Final answer:
After the Second Punic War and the defeat at the Battle of Zama, Hannibal returned to Carthage and continued to be involved politically. When Rome demanded his surrender, he fled to the court of King Prusias in Bithynia and later on sought asylum in other regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
After his campaign in Italy, Hannibal retreated back to Carthage following a series of strategic and political setbacks. The Roman general Scipio Africanus had successfully cut off Hannibal's reinforcements and supplies in Spain, weakening his position in Italy. Eventually, Rome launched a direct attack on Carthage itself, compelling the Carthaginian Senate to recall Hannibal in 203 BCE to defend against the Roman incursion. At the decisive Battle of Zama in 202 BCE, Hannibal faced Scipio Africanus but was ultimately defeated, marking the end of his military campaigns against Rome. Following the battle, Carthage sued for peace, resulting in significant territorial losses and the end of Carthage's position as a major power in the region.
After the Second Punic War, Hannibal's life was characterized by further political involvement in Carthage, and eventually escape and asylum-seeking in other kingdoms, as Rome continued to perceive him as a threat.