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[30] Summotis 
pari spatio armatis, 
cum singulis interpretibus
 congressi sunt, 
non suae modo aetatis maximi duces 
sed omnis ante se memoriae 
omnium gentium
cuilibet regum imperatorumue pares. 
paulisper alter alterius conspectu, 
admiratione mutua prope attoniti, 
conticuere; 
tum Hannibal prior: 
'si hoc ita fato datum erat 
ut qui primus bellum intuli 
populo Romano,
quique totiens 
prope in manibus uictoriam habui,
is ultro 
ad pacem petendam uenirem, 
laetor te mihi 
sorte potissimum datum 
a quo peterem. 
tibi quoque 
inter multa egregia 
non in ultimis laudum 
hoc fuerit 
Hannibalem 
cui tot de Romanis ducibus 
uictoriam di dedissent 
tibi cessisse, 
teque 
huic bello 
uestris prius quam nostris cladibus 
insigni 
finem imposuisse. 
hoc quoque ludibrium 
casus ediderit fortuna 
ut cum 
patre tuo consule 
ceperim arma, 
cum eodem primum Romano imperatore 
signa contulerim, 
ad filium eius inermis 
ad pacem petendam ueniam. 
optimum quidem fuerat 
eam patribus nostris mentem 
datam ab dis esse
ut et uos 
Italiae 
et nos Africae imperio 
contenti essemus; 
neque enim 
ne uobis quidem Sicilia ac Sardinia 
satis digna pretia sunt 
pro tot classibus, 
tot exercitibus, 
tot tam egregiis amissis ducibus; 
sed praeterita magis reprehendi possunt 
quam corrigi. 
ita aliena appetiuimus 
ut de nostris dimicaremus 
nec in Italia solum nobis bellum, 
uobis in Africa esset; 
sed et uos 
in portis uestris prope 
ac moenibus
 signa armaque hostium uidistis 
et nos ab Carthagine 
fremitum castrorum Romanorum exaudimus.
 quod igitur nos maxime abominaremur, 
uos ante omnia optaretis, 

in meliore uestra fortuna 
de pace agitur. 
agimus ii 
quorum et maxime interest 
pacem esse, 
et qui quodcumque egerimus 
ratum ciuitates nostrae habiturae sunt: 
animo tantum nobis opus est 
non abhorrente 
a quietis consiliis.
'Quod ad me attinet, 
iam aetas 
senem in patriam reuertentem 
unde puer profectus sum, 
iam secundae, 
iam aduersae res 
ita erudierunt 
ut rationem sequi 
quam fortunam malim: 
tuam et adulescentiam 
et perpetuam felicitatem, 
ferociora utraque 
quam quietis opus est consiliis, 
metuo. 
non temere 
incerta casuum reputat 
quem fortuna nunquam decepit. 
quod ego fui 
ad Trasumennum, 
ad Cannas, 
id tu hodie es. 
uixdum militari aetate 
imperio accepto 
omnia audacissime incipientem 
nusquam fefellit fortuna. 
patris et patrui  )
persecutus mortem )

ex calamitate uestrae domus 
decus insigne uirtutis 
pietatisque eximiae 
cepisti; 
amissas Hispanias reciperasti 
quattuor inde Punicis )
exercitibus pulsis;   )
consul creatus, 
cum ceteris 
ad tutandam Italiam 
parum animi esset, 
transgressus in Africam 
duobus hic exercitibus caesis, 
binis eadem hora captis simul 
incensisque castris, 
Syphace potentissimo rege capto, 
tot urbibus 
regni eius, 
tot nostri imperii ereptis, 
me 
sextum decimum iam annum 
haerentem 
in possessione Italiae 
detraxisti. 
potest 
uictoriam malle 
quam pacem 
animus. 
noui spiritus magnos 
magis quam utiles; 
et mihi 
talis aliquando fortuna adfulsit. 
quod si 
in secundis rebus 
bonam quoque mentem darent di,
 
non ea solum quae euenissent 
sed etiam ea quae euenire possent 
reputaremus. 
ut omnium obliuiscaris aliorum, 
satis ego documenti 
in omnes casus sum 
quem modo castris 
inter Anienem 
atque urbem uestram positis 
signa inferentem 
ac iam prope scandentem 
moenia Romana 
uideris, 
hic cernas 
duobus fratribus, 
fortissimis uiris, 
clarissimis imperatoribus 
orbatum 
ante moenia 
prope obsessae patriae
 
quibus terrui uestram urbem 
ea pro mea deprecantem.

'Maximae cuique fortunae 
minime credendum est. 
in bonis tuis rebus, 
nostris dubiis, 
tibi ampla ac speciosa danti est pax, 
nobis petentibus 
magis necessaria quam honesta. 
melior tutiorque est certa pax 
quam sperata uictoria; 
haec in tua, 
illa in deorum manu est. 
ne tot annorum felicitatem 
in unius horae dederis discrimen. 

cum tuas uires 
tum uim fortunae 
Martemque belli communem 
propone animo; 
utrimque ferrum, 
utrimque corpora humana erunt; 
nusquam minus quam in bello 
euentus respondent. 
non tantum 
ad id quod data pace 
iam habere potes, 
si proelio uinces, 
gloriae adieceris, 
quantum [dempseris], 
si quid aduersi eueniat. 
simul parta 
ac sperata decora 
unius horae fortuna 
euertere potest. 
omnia in pace iungenda 
tuae potestatis sunt, 
P. Corneli: 
tunc ea habenda fortuna erit 
quam di dederint. 
inter pauca felicitatis )
uirtutisque exempla     )
M. Atilius quondam 
in hac eadem terra fuisset, 
si uictor 
pacem petentibus 
dedisset patribus nostris; 
sed non statuendo 
felicitati modum
nec cohibendo 
efferentem se fortunam 
quanto altius elatus erat, 
eo foedius corruit. 

'est quidem eius qui dat, 
non qui petit, 
condiciones dicere pacis; 
sed forsitan non indigni simus 
qui nobismet ipsi multam inrogemus. 
non recusamus quin 
omnia 
propter quae ad bellum itum est 
uestra sint, 
Sicilia Sardinia Hispania 
quidquid insularum 
toto inter Africam Italiamque 
continetur mari; 
Carthaginienses 
inclusi Africae litoribus 
uos, 
quando ita dis placuit, 
externa etiam 
terra marique 
uideamus regentes imperio. 
haud negauerim 
propter non nimis sincere 
petitam 
aut exspectatam nuper pacem 
suspectam esse uobis 
Punicam fidem: 
multum 
per quos petita sit 
ad fidem tuendae pacis pertinet, 
Scipio --
uestri quoque, ut audio, patres 
nonnihil etiam ob hoc 
quia parum dignitatis 
in legatione erat 
negauerunt pacem --; 
Hannibal peto pacem 
qui neque peterem, 
nisi utilem crederem, 
et propter eandem utilitatem 
tuebor eam 
propter quam petii; 
et quemadmodum 
quia a me bellum coeptum est 

ne quem eius paeniteret 
quoad ipsi inuidere di 
praestiti, 
ita adnitar 
ne quem 
pacis per me partae paeniteat.' 

[30].Having withdrawn
the armed men to an equal distance, 
each accompanied by an interpreter 
they advanced to meet each other, - 
not only their own age's greatest leaders  
but of all who are remembered before them
of every race, 
the peers of any kings and commanders. 
For a little they gazed upon one another 
almost thunderstruck in mutual admiration
and remained silent. 
Hannibal was the first to speak. 
"If it had been so granted by Destiny 
that I, who was the first to make war 
on the Roman people
and who have so often 
had almost within my grasp, 
should now be the first 
to come to ask for peace,
I congratulate myself that it is you
of all men granted by fate 
as the one from whom I am to ask it.
As for you, too, 
among your many brilliant distinctions 
not among the least of your praises
will be this, 
that Hannibal, 
to whom the gods gave victory )
over so many Roman generals,  )
has yielded to you, 
that it is you who, 
though this war is (distinguished)
more by your defeats than ours,

have put an end to it.
This irony, too,
the luck of chance has produced, 
that although 
it was when your father was consul
that I took up arms, 
and first against him as Roman general 
I joined battle, 
to his son, unarmed 
I come to ask for peace. 
It would have been best 
if the attitude been [given] our fathers 
by the gods 
that you [would have been contented 
with the sovereignty of] Italy, 
and we with the rule of Africa.
 
As it is, 
not even for you are Sicily and Sardinia 
an adequate compensation 
for [the loss of] so many fleets, 
so many armies, 
and so many splendid generals. 
But the past can more easily be regretted 
than repaired. 
We so coveted others' possessions, 
that we had to fight for our own. 
not only has war affected you in Italy 
and us in Africa, 
but you 
almost within your gates 
and on your walls
have seen an enemy's arms and standards
while we [hear] in Carthage 
the murmur of the Roman camp. 
So the thing which we detest most of all, 
which you would have wished for before all,
[has actually come about,] 
that at a time of your better fortunes
the question of peace is raised. 
We are the ones to propose it,
we who are most concerned 
that there should be peace 
and  whatever we do here 
our governments will ratify. 
All we need is a frame of mind 
that does not shrink
from quiet discussions.
As far as I am concerned,
now 
coming back as an old man to a country 
which I left as a boy, 
[age and] experience of good 
and evil fortune 
have so taught me 
that [I prefer] to follow reason 
rather than Fortune. 
As for you, your youth 
and unbroken success -
both things are too fierce
for the need for peaceful counsels,
I fear. 
That man will not readily
consider the uncertainties of chance,
the man whom Fortune has never deceived. 
What I was 
at Trasimene 
and at Cannae, 
that you are today. 
You were hardly of military age 
when you received high command, 
and in all your most daring enterprises, 
Fortune has never played you false. 
Having avenged the deaths     )
of your father and your uncle,) 
[you gained]
from that disaster to your house 
a glorious reputation for courage
and exceptional filial piety.
 
You recovered the lost provinces of Spain 
after driving four Carthaginian )
armies out of the country.      )
Then you were elected consul, 
and although the rest 
had hardly spirit enough )
to protect Italy,        )
you crossed over to Africa, 
and after destroying two armies here
and, within an hour, capturing )
and burning two camps,          )
capturing the powerful king Syphax, 
and [robbing] numerous cities
belonging to his kingdom
and many belonging to our empire,
[you have dragged] me [away]
who for sixteen years
had hung on 
to my hold upon Italy. 
 
[Your mind and spirit] may well
prefer victory 
to peace; 

I have known great ambition 
rather than what is expedient; 
on me, too, 
a fortune such as yours once shone. 
But if 
in the midst of success 
the gods were also to give us wisdom, 
[we would reflect] 
not only on what has happened 
but also upon what may happen. 

To forget everyone else, 
I myself [am] a sufficient example 
of the fickleness of fortune. 
Only the other day [I had placed] my camp 
between the Anio
and your city 
and was advancing my standards 
and already almost scaling
the walls of Rome - 
that's how you would have seen me;
here you see me, 
[bereaved] of my two brothers, 
brave soldiers 
and brilliant generals as they were,
 
in front of the walls 
of my almost besieged native place, 
[and begging for relief] 
on behalf of my city
from the fate I threatened yours with.
 
The greater a man's good fortune 
the less ought he to count upon it. 
At this time of your success 
and our crisis, 
peace is splendid to you who grant it; 
to us who ask for it 
it is a necessity rather than honourable. 
A sure peace is better and safer 
than a hoped-for victory; 
the latter is in your hands, 
the former in the hands of the gods. 
Do not [expose] so many years' good fortune 
to the hazard of a single hour. 
[Keep before your mind]
both your own strength, 
and also the force of fortune 
and the even chances of battle. 

On both sides there will be swords 
and human bodies; 
nowhere less than in war 
does the event answer expectation. 
[You will not add] so much [glory]
to that which by granting peace
you can already have,
if you win the battle,

as you will have lost
if anything goes wrong. 
All the honours you have gained 
and all you can hope for,
the chances of a single hour 
can annihilate.  
In cementing a peace, everything
is in your power,
Publius Cornelius: 
otherwise you will have to accept 
whatever fortune the gods send you. 
Out of only a few examples  )
of success and courage      )
Marcus Atilius Regulus once
on this very soil would have been one,
if, in the hour of victory, 
when they were asking for peace 
he had granted it to our fathers; 
But by not setting
bounds to his prosperity, 
and by not curbing 
his elation at his good fortune, 
the higher he aspired 
the more shamefully he fell.

"It is for him who grants peace, 
not for him who seeks it, 
to name the terms, 
but perhaps we may not be unworthy 
to assess our own penalty. 
We consent to 
everything 
for which we went to war
remaining yours - 
Sicily, Sardinia, Spain 
and all the islands 
that [are bounded] between Africa and Italy
by the whole sea. 
We Carthaginians, 
confined within the shores of Africa, 
[are content to see] you, 
since such is the will of the gods, 
[ruling] all outside our frontiers 
by sea and land 
as your dominions. 
I am bound to admit 
that because of the lack of sincerity 
in the recent request for peace 
and in the non-observance of the truce 
there are suspicions on your part of
the good faith of Carthage. 
To a large extent
it is on those by whom it is sought
that the loyal keeping of peace depends,
Scipio --
I hear that your senate 
sometimes even for this reason - 
that there was too little noblity
among the delegation -
have refused to grant it -- ;
Now it is Hannibal who seeks peace, 
and I should not ask for it 
if I did not believe it useful to us, 
and because of that same utility 
I shall keep the peace
for which I asked.
And just in the same way as, 
because the war was started by me,
[I conducted it]
so that no one found fault with it
until the gods themselves grew jealous, 

so I shall do my utmost 
to prevent any one 
from regretting the peace I procured."