Scipio Africanus

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus

Roman General

Initial fame came from fighting and defeating the Carthagian armies in Spain following his conquer of New Carthage (Cartagena).

Following his success in Spain, Scipio wanted to attack Africa. Members of the Roman Senate who were jealous of his growing success and fame only allowed him to go as far as Sicily. In Sicily he trained a volunteer army and finally was granted permisison to attack Africa.

The invasion by Scipio's volunteer army and allied Numidians prompted Hannibal to return to Africa (from Italy) to negotiate peace. Scipio's demands were so harsh no compromise could be reached and war was the only option.

In 202 BC Scipio defeated Hannibal at Zama and was awarded the title Africanus. Upon returning to Italy Scipio retired and spent the remainder of his life dealing with the bitter politics of Rome.

Upon his return Africanus Minor was greeted with increasing political chaos as Gracchi took control of the political body of Rome and attempted to pass several measures devolving more power and wealth to the common people of the Republic. Africanus Minor was heavily against this and contributed all the weight of his political reuptation to the resistance effort. Just as he had reached the height of not only his political, but also intellectual and cultural achievement, Africanus Minor died. In all likelihood he was killed by his wife, Sempronia, who was a sister of Gracchi. Cicero so greatly admired this statesmen that he made Africanus Minor the central character of De Republica, De Senectute, and De Amicitia.

at Zama, this was happening now. The first line of the Roman legions were breaking as the second pushed up and finally succeeded in routing the African infantry, who in their wake left Scipio's troops face to face with Hannibal's hardened Spanish Infantry, the men who had decimated so many Roman units in Italy.