actions to bolster our home-defences, then the young Scipio, with his natural youthful verve and vigour shall chart a path for Roman victories. 

 Scipio the younger: Thy praise is too lavish for accomplished nothing I have. Aye, but a path towards Roman victory I can see. Wait we will for the opportune moment and then like the wolf, take out his sheep. He has no navies and thus leaves his estates in Europe unguarded; by Neptune’s will I shallst conquer those lands and bring them to our dominion and thus the Republic shallst have more lands to raise taxes. At home and away his forces shallst dwindle with time. Fabius Maximus: Bravo! Bravo! Now it indeed is clear what we must do. Gaius Varro and young Scipio, thou shallst move to thy tasks with immediate approval of the Senate, and I believe the approval wouldst be forth coming, to start our revival-

Alarum, Enter a Porter

Porter: Prithee hear me revered Senators, for Hannibal the barbarian has sent an envoy at our gates and says he brings terms of peace.

A senior Senator: How durst he do this; well try as he may, we know to take Rome enough men he has not. Send word to the envoy that he can run to this master now or have his head on a pike decorate Roman gates.

Porter: As yea say me lord!

[Exit Porter

Fabius: So gentlemen methinks we must immediately put our plans to effect. Let us Romans present hither take this pledge that every moment now from this day on is our finest hour, and let all say in unison Rome, Glorius Indomitable Rome!!

All: Rome! Rome! Indefatigable, Invincible Rome!!!!!

[Exeunt