1. |
I - Defender of Rome
07:30
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50,000 men slaughtered at Cannae
Encircled by Hannibal almost none escaped
Our Punic foe from years ago advances once again
Occupying Italia, it seems they’re closing in
Survival is what we’re fighting for
In this drastic war
A son of Rome must arise
Before we meet our demise
He survived the slaughter, while so many men did fall
But the young man never lost sight of victory at all
Scipio, once in command would never lose again
He’d see the seventeen-year war to its bloody end
The final blow seems ever near
The senate is consumed with fear
How can the republic carry on?
With so many leaders gone
The testing of a power more than 500 years old
From a tribe into an empire, laying mankind’s foundation stone
One man stood determined to defend his family’s home
Africanus faced destruction and he resurrected Rome
The noble council sought surrender, their minds filled with despair
But he stood forth and took command, naked gladius in the air
“None of you shall desert! Now join me as I stand
The forces of Carthage will be driven from our land!
Heading for Iberia
The Celtic chiefs would surrender
Joining Scipio in his fight
To defeat the Carthaginian blight
After his father’s death, he took charge in Hispania,
He landed at the Ebro, and took Carthago Nova
The whole town put to the sword, with many more to come
The three armies spread through this land will be cut down one by one
DE SUPERISSIMIS HOSTIBVS
TANTAS VICTORIAS ADIPISCETVR
DVCTVS DE NVMINE SCIPIO
REI PVBLICAE FATVM PROTEGET
CVNCTOS INIMICOS DEVINCAT
NVMQVAM NOMEN SVVS OBLITTERABITVR
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2. |
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Heading inland seeking Hasdrubal
With an army to settle the score
To fight the man who brought his father’s death
At the Baetis three years before
Finding his prey south of Baecula
On high ground behind river and ravine
He split his army in to separate forces
One advancing, and one unseen
Scaling the hill under showering missiles
His infantry closed the gap
A pincer striking on either flank
Surrounding the Carthaginian camp
Hasdrubal eluded the trap
In the face of defeat he pulled his men back
Retreating to Gaul towards the mountain path
Where his brother, years past, marched on the attack
Hasdrubal escaped but his fate was sealed
He made it through the Alps to be killed in the field
Scipio, victorious was not complete
Two more armies still awaited defeat
News of Roman victory spread through the land
Now came the chiefs of the Spanish clans
To pledge their loyalty to Jupiter’s son
Scipio’s Triumph was still to come
SVVM PATREM AVVNCVLVMQVE
VLTVS ADOLESCENS ACCESSIT
SVVM FATVM TAM LVBRICVM
NEQVE VMQVAM ERAT
INFERIOR, OBVIAM MONSTRIS TVRPIBVS AFRICA,
ET GREGIBVS EQVITVM NVMIDORVM IIT
SVVM PRAEDAM TAMEN QVASSAVIT
Mago fell beneath his heel
Gisco too would be forced to kneel
To the man with a mind sharper than steel
Thousands tried to bring him down
Thousands fell and hit the ground
To the young avenger of his family and his home!
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3. |
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Marching through Hispania, still on the hunt
Mago and Hanno, both on the run
Recruiting Iberians, but to no avail
Marcus Silanus would see that they fail
In the valley he found the two camps,
The Hispanians rested with no defense
The soldiers of Carthage rushed to protect them
But gravely outnumbered they were slaughtered like beasts
Hanno was captured, but Mago escaped
For one more year he would live, but he only delayed his fate
After Ilipa the tide of the war would forever change
A brutal defeat by Jupiter’s son for him did await
Rising early before the dawn
Scipio’s men advanced with the sun
No food in their bellies his enemy rushed into line
But the Roman formation was different this time
Standing for hours, waiting to pounce
Their hungry opponents’ strength running out
A charge on the flanks, slow advance at the center
Even outnumbered he still was the victor
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4. |
IIII - Triumph at Zama
04:07
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After so long a treaty signed
To bring peace and end the violent times
16 years of total war
Hannibal now departing Latin shores
Carthage blockaded and starved!
It’s people defying the senate’s charge!
Their conqueror coming back home
They followed him to their doom
A Roman ship blown off course
Beached on the Carthaginian coast
It’s hull full of food, begging the starving to seize its loot!
The people had their way
They seized the cargo, breaking the treaty
Back to war with Rome, Hannibal against Scipio!
A showdown on the African plains,
The fields of Zama to be the stage
Both sides bolstered by foreign aid
The battle of the century
4,000 Greek hoplites!
Philip gifting Carthage a great Phalanx
They made the core of Hannibal’s line
But the Numidians were no longer at his side
80 elephants on the charge!
Did nothing to stop the Roman march!
The once feared beasts of war,
The Roman column did ignore
Forward rode the cavalry,
All but the Greeks they did flee,
Bold they made their stand,
Gaining death in foreign land!
“HIC FINIS BELLO…
MANSVRI COMPOS DECORIS PER SAECVLA RECTOR,
DEVICTAE REFERENS PRIMVS COGNOMINA TERRAE,
SECVRVS SCEPTRI, REPETIT PER CAERULA ROMAM
ET PATRIA INVEHITVR SVBLIMI TECTA TRIUMPHO.” –
PVNICA, Book XVII, Lines 618, 625-628
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5. |
V - Son of Jupiter
03:16
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A life of service
A life of leadership
A man who commanded the fates
His destiny was his to make
A life dominated by war
A life on campaign
A man who defied what is possible
One whose actions would change everything
A triumphant hero
Honored with glory and a new name
Betrayed by his country
Banished to live and die so far away from home
Abandoned by Rome! Jupiter's son!
Departing for lands that his own skill had won!
Blessed by the gods! Condemned by the people!
A general with no equal!
Abandoned by Rome, Jupiter's son!
No more gratitude for all he had done!
Blessed by the gods, condemned by the people!
A man with no equal!
“INGRATA PATRIA, NE OSSA QVIDEM HABEBIS”
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