Roman general Scipio. Scipio Africanus during the war with Antiochus

Until now, scientific discussions continue about whether Scipio heard "inner voices" and whether divine revelations really descended on him. But the proof of any of the points of view will not change anything in the history of his victories. But the result of the life path of Scipio is discouraging. Exhausted by military campaigns, he left Rome and retired to his estate, where he died two years later. How did the story of the great commander begin?

Saved my father's life

The military career of Publius Cornelius Scipio began at the age of 17 with the Battle of Ticinus in 218 BC. He led a cavalry detachment and successfully opposed the Numidian cavalry allied with Carthage.

It was at this moment that Scipio saved the life of his father, the consul, who led the Roman army. He publicly recognized his son as his savior, which promised the young man extraordinary honors. But Publius refused to accept from his father the highest award of a Roman soldier - an oak wreath.

At the age of 19, he took command of the entire Roman army.

Two years later, Scipio, in the rank of military tribune of the Second Legion, participated in the battle of Cannae. She became a disaster for the Romans. In the midst of the battle, when it finally turned in favor of Hannibal, the remnants of the Roman armies fled from the battlefield to their two camps. Publius was in the larger of them.

Turned out to be the youngest of the four surviving military tribunes, he, with the military tribune Appius Claudius Pulchromus, took command of the entire Roman army.

The people elected Scipio commander

After the defeat at Cannae, Scipio left military service for several years. At this time, his father and uncle - Publius and Gnaeus Scipio - were in Spain. They prevented the Carthaginians from assisting Hannibal in Iberia.

213 BC. The Numidian prince Masinissa and Hannibal's brother, Hasdrubal Barkid, joined forces and defeated the Roman generals. Publius and Gnaeus fell in battle, and Iberia was lost to Rome.

After the young Scipio received news of this, at a popular assembly in Rome, he made a speech in memory of his father and uncle, and swore to avenge them. As if in a fit of divine inspiration, he promised to seize not only Iberia, but also Africa and Carthage.

To the objections of the senators against his candidacy, Scipio offered to cede the empire to a more wise commander. There were no people willing to accept such an offer. Some historians see in this gesture the tact inherent in Publius, others - undisguised arrogance.

Be that as it may, in the spring of 209 BC, the Roman army under the command of Scipio, with a total number of no more than 25 thousand infantry and cavalry, landed on the coast of Spain. The Roman cavalry was re-armed and drilled by Scipio and had well-developed maneuver skills by the beginning of the war.

Took New Carthage thanks to the miracle of nature

Scipio led his army to the city of New Carthage, which, in fact, was the key to all of Iberia. It contained all the gold and reserves of the Carthaginians. In addition, this city with a seaport was a key point when crossing to Africa. Finally, there were hostages of Iberian tribes from all over Spain.

At the same time, New Carthage was guarded by a small garrison, and all large units of the Carthaginians were located at a distance from it. This tactical frivolity of the Punians was explained by the location of the city on a peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water, and on land by a rocky ridge.

Scipio did not have time to organize a siege of this fortress. And he decided to attack. The attack began at dawn and was unsuccessful for the Romans - they were unable to reach even the tops of the walls of New Carthage.

But, according to legend, an unusual event happened at noon. The water receded, and the bottom of the bay, which washed the city from the southwest, was exposed. The inspired warriors of Scipio rushed to the unguarded section of the wall and unlocked the city gates from the inside.

Released Spanish hostages without ransom

So Scipio took possession of the main ore zone of Southeast Spain. The richest silver mines occupied an area equal to 400 stages (about 77 kilometers) in a circle, and brought the Romans an income of 25 thousand drachmas (about a centner of silver) per day.

Titus Livy says that Scipio, after the capture of New Carthage, returned to the citizens all their property that had been preserved after the robbery. The generosity of the commander in relation to the Spanish hostages is also known. They were guaranteed freedom without ransom, and he provided the captured women from noble families with reliable protection.

"The Magnanimity of Scipio". Artist Nicolas Poussin. 2nd third of the 17th century

A special impression was made by the return of the girl presented to him by Scipio to her father and fiance - with rich gifts. With this diplomatic move, Scipio, according to Niccolo Machiavelli, conquered Spain by more than weapons.

Militarily, this victory turned the tide of the entire campaign in favor of Rome.

Released from captivity ally Hannibal

Scipio won the next victory over the troops of Hasdrubal. Seeing the powerful Spanish leaders go over to the side of Rome, Hasdrubal decided to launch an offensive in the Pyrenees. So he wanted to return the strategic initiative.

In order to prevent Hannibal's brother from breaking into Italy, the Romans caught up with the Punians near the city of Becula in the district of Castalon in the upper reaches of the river Betis. In this battle, the forces of Hasdrubal, who occupied a tactically advantageous position, were attacked by Scipio's lightly armed soldiers from the front, and the main ones from the flanks. The army of Hasdrubal was defeated, although part of it with him at the head still managed to slip north to the Pyrenees. Money and elephants were sent there in advance.

This victory, like the capture of New Carthage, was marked by a far-sighted diplomatic gesture of Scipio. He released from captivity with generous gifts and protection of Massif, the nephew of the prince Masinissa, the commander of the Numidian cavalry and an ally of Hannibal.

"Scipio Africanus frees Array". Artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. 1719–1721

Now the Romans in Spain were confronted by the combined forces of Hannibal's second brother, Mago, and Hasdrubal, son of Gisgon. This army was twice the size of the Roman army, but was heterogeneous in composition and level of discipline. Although not the most reliable allies made up half of Scipio's army.

Defeated a stronger opponent through tactics

The battle of 206 BC in the south, near the city of Ilipa, began after the attack of the cavalry of Mago and Masinissa on a Roman column setting up camp.

This raid was crushed, and the conflict of infantry forces did not give an advantage to either side. Equally built (frontal Romans and Africans, flank - Spanish allies), the armies went out against each other day after day and returned to their original positions with the sunset.

There was a shortage of food in Scipio's camp. Deciding to break this confrontation, the commander resorted to military cunning, swapping unreliable Spaniards and battle-hardened legions in the formation of troops. The ensuing battle turned for the Carthaginians into their "Cannes". The entire army of Hasdrubal fled.

Plan-scheme of the Battle of Ilipa (206 BC)

The battle of Ilipa, according to the English military historian G. B. Liddell Hart, has become a classic example of a pitched battle, skillfully won by a weaker opponent against a stronger one. She marked the beginning of the successful expulsion of the Carthaginians from Spain. In the months that followed, the entire peninsula was cleared of the Punians. According to Scipio, if earlier they fought against Rome, then from now on it was time for the Romans to march on the Carthaginians.

Risking his life, he personally went to negotiate with the Libyan prince

The commander needed to complete the multi-way diplomatic combination in relation to the Libyan tribes allied to Carthage. Two of their leaders - Syphax and Masinissa - stood out for their nobility and power. Masinissa was grateful to Scipio for the release of his nephew and declared his desire to serve Scipio and the Roman people. The fact is that Hasdrubal was now more favorable to Masinissa's rival, Syphax.

Before leaving Spain, Scipio met with Masinissa. He expressed the hope of transferring the war to Africa and promised Rome his help. Scipio was very pleased. “He immediately guessed in Masinissa a high and brave soul, and besides, the Numidians were the main core of the enemy cavalry”, - Titus Livius wrote about this treaty.

To Syphax, Publius sent his close friend and colleague Lelia with rich gifts for negotiations. The Libyan prince discouraged the emissary Scipio by his insistent desire to speak to him personally. This invitation for Scipio turned into a risk to his life. But he took care of reliable control over the Spanish territories and fearlessly went with Lelius to Syphax in two ships.

Scipio Africanus. Bust. Black basalt. 1st century BC Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

Off the coast of Africa, he encountered the entire fleet of Hasdrubal, who also sought to negotiate with the Libyan prince. Both leaders became honored guests at a reception at Syphax.

Scipio returned to New Carthage and there honored the memory of his father and uncle, giving magnificent funeral games for all the peoples of Spain. And even they had a political context: in duels at games, noble Spaniards resolved ownership disputes. Thus, the games became a symbolic evidence of the dominion of Rome in Spain.

The fate of the entire military enterprise was almost on the verge of death when, after the games, Scipio became seriously ill, and a rumor spread throughout Iberia about his death.

To be continued

Literature:

Bobrovnikova T. A. Scipio Africanus. M., 2009.
Denison J. History of the cavalry. In 2 books. Book 1. M., 2001.
Makhlaiuk A.V. Roman Wars. Under the sign of Mars. M., 2010.
Goldsworthy A. In the name of Rome. The people who created the empire. M., 2006.
Titus Livy. War with Hannibal. M., 1993.
Tsirkin Yu. B. Carthage and its culture. M., 1986.
Liddell Hart H. B. A greater than Napoleon. Scipio Africanus. N.Y., 1971. P. 62. Translated by: Lidder Hart G. B. Scipio Africanus. Winner of Hannibal. M., 2003.
Machiavelli N. The art of war. Radford, 2008. P. 122. In translation: Machiavelli N. On the Art of War // The Art of War. Anthology of military thought. M., 2009.

 Publius Cornelius Scipio, the winner of Hannibal at Zama, ended the second Punic War at Ticino. While still 17 years old, he saved the life of his wounded father, the consul Publius Cornelius Scipio. Two years later, at the battle of Cannae, he was already a military tribune. After this battle, he fled to Canusium and, together with the more senior tribune Appius Claudius Pulcher, took command of the soldiers who had gathered in the city after the defeat. When both tribunes, together with other commanders, were conferring on the state of affairs, they were informed that several noble youths, led by a certain Caecilius Metellus, despairing of saving their fatherland, decided to seek refuge in some foreign royal court. Hearing of this, the young Scipio hurried at the head of his armed friends to the assembly of the rebels and made them swear that they would not leave the land of the Roman people and would not allow any of the native Romans to do so. After this oath, they all voluntarily came under the command of Scipio.

In 212, Scipio was chosen as aedile. Since he had not yet reached the legal age for holding this office, the tribunes of the people did not want to allow him to vote, but Scipio said: "If the quirites want me to be aedile, then I'm old enough for that". And the citizens began to vote for him with such zeal and in such numbers that the tribunes abandoned their position. In the same year, Scipio's father and his uncle Gnaeus died in Spain, who fought there with great success from the very beginning of the war with Hannibal. Their defeated troops, who had previously taken almost all of Spain from the Carthaginians, fled for the Iberus.

The Romans hastily dispatched propraetor Claudius Nero to Spain with 12,000 fresh troops, and he restored the military balance. But he was a tough, hot-tempered man with haughty, aristocratic tendencies and little ability to restore old ties with the Spanish tribes and to acquire new allies. When Rome learned that the Carthaginians had begun preparations for the campaign of Hasdrubal Bark from Spain to Italy to help his brother, the senators decided to send the highest commander in chief with reinforcements to delay Hasdrubal.

The new commander for Spain was to be elected by the people. However, there were no candidates for this position, since none of the old generals liked the Spanish war. The people and the senate were at a loss, and then suddenly a young 24-year-old Scipio stepped forward. When the people saw this young man in front of them with an expression of noble self-confidence and heard with what inspired patriotism this young hero volunteered to go to a dangerous post where his father and uncle died a heroic death, then shouts of joy and applause were heard. The appointment of Scipio as commander-in-chief was decided by the election not only of all centuries, but of all citizens.

However, the youth of Scipio raised concerns. He proved his bravery and belligerence on many occasions, but was he prepared enough to lead an army in a difficult Spanish war? Seeing such a mood of the crowd, Scipio turned to the people with a fiery speech in which he spoke about his age, his position and the upcoming war with such greatness of spirit that the listeners were seized with an unshakable confidence in success. In the appearance of Scipio there was something majestic, which affected everyone. Everything that he did in front of the people was done mostly as a result of some nocturnal vision or divine influx. From the time he came of age, he is said not to have taken up any public or private business without going to the Capitol and spending some time there without witnesses in the temple of God. He retained this habit for the rest of his life, which served as a source of legend about his origin from the gods. However, in the consciousness of his greatness and his high calling, he stood above envy and hatred and willingly recognized the merits of others. His talent as a military leader, although it cannot be ranked as paramount, is beyond doubt. In addition, he was a skilled diplomat who knew how to understand people, an educated person in whom Greek culture was combined with Roman national feeling, a friendly and sweet conversationalist. A person with such qualities could not but play the most brilliant role in public life.

At the end of the summer of 210, Scipio, in his position as proconsul, at the head of 11,000 fresh troops, went to Spain, accompanied by propraetor Silanus, who was supposed to replace Nero and serve as an adviser to the young commander-in-chief. Having traveled around the countries of the allies and the winter quarters of the army, and everywhere gaining trust and love, Scipio gathered his army the following spring at the mouth of the Iberus. Three enemy commanders - Mogon and two Gazdrubal - were in Spain far from each other. Instead of attacking one of them and thereby attracting the other two, Scipio undertook a campaign against New Carthage (modern Cartagena) - the Carthaginian capital in Spain, which remained uncovered and kept the treasury, weapons and military supplies of the enemy, as well as the hostages of the Spanish tribes. This city was of great importance for the Carthaginians, since from here it was convenient to move to Africa and its harbor, extensive enough even for the largest fleet, was almost the only one on the entire eastern coast of Africa.

Scipio left to cover the coast of Iber Silanus with 3,000 infantry and 300 cavalry, while he himself, with the rest of the army in the amount of 25,000 infantry and 2,500 cavalry, moved along the coast to New Carthage. Simultaneously with the ground forces, the fleet under the command of Admiral Lelia also left. After seven days, the Romans reached New Carthage and set up camp in the northern part of the city.

The attack began immediately from the sea and from land. Mogon, the leader of the city garrison, prepared for desperate resistance. Since his troops were not enough to occupy all the fortifications, he armed the citizens and put 2000 of them on the walls of the city opposite the Roman camp. With 500 soldiers, he occupied the fortress, and with the remaining 500 he settled down to the east of the city on a hill. Other citizens were ordered to rush to where there would be a loud cry for help or something unexpected happened. After that, Mogon made a sortie to the Roman camp, which the Romans repulsed without much difficulty, and then, for their part, began to storm the walls of the city. Scipio went ahead with three soldiers who covered him with their shields.

The walls of the city were so high that only a few stairs reached their battlements, but the higher the stairs, the faster they broke under the weight of the soldiers climbing them. In addition, the enemy defended himself desperately. New Roman troops replaced the tired ones, and the battle became more and more fierce. The crew of the fleet stormed the walls of the city from the sea. The defenders of the city were exhausted to the extreme, but the assault was unsuccessful.

Capture of New Carthage

Scipio, however, did not expect much success from either land or sea attacks. He undertook them only to divert the attention of citizens. The fact is that Scipio heard from sailors that the stagnant lake, adjacent to the city wall on the western side, becomes so shallow at low tide that one can wade through it to the city wall. Therefore, as soon as the tide began to ebb, he took 500 people and moved with them there. The sea receded at 12 noon. The water reached the soldiers barely to the knees, in some places to the waist. It was not difficult to climb the walls, because there were no fortifications in this place - it was considered to be sufficiently protected by the sea, and the defenders concentrated in the point that they considered the most dangerous. Having entered the city without resistance, the Romans rushed to the gate, where the most fierce battle was going on. They suddenly hit the enemy from the rear and opened the gates. The troops broke into the city, and soon all the streets were filled with Romans. So Scipio conquered the capital of the enemy in one day.

The number of male prisoners reached 10,000 people. The citizens of New Carthage, Scipio set free and gave them both the city and what was left in it. 2000 artisans were declared slaves of the Roman state, but with the promise of an early release with hard work for the Roman army. The rest of the young residents and able-bodied slaves were sent to the ships to strengthen the crew. The Spanish hostages also fell into the hands of Scipio, who treated them like children of the allies. The rest of the booty was very significant - 18 warships and 63 cargo ships with wheat, weapons, copper, iron and canvas for sails, 120 catapults of the largest size, 281 smaller ones, 23 large ballistas, 52 smaller ones, 14 scorpions of various sizes, a lot of defensive and offensive weapons and 74 banners. The commander was given 276 golden bowls, of which almost each weighed about a pound, 18,300 pounds of minted and worked silver, and many silver goblets. All this was weighed and counted in the presence of Quaestor C. Flaminius.

Cartagena

On the same day, Scipio returned with the army to the camp and provided everyone with the necessary rest. The protection of the city was entrusted to Lelia with sailors. The next day, Scipio summoned his land and sea troops and thanked the gods, and praised the soldiers for their courage, ordering the one who first climbed the wall to come forward to receive an honorary wreath. After that, he called to himself the hostages of the Spanish states and advised them not to lose courage, because they fell under the power of a people who want to attract people to themselves by favor, and not by fear. After this speech, he handed them over to the quaestor, instructing him to treat them as gently as possible.

At the same time, a captive girl of extraordinary beauty was brought to Scipio. Learning that she was the bride of a young and noble Celtiberian named Allucius, the commander summoned his parents and groom to his house and gave the last bride, asking for his only reward for her - the promise that Allucius would henceforth become a friend of the Roman state. While the young man expressed his deep gratitude to Scipio in joyful and touching expressions, the bride's parents laid a large sum of gold at his feet in the form of a ransom. Scipio took the gold at their urgent request, called Allucius to him and said: “In addition to the dowry that you received from your father-in-law, add this wedding gift from me”. Allucius returned home and began to spread among his fellow tribesmen the praises of the noble and generous Scipio. "He came to us he said, a young man, a true likeness of the gods, who conquers everything not so much with weapons as with kindness and favor ". Then he recruited 1400 selected horsemen and led them to Scipio.

Nicholas Poussin. "The Magnanimity of Scipio".

Scipio sent Lelia on a five-oared ship to Rome with the news of the victory. Among the prisoners who went with Lelius were Magon and 15 Carthaginian senators. The success of the young commander justified the confidence with which the Romans treated him. The main command over the army was extended to him for an indefinite period. Scipio stayed at New Carthage for a few more days and took advantage of this time to train his land and sea forces. When his presence was no longer necessary, he returned with most of his army to Tarakona, the capital of Roman Spain, where a large number of Spanish embassies came to him with an offer of an alliance of their states.

The attack on New Carthage forced Scipio to postpone for a while the fulfillment of the main task that he set himself - to prevent Hasdrubal, who was busy preparing for a campaign in Italy, from crossing the Pyrenees, but Scipio's lucky star arranged so that he returned to Tarakona before Hasdrubal showed up on the banks of the Iber. Scipio used the winter of 209-208 to dissolve his fleet and include sailors in the army. It was necessary for him to have enough troops to not only guard the north of Spain and the Iberian Pass, but also to undertake an offensive war in the south, as he plotted to conquer all of Spain.

At the beginning of the summer, Spanish troops flocked to him from all sides, including Indibil and Mandonius, who secretly separated with their armies from Hasdrubal. Then Scipio, together with Lelius, who returned from Rome, moved south to the region lying along the upper reaches of the Betis (Guadalquivir). At Bekul, not far from the wooded Mount Kastudo, he met with Gazdrubal, who, at his approach, left the plain for a terrace-like elevation with a rather wide platform at the top. The next day, Scipio attacked this hill. The first terrace was taken by attack, but the second was covered from the front by a steep ledge, and Scipio instructed Lelia to climb the hill on the right side, while he himself attacked the enemy from the left. By this maneuver, the front ranks of the Carthaginians were forced to retreat and the Roman troops were able to link up with the front on a hill. So the enemy was surrounded on three sides and suffered significant losses - about 8,000 people. However, Hasdrubal himself, who sent his military cash desk and elephants forward, managed to get away from the enemy with a select detachment and reach the sea that washes Spain from the north side. From there, the following year, through the western passages of the Pyrenees and Gaul, he moved to Italy.

Scipio took possession of the Carthaginian camp and captured up to 10,000 infantry and 2,000 horsemen. He released the Spaniards without ransom, and sold the Africans into slavery. Grateful Spaniards unanimously hailed him as king. Then Scipio, through his heralds, ordered everyone to be silent and said: “For me, the name of the commander, given to me by my soldiers, is the highest title. Elsewhere the royal title is of great importance, but in Rome it is intolerable. If you think that I am endowed with a royal soul, then keep this opinion to yourself, but do not give me the name of the king!

After the battle of Becula, Scipio endowed the Spanish sovereigns and their nobles with gifts and left Indibil to choose any 300 horses from a huge number of prisoners. When the quaestor proceeded to sell African captives, he found among them a youth of royal origin and sent him to Scipio. When asked by Scipio where he came from, who he was, and why he had already gone to war at such an early age, the young man replied that he was a Numidian named Massiva, brought up as an orphan by his maternal grandfather, the Numidian king Gada, and had recently left for Spain with his uncle Masinissa, who brought his troops to the aid of the Carthaginians. According to him, he has not yet participated in any battle, because his uncle did not allow him because of his youth, but on the day of the battle of Bekul, without the knowledge of his uncle, he took a weapon and a horse and joined the number of those fighting, but was taken captured by the Romans. Scipio asked him if he would like to return to Masinissa again. The young man answered in the affirmative. Then Scipio presented him with a gold ring, wide trousers with a Spanish military caftan decorated with gold tassels, and a horse in a rich harness, and then, under escort, sent several of his horsemen to Masinissa.

Masinissa

Both of the Carthaginian commanders who remained in Spain suspended military operations and retired: Hasdrubal, the son of Gisgon, to Lusitania, and Magon to the Bolearic Islands. Masinissa, after their departure, began to raid with his light army. Thus, Scipio took possession of the entire eastern coast of Spain. When in the following year 207 the general Hanno came from Africa with a fresh army to replace Hasdrubal Barca in Spain, Magon and Hasdrubal moved again to Betis. Against Mago, who joined with Hanno, Scipio sent Silanus. The Carthaginians were defeated and Hanno was taken prisoner. Following then, Scipio opposed Hasdrubal, but he withdrew as far as Gades (Cadix), distributing most of his troops among the fortified cities of lower Bethys. Scipio returned north and, with the help of his brother Lucius, conquered Oringida, one of the most important cities in the area.

In 206, the Carthaginians once again made an attempt to hold on to Spain. They fielded an army of 70,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry and 32 elephants. But their soldiers were for the most part recruited from various parts of Spain and could not be completely relied upon. At Bekul again there was a battle. Scipio had no more than 40,000 men, and among them were quite a few Spanish auxiliaries. He built his army in such a way that this unreliable part of it did not participate in the battle and served only to keep one part of the enemy troops in their position. The Carthaginians lined up their elite detachments in the center, and placed Spanish allies on both flanks. Scipio, however, placed his allies in the center against the selected army of the Carthaginians, and placed the Romans on the flanks, pushing them forward. Thus, the battle began precisely on the flanks, and the Romans gained an advantage, while the Carthaginian center could not approach the enemy and was finally attacked from the sides by the victorious Roman flanks.

At the same time, Scipio arranged the matter in such a way that the enemy was lured out of the camp early at dawn, before he had time to eat. The battle itself began only after lunch. As a result, the Carthaginians at the time of the battle were exhausted by hunger, thirst, and long-term standing under the scorching heat and could not resist for a long time. They fled to their camp, which would have been stormed by the Romans had a sudden heavy rain not put an end to the battle. This battle decided the question of the possession of Spain. Hasdrubal and Magon fled to Hades. Their army scattered. The Spanish soldiers partly went over to the Romans. The Numidian king Masinissa, whom Scipio won over to his side by referring to him Arrays, went after a secret meeting with Silanus to Africa, deciding in the future to test his happiness in alliance with Rome.

Scipio sent his brother Lucius with many noble prisoners to Rome to report on the conquest of Spain. But this victory was for him only the first step to more significant enterprises and louder glory. On African soil, in front of the gates of Carthage, he wanted to end the great war and crown his heroic deed with the complete humility of the old enemy. To this end, he planned to attract the kings and peoples of Africa to himself and decided first of all to acquire the favor of Syphax, king of the Numidian Massesiles, the most powerful sovereign of Africa, whose possessions were just opposite Spain. Syphax at that time was still in alliance with Carthage, but Scipio believed that he, like most of the barbarians, would make his loyalty dependent on military happiness, and sent his friend Lelius to him with precious gifts, inviting him to enter into a friendly alliance with Rome .

Syphax, who saw the victories of the Romans and the defeat of the Carthaginians, declared that he was ready to move away from the latter, but he was ready to conclude an alliance only personally with the Roman commander. Then Scipio, together with Lelius, moved to Africa from New Carthage on two five-oared ships. Hasdrubal, the son of Gisgon, who had just been expelled from Spain, anchored in the royal harbor with five three-oared ships just at the time when the ships of Scipio were approaching the same harbor. The Carthaginian sailors prepared to attack the Roman ships, but did not have time to raise the anchors. The Romans had already entered the harbor, and the Carthaginians did not dare to disturb the peaceful state of the royal port. Hasdrubal landed on the shore, followed by Scipio and Lelius. They all went to the king's palace.

Syphax felt extremely flattered that the commanders of both the most powerful peoples came to him at the same time to conclude a friendly alliance with him. He received both cordially and even tried to become an intermediary to eliminate their mutual enmity. But Scipio announced that he personally did not have the slightest antipathy towards the Carthaginian commander, but without the authority of the Senate he could not enter into an agreement with the enemy on any public matter. The proposed meeting did not take place. Both guests accepted the invitation to dinner and even reclined at the table on the same pillow. During dinner, Scipio showed such pleasantness and dexterity in conversation that he gained the favor of not only the king of the barbarians, but also his enemy Hasdrubal, so that he loudly spoke out that Scipio won him over by personal acquaintance even more than by military exploits. Having concluded an alliance with Syphax, Scipio returned to Spain.

Syphax of Numidia receiving Scipio. Fragment. Alessandro Allori. About 1571-1582.

Time spent in Spain He used scipy to subjugate and subdue those peoples who, as it turned out, acted treacherously against the Romans or tried to maintain their personal independence. During these trips, he fell seriously ill. This circumstance, as well as the mutiny of one corps out of 8 000 people, dissatisfied with arrears in paying salaries, strengthened the hope of the Spanish rebels. But Scipio recovered just in time to put down the rebellion and thwart the Spanish designs before they could. strengthen . The Carthaginians from the Spanish possessions had only Hades. Magon Barca commanded there, but, by order of the Carthaginian Senate, he left this point and went to the Bolearic Islands, and from there to Italy.

Thus, after a 13-year war, Spain became a Roman province from a Carthaginian province. But the Romans, until the time of Augustus, had to deal with regular disturbances there. By the end of 206, Scipio handed over command in Spain to the proconsul Lentulus and returned to Rome on ten ships with rich booty and glory. But the triumph he hoped for was denied him, since the laws allowed only dictators, consuls and praetors to celebrate triumphs, but not proconsuls or propraetors. Therefore, Scipio entered the city without triumph, ordering 14,342 pounds of silver and a huge amount of silver coin to be carried for the state treasury. As a reward for all these merits, the people unanimously and enthusiastically chose him as consul for the next year, 205. P. Licinius Crassus became his comrade, who, being the high priest, did not have the right to leave Italy. If it were decided to move the war to Africa, it would be solely the responsibility of Scipio.

Scipio, on the other hand, was determined to carry out the plan he had drawn up in Spain. But among the senators, many did not want to hear about the expedition to Africa while Hannibal was in Italy, and who looked disapprovingly at the young hero for his new spirit and independent way of waging war. Scipio made it clear to them that if the Senate did not entrust the African War to him, he would appeal to the people. Then the senate was compelled to agree, and placed at his disposal the province of Sicily, with the power to cross over to Africa, if he considered it necessary for the good of the state. However, the state did not support him financially. In addition, for the equipment of this expedition, he was not given the right to produce a set of recruits, so he had to confine call for volunteers. In Sicily same placed at his disposal two penal legion who survived the battle of Cannae and sent on the Sicily as punishment. The Etruscan cities and the Sicilians took upon themselves the costs of building and equipping the fleet. In a short time, 30 new ships were built and 7 000 volunteers who were called by the big name of the commander. With these people he and went to Sicily with the firm determination to cross over to Africa in the next year as proconsul.

Mark Porcius Cato

However, the opponents in Rome nearly succeeded in destroying his entire plan. Heavy accusations against the general came from Sicily, chiefly through Scipio's quaestor, Porcius Cato. It was said that he behaved among the Sicilian Greeks not like a Roman, but like a Greek. Walks in a Greek dress and sandals, a instead of thinking about war, he spends time in gymnastic schools, studies and allows his army to become effeminate and depraved. A commission was sent to Sicily with instructions to conduct an investigation and, if the complaint turned out to be justified, to recall the commander to Rome. Scipio summoned his entire army and ordered the fleet to stand ready, as if the battle with the Carthaginians was to take place on the same day. He cordially received all the members of the commission, showed them all his land and sea forces, made a general teaching before them, R took them to bakeries and etc . and so surprised them that they considered the fall of Carthage inevitable and asked Scipio to cross over to Africa as soon as possible and act there at their own discretion.

In 204, Scipio moved to Africa with 40 warships and 400 freighters. The indications of the number of troops following him are very different: some give this number at 12,200 people, others at 35,000. Scipio landed at the Beautiful Cape, near Utica, west of Carthage. The Carthaginians, having received information about the actions of Scipio, prepared, as best they could, for defense. They equipped an army of 20,000 infantry, 6,000 horsemen and 140 elephants under the command of Hasdrubal, who attracted Syphax to his side by giving him his daughter as his wife. Masinissa, king of the Massils, expelled from his possessions by Syphax and the Carthaginians, immediately appeared with his cavalry detachment in the camp of Scipio. As long as Scipio had only a weak Carthaginian army in front of him, the advantage was on his side. When Syphax appeared with 50,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, the Roman commander was forced to lift the siege of Utica and retire to a winter quarter on a cape between Carthage and Utica.

Hasdrubal and Syphax encamped against him. At the end of winter, Scipio, having lulled the vigilance of Syphax and the Carthaginians by negotiations, launched an attack at night on both enemy camps. Lelius and Masinissa imperceptibly approached the camp of Syphax and set it on fire. The fire from the straw tents quickly spread in all directions, and while the Numidians, unaware of the presence of the enemy, put out the fire, the enemy attacked them with weapons in their hands. The Carthaginians saw the fire of a friendly camp, and since they also did not suspect that the enemy was near them, they rushed to help their own, not thinking about defending their own camp. Scipio, who spoke at that time against the Carthaginians, was able to set fire to their camp without hindrance. People, like animals, died from fire or the sword of the Romans.

After this easy and complete victory, Scipio sent Lelia and Masinissa with all the cavalry and light infantry to pursue Syphax in his dominions. He himself, with heavy infantry, conquered the nearby cities and reached Tunis. During the construction of the camp, the Romans saw that a fleet had left Carthage to attack the Roman ships stationed at Utica. Rushing to their aid, they repulsed the attack. At the same time, Masinissa and Lelia expelled Syphax from the country he had taken from Masinissa and invaded his possessions. Syphax again gathered a large army, but was completely defeated and taken prisoner. Scipio's success prompted the Carthaginians to negotiate peace and recall Hannibal from Italy. In 202, Hannibal was defeated at Zama, and the Carthaginians were forced to make peace on the terms put forward by Scipio.

Battle of Zama 202 BC, Cornelis Court, 156

After the conquest of Carthage, Scipio was honored throughout his journey through Italy. With the greatest enthusiasm, the inhabitants of cities and villages ran out in droves to meet him. The villagers occupied all the roads and greeted the young hero as a winner and a peacemaker. His triumphal procession into the city was the most brilliant that Rome had ever seen. In pure silver, he contributed 123,000 pounds to the state treasury, and gave each soldier 400 copper aces. After the conquest of Africa, Scipio received the nickname of the African - the first example when the conquered country gave the nickname to the commander. They say that the people wanted to make him a permanent consul and dictator, to put his statues in the square, on the oratory, on the Capitol and in the altar of the temple of Jupiter, but he himself rejected these honors. In the following years, Scipio occupied the most prominent places in Rome. He was censor in 199, a second time consul in 194, and for several years princeps senatus.

In 190, Scipio again went to war. At that time, his brother Lucius and K. Lelius were consuls. Since Scipio Africanus had promised to accompany his brother, a man of very limited ability, as legate, the senate charged him with making war on Antiochus, king of Syria. Antiochus, who had long been at odds with Rome, set off a casus belli by attacking Roman allies in Asia Minor and crossing into Thrace.

Antiochus III the Great

Antiochus began the war in the spring of 192 by crossing into Greece, to which he promised liberation from Roman tyranny. But, in the hope of the Greeks going over to his side, he brought with him a very small army - 10,000 infantry and 500 horsemen. But only a few of the Greeks joined him, and therefore in 191 he was utterly defeated at Thermopylae by the consul Acilius Glabrion. Of all his troops, only 500 people escaped, and he himself was forced to flee to Asia. The next year, the Romans moved the hostilities to Asia Minor, and both Scipio went to Greece with new reinforcements, among which were many of Scipio's old soldiers as volunteers. There they took command of the army of Glabrion and passed through Macedonia and Thrace to the Hellespont, through which they crossed unhindered.

Antiochus saw the need to make peace and appealed through the embassy to Scipio Africanus, who was the decisive person in the Roman camp. Antiochus had the good fortune to capture one of Scipio's sons. The embassy now sent offered the free release of this prisoner and, in addition, brought with them a large sum of money. Scipio announced that he would gratefully accept the release of his son as a private person, but in relation to the state he could receive as little from him as he could give him. At the same time, he declared that he could only give Antiochus good advice - by all means make peace with the Roman people. The terms put forward by Scipio were the payment of military expenses and the cession of Asia Minor up to Taurus to Rome. The king did not accept the conditions, but released the son of Scipio without demanding any ransom.

While Scipio was lying sick in Aedea, at Magnesia, by the river Sinila, a decisive battle took place. Since Lucius Scipio did not rely on his own abilities, he entrusted the command in this battle to the legate Domitius. Antiochus' 70,000 troops were completely defeated. The king fled with a small cavalry detachment and soon sent an embassy to ask for peace. The Scipios agreed to peace on the same terms that they put to the former embassy. The Roman Senate, on which the approval of peace depended in all cases, complicated the conditions. He demanded the cession of Asia Minor as far as Galis and Mount Taurus, so that Antiochus was left with only Cilicia from this peninsula, and the payment of 15,000 Euboean talents. The lands taken from the king were given to the Roman allies - King Eumenes of Pergamon and the Rhodians. The first received in Europe the Thracian Chersonese, in Asia - Phrygia, Lydia, Lycaonia and many other lands, and the Rhodians - Lycia and part of Caria. Freedom was restored to many Greek cities in Asia Minor. The Aetolians, allies of Antiochus, were forced to submit and pay a large sum of money. Lucius Scipio was nicknamed Asiatic.

Scipio, the conqueror of Spain, Africa and Asia, towered over the rest of the Romans, surpassing all in grandeur and rare merits. In a proud consciousness of his own dignity, he went his own way, not caring about the opinion of society, and used his leisure for conversations with educated friends and acquaintance with Greek literature and arts. But among the Roman nobles, he had many enemies and opponents. Many, such as Mark Porcius Cato, saw in the new, Greek spirit of such an influential and high-ranking person a danger to the old Roman customs. Others, like Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, feared for the freedom of the state, realizing the extraordinary social position of this man and his unconcealed consciousness that he, as a person, was above state laws. Most of them were just jealous of the great man. These enemies brought proceedings against Scipio and his brother, accusing them of taking bribes and concealing the money that Antiochus had paid them for the state.

The course of the process, which was already told in different ways in antiquity, was probably the following: the Petillians, instigated by Cato, filed an accusation against Lucius Scipio in the senate of concealing money. The Senate did not have the right to leave this accusation without consequences, but made it harmless by placing Terentius Culleon, a senator who felt indebted to Scipio, as he had released him from Carthaginian captivity during the African War, at the head of the commission of inquiry. Terentius, out of gratitude to his savior, followed his triumphal chariot with a hat on his head, as freed slaves did, and subsequently walked in the same form in front of Scipio's tomb at his funeral. All his life he was a sincere friend of the Cornelius family. Thus, the first accusation was not successful.

Then one tribune transferred the matter to the comitia of the tribes, and Scipio Asiatic was sentenced to a large fine. Since he refused to provide a surety for payment on the grounds that all the money issued by Antiochus was deposited in the state treasury and he had nothing left belonging to the state, the tribune ordered him to be seized and taken to prison. At this moment, Scipio Africanus appeared, hastening to the aid of his brother from Etruria, and snatched Lucius from the hands of his enemies. A great confusion began, the people divided into two parties, and then Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, an enemy of the Scipios, intervened. He condemned the illegal behavior of Scipio Africanus, but at the same time freed his brother from imprisonment. "Truth,- he said, - that I am in the same hostility with the Scipios as before, and I do not do this at all in order to gain their gratitude; but I can by no means allow his own brother to be imprisoned in the very prison into which Scipio the Africanus once brought the kings of the enemy and generals to now be imprisoned.

The arrest of Lucius Scipio did not take place, but his property was confiscated by the quaestors. This property not only did not contain Antiochus's money, but it would not even be enough to pay the fine to which Lucius was sentenced. The relatives, friends, and clients of the condemned man collected so much money for him that if he had accepted it, he would have become much richer than he was before his misfortune. But he refused this donation and limited himself to agreeing only to the most necessary support from his relatives.

Shortly thereafter, the enemies of the Cornelius family came out against Scipio Africanus. In the Senate, he was required to report on the use of booty taken during the war and taxes collected at the same time. Scipio brought his account books, but immediately, before the eyes of the senators, tore them up, declaring that it was insulting for him to give an account of 4 millions when he had deposited 400 millions in the cashier. The Senate was content with this justification.

A few years later, two tribunes brought the same case to the tribes. On the appointed day, Scipio appeared at the popular assembly, accompanied by a large crowd of his friends and clients. He went up to the oratory, and when silence reigned, he said: “On this day, tribunes and citizens, I won in one battle in Africa a great victory over Hannibal and the Carthaginians; therefore, today one should not engage in any disputes and strife, but I will immediately go from here to the Capitol to pray to the almighty Jupiter, Juno, Minerva and other gods, under whose protection the Capitol and the fortress are located, and thank them for being on this very day, as and in many others, gave me the strength and ability to conduct public affairs with due skill. You quirites also come with me and ask the gods to always put people like me at the head of you..

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus the Elder

With these words, he left the oratory and went to the Capitol. The whole assembly followed him, and soon there remained only the tribunes and their slaves and heralds, who continued to loudly call the accused to account. Scipio, with the crowd that accompanied him, went around not only the Capitol, but also all the other temples, and on the same day celebrated a triumph almost more brilliant than that which his fatherland honored after the victory over the Carthaginians and Syphax. After this, the tribunes repeatedly demanded that Scipio be brought to trial, but pride did not allow him to appear before the people as an accused and humiliate himself with a humble defense. Indignant at the ingratitude of his fellow citizens, he voluntarily went into exile, to his estate Liternum near Qom, where he lived for another year in solitude, doing agriculture. He died at the age of over 50.

They say that, dying, he demanded that he be buried not in Rome, but in Liternum. But even in Rome, in front of the Capena Gate, there was a tomb of the Scipios with three statues, two of which depicted Publius and Lucius Scipio, and the third depicted the writer Ennius, who enjoyed a special favor and patronage of the highly educated Scipio family.

The year of death of Scipio Africanus is not exactly known. He probably died in 183, when his great adversary Hannibal and the Greek Philopomenes also died.

Scipio's wife was Emilia, daughter of Aemilius Paul, who died at Cannae. By her he had two sons and two daughters. One son, Publius, an educated but physically weak man, adopted Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilian Africanus the Younger. The other, Lucius or Gnaeus, the one who was held captive by Antiochus, is shown by historians as a corrupt man, expelled from the senate by the censors in 174. Of the daughters of Scipio, one was married to Cornelius Scipio Nazica, and the other to the aforementioned Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus. It is said that Scipio betrothed his youngest daughter to his former enemy on the same day that he released Lucius Scipio from prison. On this day, the senators dined in the Capitol and, rising from the table, asked Scipio to immediately betroth his daughter to Gracchus. And so it happened. This Cornelia is the famous mother of the Gracchi.

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus

The Roman commander Publius Cornelius Scipio went down in history as a victor; as a man who turned the tide of the second Punic War, which was unsuccessful for the Romans, waged by Rome and Carthage from 218 to 201. BC. As a result of this war, he received the honorary nickname - African.

First battles

Scipio was born into a patrician family. He began his military career in 218 BC. at the age of 17. At the Battle of the Ticinus in the Alps, he attacked the enemy, saving his father during the battle with the Carthaginians.
In 216 BC Scipio was a participant in the battle of Cannae, in which the Romans suffered a crushing defeat.

In subsequent years, the Romans made efforts to gain dominance in Spain, which was the stronghold of Hannibal's troops, who continued the war in Italy. The Roman troops in Spain were commanded by the father of Publius Cornelius Scipio, Lucius Cornelius Scipio. Father, brother, uncle and father-in-law of Publius Cornelius Scipio died in the fight against the Carthaginians. This was the reason for revenge on Carthage and Hannibal. Scipio stubbornly studied military tactics, and came to the conclusion that in the war with the Carthaginians one must adhere to offensive tactics.

War in Spain

In 209 BC Scipio was entrusted with the command of the Roman troops in Spain, which consisted of three thousand cavalry and 28 thousand infantry. The commander made Tarrakona (now Tarragona) his stronghold, and directed his main efforts to mastering the main base of the Carthaginians - New Carthage (now the city of Cartagena).

By capturing the port, Scipio deprived the Carthaginians of reinforcements and supplies. And for Rome, it was additional food and a springboard for moving south. Scipio promised freedom to the enemy soldiers on the condition that they work for Rome.

By this time, there is an event that served as a plot for the paintings of many artists. Among the prisoners was the bride of the Spanish leader Allucius, whom Scipio returned to the groom. And the gold that the girl's parents brought in the form of a ransom for her, gave Allucia as a dowry. The plot was called the Magnanimity of Scipio.

N. Poussin. The generosity of Scipio. Museum of Fine Arts. Pushkin. Moscow

Military reform

Having captured New Carthage, Scipio set about transforming the army, training his soldiers and preparing the Roman army for complex military operations. The soldiers were well trained and armed with the finest Spanish swords. These swords were cut and thrust and were better suited to Roman military tactics.
The changes also affected the cavalry. The riders received good armor - helmets, armor, shields, darts. Scipio attached great importance to the training of soldiers and was himself present at the exercises.

In 208 - 206 years. BC. the Romans successfully fought in Spain and in 206 BC. managed to surround the enemy. The army of Carthage was outnumbered, but Scipio launched a surprise attack and neutralized this advantage. Strict discipline and good training of warriors also contributed to the success. As a result of this battle, Spain was returned to the Romans, and Scipio was proclaimed emperor.

African campaign

Returning to Rome, Scipio convinced the Romans to fight Hannibal not in Italy, the northern part of which was occupied by the Carthaginian army, but to invade North Africa. In 204 BC Scipio's troops landed on Carthaginian soil, and thanks to lightning-fast actions, not allowing the enemy to come to his senses, won several victories over the Carthaginians.

Hannibal's troops were withdrawn from Italy to defend his country, but Scipio, using surprise, attacked the Carthaginians and did not give the enemy time for a respite and reorganization. In 202 BC two great commanders met at the battle of Zama. As a result of this battle, Scipio defeated the troops of Hannibal.

Carthage in 201 BC. was forced to make peace on the terms dictated by Rome. The Second Punic War is over. The Roman Republic became the most powerful power of the ancient world, and the dominance of Rome was established in the Mediterranean.

Scipio returns to Rome as a hero and receives the title of African for the conquest of Africa.

The Syrian War and the Last Years of Scipio

After a long break in 190 BC. Scipio participated in the campaign against Syria. The last great victory of Scipio was the defeat of the army of the Syrian king Antiochus, this victory ended the Syrian war. Then he returns to his homeland.

The career of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus as a Roman politician was not successful, and he was forced to leave Rome. Scipio spent the last years of his life on his estate in Literna (in Campania). Here he died in 183 BC.

The names of Scipio and Hannibal are inextricably linked in history, both commanders died in the same year. Hannibal is more famous in history, attracts more attention to himself. But, however, Scipio defeated Hannibal. Scipio was brave, determined, and earned the respect and loyalty of his warriors.

Scipio is a general who brought about significant military reform in his army, and one of the largest and most important generals before Julius Caesar.

The content of the article

Scipio, an outstanding Roman family from the genus Cornelius. Two of its representatives, the brothers Publius Cornelius Scipio and Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio, during the 2nd Punic War from 217 to 212 BC. fought in Spain against Hasdrubal, son of Hamilcar. After the victories won at the beginning, which prevented the Carthaginians from going from Spain to Italy to help Hannibal, in 212 BC. both commanders died in battle. Two other Scipios brought even greater fame to the family: Scipio Africanus, known as "Scipio the Elder", and Scipio Aemilian Africanus, or "Scipio the Younger".

Scipio Africanus the Elder

(Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus) (c. 234–183 BC), in full Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, one of the greatest commanders of Ancient Rome. The son of the aforementioned Publius Cornelius Scipio, a participant in the 2nd Punic War, he bravely fought at Ticinus (218 BC) and Cannae (216 BC). In 210 BC Scipio, in fact a private individual (which set an important precedent), was chosen to command the new Roman army sent to Spain. He took the Carthaginians by surprise and captured New Carthage, where the headquarters of the Carthaginian army was located, and in 209 BC. near Becula he won a brilliant victory over Hasdrubal, the son of Hamilcar. In 206 BC Scipio took possession of almost all of Spain, inflicting a decisive defeat on the Carthaginians at Ilipa. Later that year, Scipio completed the expedition by capturing Gades, the last city of Spain remaining in Carthaginian hands.

On his return to Rome, Scipio was elected consul for 205 BC. and received the province of Sicily. In 204 BC, when the Carthaginian army led by Hannibal was locked in southwestern Italy, Scipio managed to overcome opposition in the Senate and transfer the war to the territory of Carthage. He sailed to Africa and landed near Utica, where he was joined by the Numidian prince Masinissa. Early in the following year they twice defeated the combined forces of Hasdrubal, son of Gisgon, and his Numidian ally Sifak. As a result, the Carthaginians recalled Hannibal and his brother Mago from Italy. Attempts to make peace came to nothing, and the 2nd Punic War ended after Scipio's decisive victory over the Carthaginian army in the great battle of Zama. Scipio returned to Rome in triumph, received the nickname "African", but instead of seizing supreme power, which was quite within his power, he resigned.

In 190 BC Scipio, as a legate, contributed to the success of the military expedition of his brother Lucius Cornelius Scipio against the king of Syria, Antiochus III. When the commander returned to Rome, the enemies (the party of Cato the Elder and Flamininus) began to accuse the brothers of taking a bribe from Antiochus, it came to a conviction against Lucius, and only the intervention of the tribune Sempronius Gracchus saved Lucius from prison. Scipio retired to his rural estate near Litern, where he died ca. 183 BC Scipio was not only an outstanding commander, but also a real scholar, well acquainted with Greek literature and art. His daughter, Cornelia, was the mother of two famous Roman tribunes, Tiberius and Gaius Gracchi.

Scipio Africanus the Younger

(Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus) (185–129 BC), fully Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus, Roman commander who destroyed Carthage, victoriously ending the 3rd Punic War, head of the circle of Roman and Greek writers and scientists, friend the historian Polybius and the philosopher Panetius, the hero of the dialogue of Cicero About the state. Scipio Africanus the Younger was the youngest son from the first marriage of Lucius Aemilius Paulus, the conqueror of Macedonia. When his parents separated, he was adopted by Publius Scipio, son of Scipio Africanus the Elder, and thus Aemilian entered the Scipio family. However, he maintained a close relationship with his own father, who gave him an excellent education, including Greek. Aemilian accompanied his father on the Macedonian campaign in 168 BC. and on a trip to Greece after the defeat of King Perseus. Then his father gave him books from the library of Perseus.

Aemilian first attracted attention in 151 BC, when he volunteered for Spain as a military tribune. When the 3rd Punic War began (149 BC), Scipio went to Africa as a military tribune. Dissatisfied with the course of the war, the people elected him consul for 147 BC, which was achieved as a result of a special decree of the senate: Scipio was far from reaching the 43 years required to become a consul. Returning to Africa, Scipio began the siege of Carthage and, after a year of desperate resistance, took the city by storm, plundered it, and sold the inhabitants into slavery. By order of the Senate, Scipio established the province of Africa here, with its center in Utica. He returned to Rome, celebrated a triumph and received the honorary title of "African".

Several setbacks that befell the Romans in Spain forced them to re-elect Scipio as consul in 134 BC. (this also required circumventing the law, since the second consulate was prohibited in 151 BC), and the following year, after a stubborn siege, he took the city of Numantia in Spain. Returning to Rome in 132 BC, Scipio publicly approved the murder of his son-in-law Tiberius, who paid with his life for attempting reforms, and thereby incurred the hatred of the populace. He became the recognized leader of the aristocrats, supporting their resistance to the agrarian legislation of the Gracchi. In 129 BC, on the morning of the day when Scipio was to speak before the people's assembly on the question of the distribution of land, he was found dead in his own bedroom.

Scipio Scipio

(Scipio).

1) Publius Cornelius Scipio the African Senior (P. Cornelius Africanus maior), genus. in 234 BC, one of the greatest men of ancient Rome. He fought in the famous Battle of Cannae where the Romans were defeated by Hannibal (216). In 210, he was appointed head of the Roman army, which undertook a campaign in Spain, and the first military feat of Scipio was the capture of New Carthage. At the age of three, he completely drove the Carthaginians out of Spain. Upon his return to Rome, he was elected consul, although he was only 30 years old. In 204, Scipio crossed over to Africa and the next year defeated the Carthaginians and their ally Syphax. The Carthaginians called on Hannibal; but Scipio won a brilliant victory over him at Zama in 202, and the Carthaginians were forced to sue for peace. Scipio returned to Italy in triumph and received the nickname of the Arfican. The Battle of Zama - one of the most remarkable battles ever - ended the second Punic War.

2) Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilian the African the Younger (P. Corn. Scipio Aemilianus Africanus minor), son of Emilius Paul, adopted son of Scipio the Elder. Genus. about 185 BC. He was distinguished by a penchant for literature and maintained relations with prominent writers of his time. Cicero immortalized his friendship with Lelius in his essay On Friendship. When the third Punic War began, Scipio went to Africa and distinguished himself there both for personal courage and military talent. On his return to Rome, he was elected consul and given command of the army in Africa. He proceeded to Carthage and, despite the heroic defense of the Carthaginians, took the city in 146 BC. In Rome, Scipio was received with great honors. The capture of Carthage ended the third Punic War. Scipio the Younger died in 129. He was a remarkable orator and connoisseur of Greek literature and, like Cato, was distinguished by the virtues of a true Roman.

(Source: "A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities." M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition of A. S. Suvorin, 1894.)

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