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As it happened, Hannibal did not face Scipio in another land battle but was defeated at
sea by the Rhodians (Livy, 37.24; Cornelius Nepos, Hann. 8.4). In the aftermath of
Antiochus‟ defeat both Livy and Polybius depict Scipio Africanus (not the consul, his
brother, Lucius Scipio) as the spokesman for the Romans. Whether or not it is historical,
Scipio Africanus demands the surrender of Hannibal, as well as Antiochus‟ other
commanders (Hist. 21.17). Polybius repeats the demand for Hannibal‟s person in a final
summary of the peace conditions, although it is modified with the proviso „if it is within
Antiochus‟ power to do so‟ (Hist. 21.45). Livy, on the other hand, writes that the
requirement to surrender Hannibal and the other generals was appended as an additional
clause to the treaty (Livy, 38.38.18). If Livy‟s text suggests a perception that it was
unworthy of Roman honour to place such a demand into a peace agreement; there are no
such qualms in Scipio‟s speech. Scipio particularly demands the surrender of Hannibal
more than everything else because „wherever Hannibal is there can never be peace with
Rome‟: sed numquam satis liquebit nobis ibi pacem esse populo Romano, ubi Hannibal
erit; eum ante omnia deposcimus (Livy 37.45.16).
True to form, Hannibal escaped from Antiochus‟ court to Crete before he could be
surrendered to the Romans (Cornelius Nepos, Hann. 9.1). Cornelius Nepos and Justinus
say that Hannibal stayed in Crete before travelling to Prusias of Bithynia and both texts
relate a similar story of Hannibal deceiving the Cretans into believing they were
guarding his wealth while he smuggled it out of the island hidden in hollow statues
(Cornelius Nepos, Hann. 9.2-3; Justinus, 32.4). Strabo and, later, Plutarch relate that
Hannibal travelled to Artaxias of Armenia (previously one of Antiochus‟ generals) and
spent enough time there to found a city, Artaxata, on the king‟s behalf (Strabo,
Geography, 11.14; Plutarch, Lucullus, 31.3).
Where Livy‟s narrative implies that Hannibal went directly to Prusias, it is more
likely that Livy chose not to follow Hannibal‟s fortunes further until his next contact
with Rome, which is when Rome sends ambassadors to Prusias (Livy, 39.51). Cornelius
Nepos presents Hannibal persuading Prusias to embark on war, in particular against
Eumenes of Pergamum, an ally of Rome (Prusias did not have the resources for any
larger scale operations against Rome, Cornelius Nepos, Hann. 10.1). Whether Hannibal
incited Prusias to war or not, he shows himself to be as devious and as imaginative as
ever in battle tactics. On behalf of Prusias, Hannibal is about to commence a sea battle
against Eumenes and needs to identify Eumenes‟ ship in order to focus his attack. He
sends a herald with a letter and waits to see which ship received the emissary.
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