30.37
The
next day the envoys were again summoned before the council and severely
taken to task for their want of truth and honesty, and they were admonished
to lay to heart the lesson taught by their numerous defeats and to believe in
the power of the gods and the sanctity of oaths. The conditions of peace
were then stated to them. They were to be a free State, living under their
own laws; all the cities, all the territory and all the frontiers that they had
held before the war they were to continue to hold, and the Romans would on
that day cease from all further depredations. They were to restore to the
Romans all the deserters, refugees and prisoners, to deliver up their
warships, retaining only ten triremes and all their trained elephants, at the
same time undertaking not to train any more. They were not to make war
either within or beyond the frontiers of Africa without the permission of
Rome. They were to restore all his possessions to Masinissa and make a
treaty with him. Pending the return of the envoys from Rome they were to
supply corn and pay to the auxiliaries in the Roman army. They were also to
pay a war indemnity of 10,000 talents of silver, the payment to be in equal
annual instalments, extending over fifty years. One hundred hostages were to
be handed over, to be selected by Scipio between the ages of fourteen and
thirty years. Finally, he undertook to grant them an armistice if the transports
which had been seized during the previous truce were restored with all that
they contained. Otherwise there would be no armistice, nor any hopes of
peace.
When the envoys brought these terms back and laid them before the
Assembly, Gisgo came forward and protested against any proposals for
peace. The populace, alike opposed to peace and incapable of war, were
giving him a favourable hearing when Hannibal, indignant at such arguments
being urged at such a crisis, seized him and dragged him by main force off
the platform. This was an unusual sight in a free community, and the people
were loud in their disapproval. The soldier, taken aback by the free
expression of opinion on the part of his fellow-citizens, said, "I left you when
I was nine years old, and now after thirty-six years' absence I have returned.
The art of war which I have been taught from my boyhood, first as a private
soldier and then in high command, I think I am fairly well acquainted with.
The rules and laws and customs of civic life and of the forum I must learn
from you." After this apology for his inexperience, he discussed the terms of
peace and showed that they were not unreasonable and that their acceptance
was a necessity. The greatest difficulty of all concerned the transports seized
during the armistice, for nothing was to be found but the ships themselves,
and any investigation would be difficult, as those who would be charged
were the opponents of peace. It was decided that the ships should be
restored and that in any case search should be made for the crews. It was left
to Scipio to put a value on whatever else was missing and the Carthaginians
were to pay the amount in cash. According to some writers, Hannibal went
down to the coast straight from the battlefield, and going on board a ship
which was in readiness, set sail immediately for the court of King Antiochus,
and when Scipio insisted before all else upon his surrender, he was told that
Hannibal was not in Africa.