The future ancient politician and military leader Scipio Africanus was born in Rome in 235 BC. e. He belonged to the Cornelii, a noble and influential family of Etruscan origin. Many of his ancestors became consuls, including Father Publius. Despite the fact that the Scipios (a branch of the Cornelian family) were influential in the political arena, they did not differ in we alth. Another important feature of this family was Hellenization (exposure to Greek culture), when it was not yet widespread.
The beginning of a military career
Scipio Africanus, whose childhood is practically unknown, began to fall into the Roman chronicles after in 218 BC. e. chose a military career. She determined his entire future. The choice was not random. Just in this year, Rome declared war on its southern neighbor Carthage. This Phoenician state was the republic's main competitor in the Mediterranean. Its capital was in northern Africa. At the same time, Carthage had many colonies in Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Spain (Iberia). It was to this country that Scipio's father, the consul Publius, was sent. His 17-year-old son went with him. In Spain, the Romans were toface Hannibal.
At the end of 218, Scipio Africanus took part in a major battle for the first time. It was the battle of Ticin. The Romans lost it because they underestimated their enemy. But Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus himself only became famous under Ticinus. Learning that his father was attacked by enemy cavalry, the young warrior rushed alone to the aid of the consul. The horsemen fled. After this episode, Cornelius Scipio Africanus was awarded an honorary award in the form of an oak wreath for his courage. It is indicative that the brave young man defiantly refused him, stating that feats are not done for the sake of recognition.
Further information about the young man is contradictory. So it is not completely established whether he participated in subsequent battles with the Carthaginians of that period. These inaccuracies are due to the fact that the ancient era has left us many sources that directly refute each other. At that time, chroniclers often resorted to falsifications to denigrate their enemies, while others, on the contrary, overestimated the merits of their patrons. One way or another, there is a version that in 216 BC. e. Scipio Africanus was a military tribune in the army that fought at the Battle of Cannae. If this is true, then he was extremely lucky to stay alive and avoid captivity, because the Romans then suffered a crushing defeat from Hannibal's army.
Scipio was distinguished by his strong character and bright leadership qualities. An episode is known when, having learned about the desire of several commanders to desert due to the defeats of the republic, he burst into the tent to the conspirators and, threatening them with a sword,forced to swear allegiance to Rome.
Roman Avenger
Scipio's father and uncle died during that Second Punic War. From the family he had only his older brother Lucius (his mother died in childbirth). In 211 BC. e. Publius put forward his candidacy for the post of curule aedile in order to support a relative in his own political campaign. In the end, both were elected. Scipio the African Senior began his own civilian career, which would later also be marked by numerous successes.
Shortly before being elected aedile, the military man took part in the successful siege of Capua. After the capture of this city, the Roman authorities began to consider a plan for a campaign in Spain. In this country, the Carthaginians had many cities and ports, which were sources of food and other important resources for the victorious army of Hannibal. This strategist had not yet been defeated, which meant that the Romans needed a new strategy.
It was decided to send an expedition to Spain, which was supposed to deprive Hannibal of his rear. Because of the endless defeats at the people's assembly, none of the generals dared to put forward their candidacy. No one wanted to become a scapegoat after another defeat. At this critical moment, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus offered to lead the army. His father and uncle died the day before. For the military, the campaign against Carthage became personal. He gave a fiery speech about revenge for the defeat of Rome, after which he was elected proconsul. For a 24 year old young man it wasunprecedented success. Now he had to justify the aspirations and hopes of his fellow citizens.
Spanish Campaign
In 210 B. C. e. Scipio the African senior, together with the 11,000th army, went to Spain by sea. There he joined forces with the army of the local propraetor. Now he had 24,000 men in his hands. Compared with the Carthaginian contingent in the Pyrenees, this was a rather modest army. There were three Phoenician armies in Spain. The commanders were Hannibal's brothers Magon and Hasdrubal, as well as the namesake of the latter Hasdrubal Giscon. If at least two of these troops united, then Scipio would have been threatened with inevitable defeat.
However, the commander was able to take advantage of all his minor advantages. His strategy was completely different from that followed by his predecessors, who suffered defeat from the Carthaginians. First, the Roman army used cities north of the Iber River, once founded by Greek colonists, as their bases. Scipio Africanus especially insisted on this. The brief biography of the strategist is full of episodes when he made extraordinary decisions. The Iberian campaign was just such a case. Scipio understood that there was no point in landing in the south, where the enemy positions were especially strong.
Secondly, the Roman commander asked for help from the local population, dissatisfied with the rule of the Carthaginian colonizers. These were the Celtiberians and the northern Iberians. The army of the republic acted in concert with the partisans, who knew the area and the people there very well.roads.
Thirdly, Scipio decided not to give a general battle immediately, but to gradually wear down the enemy. To do this, he resorted to fleeting raids. There were four in total. When the next army of the Carthaginians was defeated, the Romans returned to their bases, there they restored their strength and again went into battle. The commander tried not to move too far from his own positions, so as not to be cut off from the rear. If you add up all these principles of a strategist, then you can understand what Scipio the African Senior became famous for. He knew how to make the most optimal decision and always used his own advantages and weaknesses of the enemy with maximum efficiency.
Conquest of Iberia
The first major success of Scipio in Spain was the capture of New Carthage, a major port that was the stronghold of the regional rule of African colonists. In ancient sources, the story of the conquest of the city was supplemented by a plot that became known as "the generosity of Scipio Africanus".
One day, 300 noble Iberian hostages were brought to the commander. Also, the Roman soldiers gave Scipio as a gift a young captive, distinguished by rare beauty. From her, the commander learned that the girl was the bride of one of the hostages taken. Then the leader of the Romans ordered her to be given to her fiancé. The prisoner thanked Scipio by bringing his own large detachment of cavalry into his army and since then faithfully served the republic. This story became widely known thanks to the artists of the Renaissance and the Newtime. Many European masters (Nicolas Poussin, Niccolò del Abbate, etc.) depicted this ancient story in their pictures.
Scipio achieved a decisive victory in Spain at the Battle of Ilipa in 206 BC. e. Commander-in-Chief Hasdrubal Giscon fled to his homeland. After the defeat in Carthage, they decided to abandon the Iberian possessions. Roman power was finally established in Spain.
Homecoming
At the end of 206 B. C. e. Scipio Africanus returned triumphantly to Rome. Publius Cornelius spoke to the Senate and announced his victories - he managed to defeat four enemy armies and drive the Carthaginians out of Spain. During the absence of the commander in the capital, in power, he had many envious enemies who did not want the political take-off of the strategist. This first opposition was led by Quintus Fulvius Flaccus. The Senate denied Scipio a formal ritual of triumph. However, this did not prevent the commander from becoming a real folk hero. Ordinary Romans enthusiastically greeted the winner.
However, the war with Carthage is not over yet. Although the Punic power in Spain was a thing of the past, the enemies of Rome still controlled North Africa and some of the Mediterranean islands. Scipio went to Sicily. If the Republic succeeded in recapturing this island, it would become an excellent springboard for a further attack on North Africa. Having landed in Sicily, the commander with a small army was able to enlist the support of the local population (mainlyGreek colonists), promising him to return all the property lost during the ongoing war.
African Campaign
In the summer of 204 B. C. e. Scipio, together with an army of about 35 thousand people, left the Sicilian coast and went to Africa. There it was to be decided whether the Roman Republic would become a key power in the ancient Mediterranean. It was those successes of the commander in Africa that made him known as Scipio Africanus. Photos of his busts and sculptures from different parts of the Roman state show that he really became a legendary figure for his compatriots.
The first attempt to take Utica (a large city northeast of Carthage) ended in nothing. Scipio, along with his army, wintered right on the African coast, without owning at least some significant settlement. At this time, the Carthaginians sent a letter to their best commander Hannibal, in which they demanded that he return from Europe to his homeland and defend his country. In order to somehow prolong the time, the Punians began to negotiate peace with Scipio, which, however, ended in nothing.
When Hannibal arrived in Africa, he also arranged a meeting with the Roman general. The following proposal followed - the Carthaginians leave Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Spain in exchange for a peace treaty. However, Publius Cornelius refused to accept such terms. He objected that the republic already actually controlled all these lands. Scipio, for his part, proposed a tougher version of the agreement. Hannibal refused. It became clear that the bloodshedinevitably. The fate of Hannibal and Scipio Africanus was to be decided in a face-to-face confrontation.
Battle of Zama
The decisive battle of Zama took place on October 19, 202 BC. e. The Numidians, the indigenous inhabitants of the African continent, also came out on the side of the Roman Republic. Their help was invaluable to the Latins. The fact was that the Romans for a long time puzzled over how to neutralize Hannibal's most formidable weapon - elephants. These huge animals terrified the Europeans, who had never de alt with such beasts. Archers and riders sat on elephants, shooting their enemies. Such a "cavalry" had already demonstrated its effectiveness during Hannibal's attack on Italy. He led the elephants through the high Alps, further confusing the Romans.
The Numidians were well aware of the habits of elephants. They understood how to neutralize them. It was these animals that the Africans took up, eventually offering the Romans the best strategy (more on that below). As for the numerical ratio, the aspect ratio was about the same. Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, whose brief biography already consisted of many campaigns, brought to Africa a well-knit and well-coordinated army, which unquestioningly carried out the orders of its long-term commander. The Roman army consisted of 33,000 infantry and 8,000 cavalry, while the Carthaginians had 34,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry.
Victory over Hannibal
The army of Publius Cornelius met the attack of the elephants in an organized manner. The infantry made way for the animals. Those at high speed swept through the formed corridors without hitting anyone. In the rear, numerous archers were waiting for them, who fired at the animals with dense fire. The decisive role was played by the Roman cavalry. First, she defeated the Carthaginian cavalry, and then hit the infantrymen in the rear. The ranks of the Punians trembled and they ran. Hannibal tried to stop them. Scipio Africanus, however, got what he wanted. He turned out to be the winner. The Carthaginian army lost 20 thousand killed, and the Roman - 5 thousand.
Hannibal became an outcast and fled far to the east. Carthage admitted defeat. The Roman Republic received all of his European and insular possessions. The sovereignty of the African state was significantly undermined. In addition, Numibia gained independence, which became a faithful ally of Rome. Scipio's victories ensured the dominant position of the republic throughout the Mediterranean. A few decades after his death, the Third Punic War broke out, after which Carthage was finally destroyed and turned into ruins.
War with the Seleucids
The next ten years passed peacefully for the commander. He came to grips with his political career, for which he had not had enough time before because of regular campaigns and expeditions. To understand who Publius Cornelius Scipio the African Senior is, it is enough to list his civil positions and titles. He became consul, censor, senate trailer and legate. The figure of Scipio turned out to be the mostsignificant in the Roman politics of his time. But he also had enemies in the face of the aristocratic opposition.
In 191 BC. e. the commander again went to war. This time he traveled east, where Rome was in conflict with the Seleucid Empire. The decisive battle took place in the winter of 190-189. BC e. (due to conflicting sources, the exact date is unknown). As a result of the Syrian war, King Antiochus paid a huge indemnity to the republic in the amount of 15 thousand talents, and also gave her land in modern western Turkey.
Judgment and death
After returning to his homeland, Scipio faced a serious problem. His opponents in the Senate initiated a lawsuit against him. The commander (along with his brother Lucius) was accused of financial dishonesty, theft of money, etc. A state commission was appointed, which forced the Scipios to pay a large fine.
Followed by a period of behind-the-scenes struggle with the opponents of Publius Cornelius in the Senate. His main antagonist was Mark Porcius Cato, who wanted to get a censorship position and sought to destroy the faction of supporters of the famous military leader. As a result, Scipio lost all his posts. He went into self-imposed exile on his estate in Campania. Publius Cornelius spent the last year of his life there. He died in 183 BC. e. at the age of 52. Coincidentally, his main military opponent Hannibal, who also lived in exile in the east, died at the same time. Scipio turned out to be one of the most prominent peopleof his time. He managed to defeat Carthage and the Persians, and also made a distinguished career in politics.
