Hannibal is defeated at Zama.
You have changed History! It really isn't in Hannibal's nature to
concede, but under these conditions especially, it could not happen.
If he had given in, Carthage would have been reduced to a vassal state,
and could not have retained its status, or wealth. He would, no doubt,
have chafed under the rule of the Romans, and the Roman Senate would probably
have asked for his death. His only recourse was to fight it out,
and let the battle determine the conditions of surrender. He likely
knew that he would lose, since his army, like any team that has played
too many games, seemed defeated before the battle began. Scroll down... By choosing
to do battle, Hannibal took the honorable, but destructive, path to destiny.
There, on the Plain of Zama, two immense armies clashed. It now seems
inevitable that the vast resources of Rome would eventually wear down those
of Carthage, but Hannibal had always seemed capable of overcoming even
the most impossible odds. In this case, the number, and the years
of wear and tear, overcame his ability. The Carthaginian army seemed
to have no greatness left in it, and Hannibal had run out of effective
tricks. Soon, it became obvious that the
Romans had won. According to Abbott, Hannibal went to the Carthaginian
Senate and said, "The fortune which once attended me is lost forever, and
nothing is left to us but to make peace with our enemies on any terms that
they may think fit to impose." The Second Punic Wars were over.