Hannibal: Enemy of Rome

There were only two occasions when the two friends heard something of what was going on inside. The first was when alarmed shouts rang out; the second, which followed directly after, was the sound of loud cheering. Almost at once, news spread through the assembled crowds that the Senate had given Publius its resounding support. Now the consul was to head north with all speed, there to confront Hannibal. Before the pair had time to take the momentous information in, several figures hurried from the Curia. Suddenly, Quintus came to life. He gave Hanno a violent nudge. ‘Look,’ he hissed, taking a step forward. ‘It’s Father!’

‘So it is,’ Hanno muttered. He was even more shocked than Quintus. Why was Fabricius here? His next thought was far more worrying. How would Quintus explain his presence? A wave of terror struck him. What chance was there of Fabricius accepting Quintus’ grant of freedom? Precious little. Hanno couldn’t help thinking he should walk away into the crowd. He would be lost to sight in an instant. Free to make his own way north. Hanno wavered, but then his pride took over. I am no coward who runs away and hides.

Glancing around, Quintus sensed his unhappiness. Despite his excitement, he pulled himself up short. ‘It’s all right,’ he said gently. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

‘Eh? Why not?’ Hanno cried. ‘This is a perfect opportunity for you.’

‘Maybe so, but it isn’t for you.’

Hanno coloured. He didn’t know what to say.

Quintus pre-empted him. ‘What possibility is there that Father will honour your manumission?’

‘I don’t know,’ Hanno muttered. ‘Not much, I suppose.’

‘Exactly,’ Quintus replied. ‘Which is the reason I’m staying right here. With you.’

‘Why would you do that?’ asked Hanno, caught off guard.

‘Have you forgotten last night already?’ Quintus cuffed him on the side of the head. ‘You promised to accompany me to Iberia, even though you no longer had any need to go there. Plus you didn’t make a run for it just now, which most people would have done. I have to repay your honour. Fair’s fair.’

‘It’s not that simple.’ Hanno indicated Fabricius, who was about to disappear from view. ‘Maybe he’s not going with the consul.’

‘I’d say he is, but you’re right. We should make sure.’ Quintus strode off. ‘Come on, let’s follow him.’

Hanno hurried to catch up. ‘What if he’s going back to Iberia?’

‘We’ll talk about that afterwards,’ Quintus answered. ‘In that eventuality, I suppose it would make sense to split up. Otherwise, I’m travelling with you to Cisalpine Gaul.’

Hanno chuckled. ‘You’re crazy!’

‘Perhaps.’ Quintus gave him a lopsided smile. ‘But I still have to do the right thing.’

‘And once we get there?’ Hanno asked uneasily.

‘We’ll part company. I’ll find Father, and you’ – there was an awkward pause – ‘can seek out Hannibal’s army.’

Hanno gripped Quintus’ arm. ‘Thank you.’

Quintus nodded. ‘It’s the least I can do.’

The army that straggled down into the green foothills of the Alps was a shadow of what it had been. All semblance of marching formation had long gone. Gaunt-faced, hollow-cheeked figures stumbled along, holding on to each other for support. The ribs on every surviving horse and mule stood out like the bare frame of a new-built ship. Although few had died, the elephants had suffered extraordinarily too. Bostar thought that they now looked like nothing more than giant skeletons covered by sagging folds of grey skin. The heaviest toll, however, was the number of men and beasts that had been lost during the passage of the mountains. The scale of it was hard to take in, but it was impossible to deny. Hannibal had insisted on a tally as his troops entered the flat plain where, exhausted beyond belief, they had first camped. Even when a margin of error was allowed for, the count revealed that perhaps 24,000 foot soldiers and more than 5,000 pack animals had deserted, run away or perished. Approximately 26,000 men remained, just a quarter of the number that had left New Carthage, and little more than one Roman consular army.

It was a sobering figure, thought Bostar worriedly, especially when there were peoples to fight other than the Romans. He was standing with other senior officers outside the fortified walls of Taurasia. It was the main stronghold of the Taurini, the hostile tribe into whose lands Hannibal’s force had descended. To his left was Sapho’s phalanx, and to his right, his father’s. Alete was positioned beyond Malchus. Fully half of the Libyans were present: six thousand of Hannibal’s best troops.

‘Gentlemen.’