HANNIBAL

"Quiet comrades quiet ."  Hannibal stood  feet apart his right arm outstretched. There were few amongst the assembled warriors who felt they owed him respect.  The majority doubted his judgment and a pocket of them were planning to mutineer.

"Comrades do you hear it? Do you hear the beat of history? Today September 11, we have done what no army has ever done before. We crossed the Alps.  Caesar awoke today in fear,  These mountains are his  barrier of safety and today we pieced that veil."

 

He paused waiting for the message to sink in.  He had the attention of some, others were muttering in discontent.

 

"Look at the enormity of this mountain.  I doubt if any army will attempt to cross it again.  Your names have been written in the annals of history, when Hannibal crossed the Alps."

 

"What about the fallen?  They who died unnecessarily without even having to  taste combat."    called out a heckler.

 

"I weep for the fallen. Comrades let us pause a moment to remember them."

Hannibal stood with his arms outstretched and his head bowed.  A spark of respect began to regenerate in the minds of some of the doubters.  Others nudged each other and jibed about Hannibal now playing the women's part, or play acting or being over dramatic to draw attention away from his bad judgment.

 

"We honour our comrades who have fallen.  Not fallen in battle but fallen in the effort of making this historic journey. Their precious blood has seeped out of their bodies and into the soil of this mountain.  The soil of this mountain had been fertilised with their blood and in this fertile soil we will plant the trees of glorious conquest.

 

There was a stunned silence, all stared at him. Then one soldiers started to chant "Hannibal Hannibal Hannibal Hannibal"   Then others joined in and soon the valley resounded with cheers Hannibal Hannibal Hannibal Hannibal.  Still there were those who stared at him in disbelief.

 

He held his hand up to call for silence.  "Comrades  there is a simple question.  Will the future be one of Roman masters and Carthaginian slaves, or Carthaginian masters and Roman slaves?  Will your wives and daughters be concubines to the Roman scum while you labour in their vineyards?  Or will the Roman wives and daughters by your concubines?"

 

"We will never submit to the Roman scum." shouted another heckler and many followed that with a loud cheer.

 

"There is a Roman garrison to the north, and another to the south. They are not aware that we have arrived in their citadel. That is our advantage and if we move swiftly we can be the masters of their city before those garrisons return to defend it."

 

The crowd roared with another loud cheer.

 

Hannibal lifted his fists in the air and cried "To Rome"

 

The crowd  responded "To Rome"

 

Hannibal fists still raised shouted "To Rome."

 

The crowd again responded "To Rome"

 

And as one body they marched on to conquest.