Hannibal, who bad now spent thirty-six years in arms, continued to reside at Carthage ; and was afterwards ho noured with the chief magistracy in that republic. Ha ving exerted himself to remedy various abuses in the ma nagement of public affairs, and having particularly brought to light many instances of the embezzlement of the revenue, he was accused by his enemies to the Romans of secretly holding intelligence with Antiochus the Great, in the de signs which that prince was meditating against the power of Rome. In spite of the remonstrances of Scipio, (who generously defended his former opponent in arms, and strongly insisted that it was below the dignity of the Ro man people to range themselves among the personal ene mies of Hannibal, and take part in the factions of Car thage,) ambassadors were dispatched by the senate to bring the charge against Hannibal, and to require that he should be delivered into their hands. Aware of their design, and doubtful of his countrymen, he made his escape to Tyre, where he was received and entertained in a manner suited to his reputation ; and afterwards joined Antiochus at Ephesus, whom he found in a state of hesitation between peace and war. Upon being consulted on the subject, he asserted, as he had always done, that the Romans were invincible every where but in Italy ; proposed, if entrusted with 10,000 foot and 1000 horse, to make a descent in that country ; and, at the same time, dispatched a messenger to Carthage to persuade them to join in the enterprize. Be fore the commencement of hostilities, a Roman ambassa dor, accompanied by Scipio Africanus, arrived at Ephe sus; and, during their residence there, many civilities are said to have passed, and frequent conversations to have taken place between them and Hannibal. It is reported that, during this friendly intercourse, Scipio one clay ask ed the Carthaginian, " Whom he thought the greatest general ?" Hannibal immediately replied, " Alexander, because that, with a small body of men, he had defeated very numerous armies, and had overrun a great part of the world." " And who do you think deserves the next place?" continued the Roman. " Pyrrhus," replied the other : 44 he first taught the method of forming a camp to the best ad vantage. Nobody knew better how to choose, or post guards more propel ly." 44 And whom do you place next to those ?" said Scipio. Hannibal named himself ; at which Scipio asked, with a smile, " Where, then, would you have placed yourself, if you had conquered me ?" 44 Above Alexander," replied the Carthaginian," above Pyrrhus, and above all other generals ;" thus, by a most refined strain of compliment, separating Scipio from the crowd of com manders, as one of inestimable qualities. These familiar conversations are said to have been sought by the Roman deputies, for the purpose of discovering the designs of Hannibal ; and they had at least the effect of rendering him suspected by Antiochus. That prince, though after;.
wards cured of their suspicions of his guest, refused to follow his counsels as to the prosecution of the war ; and, upon suing for peace after his defeat at Magnesia, was re quired, among other conditions, to deliver up Hannibal to the Romans. This illustrious exile, however, anticipating such a demand, had removed from the dominions of the Syrian monarch, and taken refuge with Prusias, king of Bithynia, to whom he rendered eminent services in vari ous wars. At length Flaminius arrived as an ambassador from Rome, for the ostensible purpose of requiring Prusias to desist from hostilities against the king of Pergamus ; but principally with a vitw to induce him to betray his Carthaginian guest. The king, reluctantly, according to Plutarch, but readily, according to Livy, complied with the dishonourable proposal ; but Hannibal, who resided in the castle of Libyssa, upon learning that the place was surrounded by soldiers, resolved to die, rather than fall into the power of his persecutors. Taking into his hand a poison which he had kept ready for such an exigence, " let us deliver Rome," he said, " from her perpetual fears and disgust, since she has not patience to wait for the death of an old man." Then, having invoked the gods to take vengeance upon Prusias for his violation of hospitality, he swallowed the poison and expired. He died at the age of 65 years, of which he had passed 36 in camps, and 13 in exile. He had little opportunity, therefore, to cultivate the moral and civil virtues; though, perhaps, if impartially tried by this test, he will be found, notwithstanding the shocking,portrait drawn of him by Livy, to have been by no means inferior to the great body of conquerors in ancient times, or even to his celebrated opponent Scipio Africanus. Neither Plutarch nor Polybius makes any mention of that cruelty, perfidiousness and irreligion, with which he has been charged. In point of military talents, he may be pronounced to stand in the foremost rank ; and all the qualities which make a complete general, have not been more constantly and conspicuously manifested in the conduct of any captain of antiquity, than in that of Han nibal'. He appears, especially, to have surpassed them all in the talent of forming brave and disciplined soldiers ; though he was opposed by troops, consisting chiefly of Ro man legions, warriors by choice and education, be was victorious, even over superior numbers, in every battle ex cept his last ; and that with an army, which he had in a great measure renewed in conquered countries, which he had collected from various nations, differing in manners and language, and which he preserved attached to his interests in the midst of privations and reverses. See Nepos, Livy, Plutarch, Polybius ; Rollin's Ancient History, vol. vii.; Ferguson's History of the Roman Republic, vol. iii.; Abbe de St Pierre's Life of Scipio Africanus ; and Hooke's Rom. Hist. vol. iv. and v. (y)