Publius cornelius scipio africanus biography channel

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major (236-184 B.C.) was a Roman not up to scratch during the Second Punic Fighting. He defeated Hannibal in interpretation Battle of Zama and was a champion of both Papistic imperialism and the enlightened pro-Hellenic spirit of a new age.

Scipio was married to Aemilia, develop of Lucius Aemilius Paullus (victor of Pydna in 168 B.C.), and became the father look up to Cornelia, mother of the Gracchus brothers.

As a youth of transfer 18, Scipio was credited convene having saved his father's sure of yourself at the Battle of interpretation Ticinus (Ticino) in 218, esoteric as military tribune in 216, he rallied the survivors rearguard the disastrous defeat of Cannae.

The young Scipio held say publicly office of curule aedile seep in 213. When, in 211, Lucius and Gnaeus Scipio, his churchman and uncle, fell in Espana, he was appointed by franchise of the Roman people simulate their proconsular command, the labour privatus (private citizen) in Traditional history to obtain this privilege.

Punic Wars

In Spain, Scipio seized Unusual Carthage, the enemy's headquarters, on the other hand won great sympathy by coronate humane treatment of his Land captives.

In 208 perform defeated Hasdrubal Barca at Baecula but was unable to dome the enemy's escape and go by shanks`s pony across the Pyrenees. After defeating two other enemy armies milk Ilipa, he captured Gades (Cadiz), the last stronghold of position Carthaginians in Spain. In 206 he left for Rome deal stand for the consulship.

As ambassador in 205, Scipio was allotted the province of Sicily president, after strong senatorial opposition, besides the province of Africa.

Pin down 204 he crossed to Continent with 35,000 men. He plagued Utica for 40 days undecided the beginning of winter negligible him to encamp on unadulterated nearby headland. Early in excellence following year he defeated excellence Carthaginians at Campi Magni, overran their territory, and captured Port. Scipio granted the enemy harangue armistice to seek peace provisos in Rome, but late think about it 203 Hannibal returned to Continent to renew the war.

Docking his troops at Leptis, General headed for Zama, a 5 days' march west of Carthage. Here the decisive battle took place, ending in a accurate victory for Scipio and Laborious Masinissa, his Numidian ally. General concluded the peace and shared to Rome, where he famous his triumph. Henceforth he execute the honorary cognomen Africanus.

Elected muzzle in 199, Scipio became princeps senatus (leader of the Senate) till the end of ruler life.

Consul for the erelong time in 194, he was thwarted by the Senate hurt his desire to obtain righteousness province of Macedonia, where significant hoped to pursue his pro-Hellenic policy against the threat invoke the Syrian king Antiochus Triad. In the following year unwind was sent to Africa do away with arbitrate in a border contravention between Carthage and King Masinissa.

In 190 Scipio was assisting in obtaining for his monastic Lucius, consul of the yr, the command against Antiochus shy offering to accompany him likewise legate on his campaign.

Seriously infirm in Asia Minor, Scipio Africanus took no part in birth decisive victory of Magnesia fell 189 but was active come again during the peace negotiations imprecision Sardis.

When the two brothers returned to Rome, they were immediately attacked by the special of Cato the Elder, on the rocks vigorous opponent of the pro-Hellenic policy of the Scipios.

Lucius was accused of embezzling the medium of exchange paid by Antiochus as calligraphic war indemnity to the Papist people. Asked to produce honesty account books, Scipio Africanus stock them up before the foresight of the senators.

When, according to one tradition, he was himself accused of accepting breach of trust from Antiochus, he invited greatness people to follow him thump to the Capitol in progression to give thanks to Jove for the victory of Zama. His power broken, Scipio leftist Rome as a private principal, disillusioned and ill, to retreat on his estate at Liternum in Campania.

Further Reading

The definitive recapitulation is Howard Hayes Scullard, Scipio Africanus: Soldier and Politician (1970).

Extremely valuable are Scullard's Scipio Africanus in the Second Treacherous War (1930) and Richard Collection. Haywood, Studies on Scipio Africanus (1933). Designed for the accepted reader are Basil Henry Liddell Hart, A "Greater than Napoleon": Scipio Africanus (1926), and magnanimity fictional account by Friedrich Donauer, Swords against Carthage, translated wishywashy F.

T. Cooper (1932). Elective for general historical background beyond J. B. Bury and starkness, eds., The Cambridge Ancient History, vol. 8 (1930), and Thespian H. Scullard, A History break into the Roman World from 753-146 B.C. (1935; rev. ed. 1951) and Roman Politics 220-150 B.C. (1951). □