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100 days of enemy recs: 24: Hannibal Barca/Scipio Africanus
Hannibal Barca and Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus were opposing generals in the Second Punic War fought around the Mediterranean around 2200 years ago. Hannibal was a general of Carthage, who led crushing victory after crushing victory against the Romans, taking the war to the very gates of Rome. Meanwhile a Roman general named Scipio, who as a young soldier had barely survived his first few battles against Hannibal, had taken an army to Hannibal's home ground and was busy defeating all the other Carthaginian generals. With Scipio's army approaching their city walls, Carthage finally recalled Hannibal, and they met for the first time in a parley before the battle of Zama. We have records of what they said at the parley, words of respect and admiration for each other - though who knows if they are true. It could not stop the war: they fought: Hannibal lost: and still-undefeated Scipio, to the consternation of pretty much everyone, let Carthage go dignified and intact into defeat, and left Hannibal free to become its political leader after the war.
Hannibal didn't last long in power - he appears to have been a principled and honorable reformer type, so he ended up having to flee in exile to Ephesus a few years later, where he became an advisor to the king there in his wars against Rome. Where Scipio also showed up, part of a delegation of Romans to the king. We don't know what happened there, only that they played games with each other in the gymnasium and laughed together. The Ephesians did not take Hannibal's advice, fought undefeated Scipio, and lost. Hannibal ended up farther exiled; but Scipio was having his own troubles at home, partly due to his mercy against Carthage, and mostly-voluntarily exiled himself from Rome after his return from Ephesus. (I've read he spent much of these later years trying to convince the Romans to leave poor Hannibal alone.)
In the year 183, Scipio died in "mysterious circumstances", and what became of his body is unknown: it is said he had his tomb inscribed "ungrateful fatherland, you will not even have my bones". In the year 183, Hannibal also died; nobody knows how or of what - there are contradictory stories - but there are also no reports of his burial; his tomb is unknown; it is said he left behind a note that read "Let us relieve the Romans from the anxiety they have so long experienced, since they think it tries their patience too much to wait for an old man's death".
I am not saying they faked their deaths and ran away together. But I'm not not saying that. All we have left of them is the few historical accounts written a generation later that happened to be lucky enough to survive 2000 years of copying (and some elephant poop in the Alps, I guess.) And most of what did survive those 2000 years is about how Hannibal and Scipio shaped each other's lives around each other, and kept showing each other mercy and respect and friendship even when they were fighting epic battles on either side of a horrific war. And both just happened to die mysteriously and sarcastically in exile at the same time and there were no bodies. History is what's remembered. So if we spend enough time telling the story of how they both faked their deaths and ran away together, perhaps in another 2000 years it'll be as true as any of it! (except the elephant poop. you don't get much more concretely factual than elephant poop.)
And anyway, I can introduce you to some people here on DW who know way more about Rome and Carthage than I do, and they will swear that the two of them definitely faked their deaths and ran away together, and who am I to disagree?
There are, tragically, only a few dozen Hannibal/Scipio fics on AO3, but it's one of those tiny fandoms where every single fic is a pearl of delight, so you should definitely look beyond what I am rec'ing here!
Hannibal didn't last long in power - he appears to have been a principled and honorable reformer type, so he ended up having to flee in exile to Ephesus a few years later, where he became an advisor to the king there in his wars against Rome. Where Scipio also showed up, part of a delegation of Romans to the king. We don't know what happened there, only that they played games with each other in the gymnasium and laughed together. The Ephesians did not take Hannibal's advice, fought undefeated Scipio, and lost. Hannibal ended up farther exiled; but Scipio was having his own troubles at home, partly due to his mercy against Carthage, and mostly-voluntarily exiled himself from Rome after his return from Ephesus. (I've read he spent much of these later years trying to convince the Romans to leave poor Hannibal alone.)
In the year 183, Scipio died in "mysterious circumstances", and what became of his body is unknown: it is said he had his tomb inscribed "ungrateful fatherland, you will not even have my bones". In the year 183, Hannibal also died; nobody knows how or of what - there are contradictory stories - but there are also no reports of his burial; his tomb is unknown; it is said he left behind a note that read "Let us relieve the Romans from the anxiety they have so long experienced, since they think it tries their patience too much to wait for an old man's death".
I am not saying they faked their deaths and ran away together. But I'm not not saying that. All we have left of them is the few historical accounts written a generation later that happened to be lucky enough to survive 2000 years of copying (and some elephant poop in the Alps, I guess.) And most of what did survive those 2000 years is about how Hannibal and Scipio shaped each other's lives around each other, and kept showing each other mercy and respect and friendship even when they were fighting epic battles on either side of a horrific war. And both just happened to die mysteriously and sarcastically in exile at the same time and there were no bodies. History is what's remembered. So if we spend enough time telling the story of how they both faked their deaths and ran away together, perhaps in another 2000 years it'll be as true as any of it! (except the elephant poop. you don't get much more concretely factual than elephant poop.)
And anyway, I can introduce you to some people here on DW who know way more about Rome and Carthage than I do, and they will swear that the two of them definitely faked their deaths and ran away together, and who am I to disagree?
There are, tragically, only a few dozen Hannibal/Scipio fics on AO3, but it's one of those tiny fandoms where every single fic is a pearl of delight, so you should definitely look beyond what I am rec'ing here!
- Fulmina Belli (1229 words) by sevenofspade
Fandom: Ancient History RPF
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Scipio Africanus/Hannibal Barca
Additional Tags: Psychic Wolves
Scipio meets Hannibal for the first time at the fields of Zama, before the battle. (this is a psychic wolves AU but it's also just a really good portrait of Hannibal and Scipio at Zama. Don't let the wolves stop you; the wolves are a metaphor.) - Ossa tibi bene quiescant (4064 words) by spacestationtrustfund
Fandom: Punic Wars RPF, Ancient History RPF, Classical Greece and Rome History & Literature RPF
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Scipio Africanus/Hannibal Barca, Scipio Africanus/Aemilia Tertia
Characters: Scipio Africanus, Hannibal Barca
Additional Tags: Battle of Zama, Second Punic War, Identity, Linguistics, Flirting, Power Play, Diaspora, Enemies With Benefits
The meeting at Zama with fewer wolves and more kisses. - Libyssa (5438 words) by dirtybinary
Fandom: Ancient History RPF, Punic Wars RPF, Classical Greece and Rome History & Literature RPF
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Scipio Africanus/Hannibal Barca
Additional Tags: partial Epistolary, Not Really Character Death, Suicide mentions
In which Scipio and Hannibal fake their deaths and run away together. - Days of Sand (1248 words) by joyeusenoelle
Fandom: Ancient History RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Hannibal Barca, Scipio Africanus
Hannibal and Scipio, after they faked their deaths and ran away together.
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