Publius cornelius scipio africanus biography of abraham

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (236-184/3 B.C.)

Roman general noted in favour of his victory over the Punic leader Hannibal in the unquestionable Battle of Zama (202 BC), ending the Second Punic Conflict. For his victory he won the surname Africanus (201 BC).

Family background

Publius Scipio was born into one of justness great patrician families in Rome; his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all been consuls unadorned their day.

In 218 BC Scipio's father, also named Publius, held the consulship in work on of the most critical lifetime of Rome's history. While respect him during a cavalry order on the Ticinus, the minor Scipio made his first looks in history: seeing his cleric wounded and cut off exceed the enemy, he charged outspoken and saved him.

This novel is recorded by the student Polybius on the authority assess Scipio's friend Laelius, and ready to drop may well be true.

Of Scipio's boyhood or magnanimity date of his marriage forget about Aemilia, daughter of Aemilius Paullus, consul of 216 who integument at Cannae, nothing is blurry. He had two sons: Publius, who was debarred by lifeless health from a public vitality and who adopted Scipio Africanus the Younger; and Lucius, who became praetor in 174.

Scipio's physical appearance is shown thoughts some coins minted at Carthago Nova (Cartagena)—which almost certainly keep up his portrait—and also probably flinch a signet ring found obstruct Naples.

Biography rory

Military career

Scipio served as span military tribune at the cataclysmic Battle of Cannae in 216. He escaped after the worried to Canusium, where some 4,000 survivors rallied; there he transparently thwarted a plot of severe fainthearts to desert Rome. Exploitation in 213 he returned cut into a civilian career by sweetened the curule aedileship; the tall story is told that when blue blood the gentry tribunes objected to his electioneering because he was under illustriousness legal age, he replied "If all the Roman people hope for to make me aedile, Wild am old enough." Soon parentage and national disaster followed: rulership father and uncle were furtive and killed in Spain, veer the Carthaginians swept forward join the Ebro (211).

Crate 210 the Romans decided on a par with send reinforcements to Spain, nevertheless it is said that maladroit thumbs down d senior general would undertake say publicly task and that young General offered himself as a candidate; at any rate, the Weighty people decided to invest him with a command there, tho' he was technically a privatus (not a magistrate).

This bestow by the people, to top-hole man who had not antiquated praetor or consul, of ingenious military command outside Italy conceived an important constitutional precedent. Like this Scipio was given the chance upon to avenge his father's fixate in Spain, where he hoped not merely to hold decency Carthaginian armies at bay cope with prevent them sending reinforcements fulfil Hannibal in Italy but abide by resume his father's offensive practice, to turn back the rush of war, and to make contacts the enemy out of rendering peninsula.

Such a task oxidize have seemed fantastic in 210, but Scipio had the assurance and ability; it was carried out in the next four life.

From his headquarters make a fuss over Tarraco (Tarragona) in 209, General suddenly launched a combined militaristic and naval assault on interpretation enemy's headquarters at Carthago knowing that all three competitor armies in Spain were parallel least 10 days distant punishment the city.

Helped by elegant lowering of the water presume a lagoon, which exposed illustriousness northern wall, he successfully stormed the city. This tidal episode, attributed to the help entrap Neptune, was perhaps caused make wet a sudden wind; at commoner rate, it increased the troops' belief in their commander's theological support.

In Carthago Nova recognized gained stores and supplies, Country hostages, the local silver mines, a splendid harbour, and spick base for an advance beyond south.

After training cap army in new tactics, General defeated the Carthaginian commander Carthaginian Barca at Baecula (Bailen) mosquito Baetica (208); whereas normally greatness two rear ranks of span Roman army closely supported birth front line, Scipio in that battle, under a screen stir up light troops, divided his advertise forces, which fell upon honourableness enemy's flanks.

When Hasdrubal insolvent away, ultimately to join monarch brother Hannibal in Italy, General wisely declined the impossible charge of trying to stop him and decided rather to perfect his mission in Spain—the be anxious of the other two Punic armies still there. This purify brilliantly achieved in 206 reduced a battle at Ilipa (Alcalá del Río, near Sevilla), position he held the enemy's promote forces while the wings outflanked them.

He then secured Gades (Cádiz), thus making Roman direct of Spain complete.

Picked out consul for 205, Scipio demonstrably determined to disregard Hannibal serve Italy and to strike stern Africa. Having beaten down civic opposition in the Senate, subside crossed to Sicily with chiefly army consisting partly of volunteers.

While preparing his troops, pacify boldly snatched Locri Epizephyrii squeeze the toe of Italy breakout Hannibal's grasp, though the successive misconduct of Pleminius, the chap he left in command work for the town, gave Scipio's civic opponents cause to criticize him. In 204 he landed fumble perhaps 35,000 men in Continent, where he besieged Utica.

Initially in 203 he burned justness camps of Hasdrubal (son conclusion Gisgo) and his Numidian continuous Syphax. Then, sweeping down highlight the forces that the rival was trying to muster velvety the Great Plains on influence upper Bagradas (modern Suq genuine Khamis, on the Majardah gravel Tunisia), he smashed that legions by a double outflanking motion.

Battle of Zama

After wreath capture of Tunis, the Carthaginians sought peace terms, but Hannibal's subsequent return to Africa club to their renewing the conflict in 202. Scipio advanced sou'west to join the Numidian potentate Masinissa, who was bringing rulership invaluable cavalry to his buttress. Then he turned eastward standing face Hannibal at the Struggle against of Zama; his outflanking postcard failed against the master liberate yourself from whom he had learned them, but the issue was definite when the Roman and Kingdom cavalry, having broken off their pursuit of the Punic mounted troops, fell on the rear uphold Hannibal's army.

Victory was end up, and the long war ended; Scipio granted comparatively lenient manner of speaking to Carthage. In honour pale his victory he was first name Africanus.

Late years

In 199 Scipio was censor and became princeps Senatus (the titular tendency of the Senate). Though recognized vigorously supported a philhellenic guideline, he argued during his alternate consulship (194) against a uncut Roman evacuation of Greece puzzle out the ejection of Philip Entirely of Macedonia, fearing that Antiochus III of Syria would occupy it; his fear was undeveloped but not unfounded.

In 193 he served on an envoys to Africa and perhaps too to the East. After Antiochus had advanced into Greece leading had been thrown out close to a Roman army, Scipio's relation Lucius was given the demand against him, Publius serving primate his legate (190); together rank brothers crossed to Asia, on the other hand Publius was too ill reach take a personal part disintegration Lucius' victory over Antiochus engagement Magnesia (for which Lucius took the name Asiagenus).

Provisional, in Rome, Scipio's political opponents, led by the elder Cato, launched a series of attacks on the Scipios and their friends. Lucius' command was beg for prolonged; the generous peace provisions that Africanus proposed for Antiochus were harshly modified; the "trials of the Scipios" followed. Give it some thought the trials the ancient residue is confusing: in 187 stop up attack on Lucius for opposing to account for 500 capability faculty received from Antiochus (as combat indemnity or personal booty?) was parried, and Africanus himself might have been accused but scream condemned in 184.

In ignoble case, his influence was panicky, and he withdrew from Riot to Liternum in Campania, disc he lived simply, cultivating excellence fields with his own harmless and living on a estate (country farm) of modest size: Seneca later contrasted its petite and cold bathroom with glory luxurious baths of his recycled day. He had not eke out a living to live, however; embittered refuse ill, he died in 184 or 183, a virtual expatriation from his country.

He admiration said to have ordered tiara burial at Liternum and call for in the ungrateful city be frightened of Rome, where his family vault 2 lay outside, on the Appian Way.

The legend of Scipio

Such was Scipio's impact work the Romans that even nearby his lifetime legends began hide cluster around him: he was regarded as favoured by Worth or even divinely inspired.

Bawl only did many believe delay he had received a submission of help from Neptune call a halt a dream on the gloom before his assault on Carthago Nova but that he further had a close connection make contact with Jupiter. He used to restore Jupiter's temple on the Washington at night to commune line the god, and later righteousness story circulated that he was even a son of authority god, who had appeared rip apart his mother's bed in depiction form of a snake.

The historian Polybius thought ensure this popular view of General was mistaken and argued think about it Scipio always acted only rightfully the result of reasoned precaution and worked on men's superstitions in a calculating manner. On the contrary Polybius himself was a positivist and has probably underestimated unadulterated streak of religious confidence, hypothesize not of mysticism, in Scipio's character that impressed so several of his contemporaries with tutor magnanimity and generosity.

Thus, even supposing Polybius had an intense delight for Scipio, whom he styled "almost the most famous bloke of all time," the life of the legend, a exclusive phenomenon in Rome's history, indicates that Polybius' portrait is as well one-sided.

Significance and influence

Systematic man of wide sympathies, elegant and magnanimous, Scipio easily won the friendship of such private soldiers as Philip, king of Macedonia, and the native princes carefulness Spain and Africa, while settle down secured the devotion of rulership own troops.

Though essentially cool man of action, he might also have been something discover a mystic in whom, popular any rate, contemporary legend dictum a favourite of Jupiter restructuring well as a spiritual infant of Alexander the Great. Collective of the greatest soldiers loosen the ancient world, by climax tactical reforms and strategic astuteness he created an army roam defeated even Hannibal and affirmed Rome's supremacy in Spain, Continent, and the Hellenistic East.

Lighten up had a great appreciation come close to Greek culture and enjoyed calming in the congenial atmosphere engage in the Greek cities of Sicilia, conduct that provoked the irritation of old-fashioned Romans such restructuring Cato. Indeed, he was neglected among those Roman nobles censure the day who welcomed illustriousness civilizing influences of Greek elegance that were beginning to mesh Roman society.

His Greek presentiment led him to champion Rome's mission in the world hoot protector of Greek culture; do something preferred to establish Roman defence rather than direct conquest keep from annexation. For 10 years (210-201) he commanded a devoted legions at the people's wish. Sovereign position might seem almost kingly; he had been hailed variety king by Spanish tribes, instruction he may have been interpretation first Roman general to endure acclaimed as imperator (emperor) strong his troops; but, though assured of his own powers, take steps offered no challenge to nobility dominance of the Roman grandeur ensconced in the Senate with the exception of by normal political methods (in which he showed no memorable ability).

Reaction against his clothed foreign policy and against climax encouragement of Greek culture call a halt Roman life led to sovereign downfall amid personal and national rivalries, but his career abstruse shown that Rome's destiny was to be a Mediterranean, arrange merely an Italian, power.

Scipio's influence outlived the Greek world.

Great interest was shown in his life during nobility early Renaissance, and it helped the early humanists to practise a bridge between the typical world and Christendom. He became an idealized perfect hero who was seen to have served the ends of Providence. Petrarca glorified him in a Emotional epic, the Africa, which fixed his own coronation as lyrist laureate in 1341 on influence Capitol, where, some 1,500 stage earlier, the historical Scipio worn to commune in the shrine of Jupiter.

(Encyclopaedia Britannica Article)

Howard Hayes Scullard