23.13
Mago
said he did not know. "Nothing," replied Hanno, "is easier to find out. Have
the Romans sent any envoys to Hannibal to sue for peace? Has any rumour
reached your ears of any one even mentioning the word 'peace' in Rome?"
Again Mago replied in the negative. "Well, then," said Hanno, "we have as
much work before us in this war as we had on the day when Hannibal first
set foot in Italy. Many of us are still alive who can remember with what
changeful fortunes the first Punic war was fought. Never did our cause
appear to be prospering more by sea and land than immediately before the
consulship of C. Lutatius and A. Postumius. But in their year of office we
were utterly defeated off the Aegates. But if (which heaven forfend!) fortune
should now turn to any extent, do you hope to obtain when you are defeated
a peace which no one offers to give you now that you are victorious? If any
one should ask my opinion about offering or accepting terms of peace I
would say what I thought. But if the question before us is simply whether
Mago's demands should be granted, I do not think that we are concerned
with sending supplies to a victorious army, much less do I consider that they
ought to be sent if we are being deluded with false and empty hopes." Very
few were influenced by Hanno's speech. His well-known dislike of the
Barcas deprived his words of weight and they were too much preoccupied
with the delightful news they had just heard to listen to anything which
would make them feel less cause for joy. They fancied that if they were
willing to make a slight effort the war would soon be over. A resolution was
accordingly passed with great enthusiasm to reinforce Hannibal with 4000
Numidians, 40 elephants, and 500 talents of silver. Bostar also was sent with
Mago into Spain to raise 20,000 infantry and 4000 cavalry to make good the
losses of the armies in Italy and Spain.
