How punishment after defeat could encourage defection

A commander expecting execution after defeat had a reason to avoid returning to Carthage. Surrendering to Rome or offering a fleet in exchange for citizenship could appear safer. Victory also created political risks if rivals feared a successful general's growing power. Roman capture carried its own danger, including death during a triumph, so surrender was not safe. Gathering trusted crews and fleeing elsewhere offered another possible response. These are proposed incentives, rather than evidence that a particular commander took one of those courses.