Ten years after the previous scene, Hannibal's tent, somewhere in Asia Minor.
Enter Hannibal, who paces nervously up and down and then finally sits
down.
Hannibal: The
tent is warm and soothing, and it doth seem to me that this shallst be a safe
refuge for now whilst providing me good comfort. I didst move swiftly whenever
I smelt the slightest hint of danger, and thus far it has proved worth it. I
knowest not which man, rattled by the ravages of time, is forced move about at
first light, to and fro, like the prized king in chess to avoid capture! But
hush, I shouldst not talk in a voice of fervent tone, for out there are Roman
posts, sentinels of the dark, who at my slightest stir, will rise forth to take
me prisoner!
Yet I lay hither
to contemplate about my life sans Carthage. I didst visit Tyre, that land from
whither our forefathers set sail to establish that great power at the mouth of
Gibraltar. Aye, but safety mayst only be found on dry land which canst be
controlled be controlled by the sea. I didst go to the Armenian Court, where
the king Antiochus III didst welcome me with open arms, and bade me command his
army. Thither I didst meet an old fool, who I recall, wouldst easily beat any
other old fool in sheer size and scale of stupidity. Phormio, his name was who
didst propose idiotic ideas of warfare, which were plainly rebuked by me. The
king turned out to be far greater in stupidity when than I had imagined, and
whilst I reported that a formation wouldst be enough for even the far exceeding
greed of the Romans, he dismissed me to make his own flawed battle plans
‘gainst Rome! His loss was assured, which made me fly from his court!
Then I thought
that this king was an exception, but as it turned out, almost all of them, were
too indolent and addicts of sycophants. Soon they started to form alliances
with Rome. Some however didst resist better- I recall myself thither. Countless
wars, some worth of note, others mere minor skirmishes didst follow, and yet I
wouldst never win a semblance of trust from them. Only did I have a glimmer of
hope, ‘twas ‘gainst King Eumenes II of Pergamon, the ally of Rome. I didst
manage to my steps, and now in this naval conflict, unlike the one whither
Seleucid lost, I didst exercise my venomous vantage. Pots filled with the
vilest adders I did throw to disarm all Eumene’s ships to give Prusias I of
Bithynia a naval victory. But alas, that was not to stand for Prusias too
proved to be the spineless wretch to bend his knees to Rome!
By a strange twist
of heart, some say due to fear, he didst decide to give me up; but I am not the
person to allow myself as a pray to Roman snares! So to Libyssa did I flee, to
chart out a new course of action or take up a final stand. The proof of my
existence hither shallst not chance, for I will carry what I wouldst need, and
burn the rest sans tarry! Ahoy! The birds rise, and softly so must I; to live
and fight another day. The horse awaits and methinks ‘tis time to make haste!
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