No More Learning

extent, the mistakes, and made up for the inca. iv. 20, v. 19; Val. Max. vi. 4. & 2). In the
pacity of the consul Manilius, whose army on one solemn prayer offered at the conclusion of the
occasion he saved from destruction. His abilities lustrum, Scipio changed the supplication for the
gained him the complete confidence of Masinissa extension of the commonwealth into one for the
and the Roman troops, while his integrity and preservation of its actual possessions (Val. Max.
fidelity to his word were so highly prized by the iv. l. § 10*). He vainly wished to check the
enemy, that to his promise only would they trust. appetite for foreign conquests, which had been
Accordingly, the commissioners, who had been still further excited by the capture of Carthage.
sent by the senate to inspect the state of affairs in In B. c. 139 Scipio was brought to trial before
the Roman camp, made the most favourable report the people by Ti. Claudius Asellus, the tribune
of his abilities and conduct. When L. Calpurnius of the plebs. He seems to have been accused
Piso took the command of the army in the follow- of majestas ; but Asellus attacked him out of
ing year, B. c. 148, Scipio leſt Africa, and returned private animosity, because he had been deprived
to Rome, accompanied by the wishes of the soldiers of his horse, and reduced to the condition of an
that he would soon return to be their commander. aerarian by Scipio in his censorship. Scipio was
Many of them wrote to their friends at Rome, acquitted, and the speeches which he delivered
saying that Scipio alone could conquer Cartbage, on the occasion obtained great celebrity, and were
and the opinion became general at Rome that the held in high esteem in a later age (Gell. ii. 20,
conduct of the war ought to be entrusted to him. ü. 4, vii. 11; Cic. de Orat. ii. 64, 66; for
Even the aged Cato, who was always more ready further particulars see Vol. I. p. 385, a. ). It ap-
to blame than to praise, praised Scipio in the Ho-pears to have been after this event that Scipio was
meric words (Od. x. 495), “ He alone has wisdom, sent on an embassy to Egypt and Asia to attend
the rest are empty shadows" (Plut. Cat. Maj. to the Roman interests in those countries (Cic. de
27). The prepossession in favour of Scipio Rep. vi. 11). To show his contempt of the pomp
was still further increased by the want of and luxury in which his contemporaries indulged,
success which attended the operations of Piso ; he took with him only five slaves on this mission.
and, accordingly, when he became a candidate for (Athen, vi. p. 273. )
the aedileship for B. c. 147 he was elected consul, The long continuance of the war in Spain, and
although he was only thirty-seven, and had not the repeated disasters which the Roman arms
therefore attained the legal age. The senate, of experienced in that country, again called Scipio to
course, assigned to him Africa as his province, to the consulship. He was appointed consul in his
which he forth with sailed, accompanied by his absence, along with C. Fulvius Flaccus, and had
friends Polybius and Laelius. The details of the the province of Spain assigned to him, B. c. 134.
war, which ended in the capture of Carthage, are His first efforts were directed to the restoration of
given by Appian (Pun. 113–131), and would discipline in the army, which had become almost
take up too much space to be repeated here. The disorganised by sensual indulgences. After bringe
Carthaginians defended themselves with the cou- ing the troops into an efficient condition by his
rage of despair. They were able to maintain
possession of their city till the spring of the fol. Valerius Maximus, however, appears to be
lowing year, B. c. 146, when the Roman legions mistaken in stating that Scipio held the lustrum,
at length forced their way into the devoted town. since Cicero says (de Orat. j. 66), that it was
The inhabitants fought from street to street, and I held by his colleague Muminius


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750
SCIPIO.
SCIPIO.
;
severe and energetic measures, he laid siege to | evening he went home accompanied by the senate
Numantia, which was defended by its inhabitants and a great number of the allies, and then retired
with the same courage and perseverance which has quietly to his sleeping-room with the intention of
pre-eminently distinguished the Spaniards in all composing a speech for the following day. In the
ages in defence of their walled towns. It was not following morning Rome was thrown into con-
till they had suffered the most dreadful extremities sternation by the news that Scipio was found dead
of famine that they surrendered the place in the in his room. The most contradictory rumours were
following year, b. č. 133. Fifty of the principal circulated respecting his death, but it was the
inhabitants were selected to adorn Scipio's triumph, general opinion that he was murdered. Some
the rest were sold as slaves, and the town was thought that he died a natural death, and others
levelled to the ground. He now received the that he put an end to his own life, despairing of
surname of Numantinus in addition to that of Afri- being able to carry his proposal through the assem-
canus. While Scipio was employed in the reduction bly on the following day ; but the fact, which is
of Numantia, Rome was convulsed by the dis admitted by all writers, that there was no inquiry
turbances consequent upon the measures proposed into the cause of his death, corroborates the po-
by Tib. Gracchus in his tribunate, and which ended pular opinion that he was murdered. Suspicion
in the murder of the latter. Although Scipio was fell upon various persons; his wife Sempronia
married to Sempronia, the sister of the fallen and her mother Cornelia were suspected by
tribune, he had no sympathy with his reforms, some ; Carbo, Fulvius, and C. Gracchus by others
and no sorrow for his fate ; and upon receiving (Appian, B. C. : i. 19, 20; Vell. Pat. ii. 4 : Plut.
intelligence of his death at Numantin, he is said C. Gracch. 10 ; Schol. Bob. in Mil. p. 283, ed.
to have exclaimed in the verse of Homer. (Od. Orelli). Of all these Papirius Carbo was most
i. 47): –
generally believed to have been guilty, and is er-
“ So perish all who do the like again. "
pressly mentioned as the murderer by Cicero. (Cic.
de Or. ii. 40, ad Fam. ix. 21. § 3, ad Q. Fr. ii.
Upon his return to Rome in B. c. 132, he did not 3. $ 3. )
disguise his sentiments, and when asked in the The character of Scipio is thus described by
assembly of the tribes by C. Papirius Carbo, Niebuhr:- Scipio is one of those characters who
the tribune, who entered upon his office at the have a great reputation in history, which, however,
end of this year, what he thought of the death in my opinion, is not altogether well deserved.
of Tib. Gracchus, he boldly replied that he was He was, it is true, a very eminent general, and
justly slain (jure caesum). The people, who had a great man; he did many a just and praise-
probably expected a different answer from their worthy thing ; but he made a show of his great
favourite general and from the brother-in-law of qualities, and Polybius, his friend and instructor in
their martyred defender, loudly expressed their military matters, who in other respects loves him
disapprobation ; whereupon Scipio, with true aris- very much, shows in his narrative quite clearly
tocratic contempt for the mob, exclaimed “Taceant that the virtues of Scipio were ostentatious. Things
quibus Italia noverca est. ” (Val. Max. vi. 2. § 3 ; which every other good and honest man does
Aurel. Vict. Vir. IU. 58 ; Plut. Tib. Gracche quietly, Scipio boasts of, because they are not
21; Cic. Lael. 25. ) The people did not forget common among his own countrymen. What dis-
this insult, and from this time Scipio lost much of tinguishes him is an unflinching political character :
his influence over them. Still there was a prestige he belonged to those who wished by all means to
attaching to his name which the people could not maintain the state of things such as it actually
divest themselves of, and it was mainly owing to Every thing which existed had in his eyes
his influence and authority that the aristocratical an indisputable right to exist, and he never asked
party were able to defeat the bill of the tribune whether it was right or wrong in its origin, or how
Carbo, by which the same persons were to be detrimental its injustice was to the republic itself. ”
allowed to be elected tribunes as often as the (Lectures on Roman History, vol. i. p. 293, ed.
people pleased (Liv. Epit. 59; Cic. Lael. 25). Schmitz. ) Some deductions, however, should be
Scipio was now regarded as the acknowledged made from this estimate of his political character.
leader of the aristocracy, and the latter resolved to It is true that after his return from Numantia, he
avail themselves of his powerful aid to prevent the opposed with the utmost energy the measures of
agrarian law of Tib. Gracchus from being carried the popular party ; but previous to that time he
into effect. The socii had become already alarmed had recognised the necessity of some concessions
at the prospect of losing some of their lands, and to the popular feeling, and had incurred the serious
Scipio skilfully availed himself of the circumstance displeasure of his own party by supporting in
to propose in the senate, in B. C. 129, that all dis- B. C. 139 the Lex Tabellaria of the tribune
putes respecting the lands of the allies should be L. Cassius Longinus (Cic. Brut. 25, de Leg. iii.
taken out of the hands of the commissioners, 16). Some even went so far as to class him among
who were appointed under the agrarian law of the men of the people (Cic. Acad. ii. 5). With
Tib. Gracchus, and that the decision respecting respect to the literary attainments of Scipio, there
them should be committed to other persons. This was but one opinion in antiquity. He was better
would have been, in effect, equivalent to an abro- acquainted with Greek literature and philosophy
gation of the law; and accordingly Fulvius Flaccus, than any of his contemporaries, unless it were his
Papirius Carbo and C. Gracchus, the three com- friend Laelius. He spoke his own language with
missioners, offered the most vehement opposition purity and elegance (omnium aetatis suae purissime
to his proposal. In the forum he was accused by locutum, Gell. ii. 20), of which we have a striking
Carbo with the hitterest invectives as the enemy confirmation in the report, whether true or false,
of the people, and upon his again expressing his of his having assisted Terence in the composition
approval of the death of Tib. Gracchus, the people of his comedies. He was one of the most dis-
shouted out “Down with the tyrant. ” In the tinguished orators of his day (Cic. Brut. 21, ds
was.


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SCIPIO.
781
SCIPIO.
Orat. i. 49; Vell. Pat. ii. 9 ; Quintil. xii. 10. the son of No. 22, was twice consul, censor and
$ 10); and his speeches were admired, as we have pontifex maximus. He inherited froin his father
seen above, down to a late period. The few frag- a love for jurisprudence, and became so celebrated
ments of them, which have been preserved by for his discernment and for his knowledge of the
A. Gellius and others, are given by Meyer (Orat.
pontifical and civil law, that he received the sur.
Roman. Fragm. pp. 176—193, 2d ed. ). The ge- name of Corculum (corculum a corde dicebant
neral opinion entertained by the Romans of a sub- antiqui solertem et acutun, Festus, s. v. ). lle
sequent age respecting Scipio is given in the most married a daughter of Scipio Africanus the elder.
pleasing colours by Cicero in his work on the Re- He is first mentioned in B. c. 168, when he served
public, in which Scipio is introduced as the prin- with distinction under L. Aemilius Paulus in Ma-
cipal speaker. (The life and character of Scipio are cedonin. He was consul for the first time in B. C.
delineated with ability by Nitzsch, in his treatise 162 with C. Marcius Figulus, but abdicated, to-
Polybius, Kiel, 1842, and also in his work Die gether with his colleague, almost immediately after
Gracchen und ihre nächsten Vorgänger, Berlin, they had entered upon their office, on account of
1817 ; on the death of Scipio, see Scheu, De some fnule in the auspices. lle was consor 11. C.
Morte Africani minoris ejusque auctoribus, in 159 with M. Popillius Laenas, when he enacted,
Beier's edition of Cicero's Luclins, Leipzig, 1828 ; together with his colleague, that no statues of
Gerlach, Der Tod des P. Cornelius Scipio Aemilia- public men should be allowed to be erected in the
nus, in his Historische Studien, p. 254, &c. , Ham- forum without the express sanction of the senate
burgh, 1841 ; Zimmermann, Zeitschrift für die or the people. In his censorship the clepsydra
Alterthumswissenschaft, 1841, No. 52. )
was for the first time introduced at Rome. He
22. P. CORNELIUS SCIPIO Nasica, that is, was consul a second time in B. C. 155 with M.
“Scipio with the pointed nose,” was the son of Claudius Marcellus, and subdued the Dalmatians.
Cn. Scipio Calvus, who fell in Spain in B. c. 211. He was a firm upholder of the old Roman habits
(No. 10. ] He is first mentioned by Livy in B. C. and manners, and a strong opponent of all inno-
204 as a young man who was not yet of sufficient vations, of which he gave a striking instance in
age to obtain the quaestorship, but was neverthe his second consulship, by inducing the senate to
less judged by the senate to be the best citizen in order the demolition of a theatre, which was near
the state, and was therefore sent to Ostia along completion, as injurious to public morals. When
with the Ronian matrons to receive the statue of Cato repeatedly expressed his desire for the de-
the Idaean Mother, which had been brought from struction of Carthage, Scipio, on the other hand,
Pessinus. In B. C. 200 he was one of the tri- declared that he wished for its preservation, since
umvirs, for the purpose of settling new colonists the existence of such a rival would prove a useful
at Venusia ; he was curule aedile in B. c. 196, check upon the licentiousness of the multitude,
praetor in 194, and in this year as well as in the He was elected pontifex maximus in B. C. 150.
following fought with great success in Further The reputation of Scipio Corculum as a jurist has
Spain, which was assigned to him as his province. been already alluded to ; his oratory is likewise
But, notwithstanding these victories, and the praised by Cicero; and he is described by Aurelius
powerful support of his cousin, the great Africanus, Victor as a man “ eloquentia primus, juris scientia
he was an unsuccesstul candidate for the consul- consultissimus, ingenio sapientissimus. " (Aurel.
ship for B. c. 192, and did not obtain it till the Vict. de Vir. IU. 44, who confounds him with his
following year, when he was elected with M. father; Liv. xliv. 35, 36, 46, Epit. 47-49;
Acilius Glabrio. In his consulship, B. C. 191, he Polyb. xxix. 6; Plin. H. N. xxxiv. 14; Cic. de
fought against the Boii, defeated them in battle, Nat. Deor. ii. 4, de Div. ii. 35, Brut. 20, 58,
and triumphed over them on his return to Rome. Cat. 14, Tusc. i. 9; Plut. Cat. Maj. 27 ; Appian,
He defended his cousin, L. Scipio Asiaticus, when Pun. 69, B. C. i. 28, but there is an anachronism
he was accused in B. c. 187, after his conquest of in the last cited passage of Appian. )
Antiochus. He was one of the many distinguished 24. P. CORNELIUS SCIPIO NASICA SERAPIO,
men, who sued for the censorship in B. c. 184, but the son of No. 23, was a fierce and stiff-necked
was defeated by M. Porcius Cato. Hence Pliny aristocrat, and is chiefly known by the repeated
speaks of him (H. N. vii. 34), as bis repulsa mention of him in Cicero's writings, as the leader
notatus a populo. In B. c. 183 and 182 he was of the senate in the murder of Tib. Gracchus. He
engaged as one of the triumviri in settling a Latin is first mentioned in B. c. 149, when he was sent
colony at Aquileia. The last time he is mentioned along with Cn. Scipio Hispallus [No. 28), to
is in B. c. 171, when he was one of the advocates demand from the Carthaginians the surrender of
appointed by the Spanish deputies to bring to trial their arms (Appian, Pun. 80). He was unsuc-
the Roman governors who had oppressed them. cessful in his application for the aedileship, but
Scipio Nasica is mentioned both by Cicero and was consul in B. C. 138, with D. Junius Brutus.
Pomponius as a celebrated jurist, aud the latter In consequence of the severity with which he
writer adds, that a house was given to him by the and his col que conducted the levy of troops,
siate in the Via Sacra, in order that he might be they were thrown into prison by C. Curiatius,
more easily consulted (Liv. xxix. 14. xxxi. 49, the tribune of the plebs. It was this Curiatius
xxxiii. 25, xxxiv. 42, 43, xxxv. 1, 10, 24, xxxvi. who gave Nasica the nick-name of Serapio,
1, 2, 37, &c. , xxxviii. 58, xxxix. 40, 55, xl. 34, from his resemblance to a dealer in sacrificial
xliii. 2; Diod. Eacerpta, p. 605, ed. Wess. ; Val. animals, or some other person of low rank, who
Max. vii. 5. $2; Cic. de Fin. v. 22, de Harusp. was called by this name ; but though given
Resp. 13, de Orat. ii. 68, iii. 33 ; Pomponius, de him in derision, it afterwards became his dis-
Origine Juris in Dig. 1. tit. 2. s. 2. § 37, where tinguishing surname (Liv. Epit. 55 ; Val. Max.
he is erroneously called Caius ; Zimmern, Ge-ix. 14. § 3 ; Plin. H. N. vii. 10). In B. C. 133,
schichte des Römischen Privatrechts, vol. i. p. 273. ) when the tribes met to re-elect 'Tib. Gracchus to
23. P. CORNELIUS Scipio Nasica CORCULUM, I the tribunate, and the utmost confusion prevailed


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752
SCIPIO.
SCIPIO.
Benators.
19;
in the forum, Nasica called upon the consuls to mistake in Valerius Maximus of C. for On. than
save the republic ; but as they refused to have that he should have borne a praenomen which
recourse to violence, he exclaimed, “ As the does not occur elsewhere in the family of the
consul betrays the state, do you who wish to obey Scipios.
the laws follow me," and so saying rushed forth 29. Cx. CORNELIUS Scipio HISPALLUS, the
from the temple of Fides, where the senate was son of No. 28, is mentioned only by Valerius
sitting, followed by the greater number of the Maximus, who relates (vi. 3. $ 3), that he had
The people gave way before them, and obtained the province of Spain by lot, but was
Gracchus was assassinated as he attempted to prevented by the senate from going thither on ac-
escape (Appian, B. C. i. 16; Plut. Tib. Gracch. count of the disgraceful life he had previously led.