Explanation: In the immediate aftermath of the Second Punic War, the Roman Republic was quite anxious to make sure Hannibal's career was ruined and, ideally, that he would be soon dead. However, later Roman histories praise his genius very highly and made constant note of him, despite the fact that he managed to kill off 1 out of every 5 Roman citizens. Time heals all wounds, it would seem - at least when national pride is concerned!
Hannibal and Scipio got to meet again at a banquet, long after their war. They had a nice chat and showed each other respect. For the Romans to respect him, and to let him live without hunting him down showed that they really feared him and his reputation
Well, to be fair, that was largely Scipio being amicable and respectful. The Roman Republic constantly demanded that Hannibal be turned over or killed even after his exile. Public opinion wouldn’t change until after Hannibal’s death.
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