The future antique politician and military leader Scipio Africanus was born in Rome in 235 BC. e. He belonged to the Cornelians - a noble and influential family of Etruscan origin. Many of his ancestors became consuls, including Father Publius. Despite the fact that Scipios (a branch of the Cornelian clan) were influential in the political arena, they did not differ in wealth. 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 almost unknown, began to fall into Roman chronicles after in 218 BC. e. chose a military career. She determined his whole future. The choice was not accidental. Just this year, Rome declared war on its southern neighbor, Carthage. This Phoenician state was the main competitor of the republic in the Mediterranean. Its capital was in northern Africa. At the same time, Carthage had many colonies in Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and in Spain (Iberia). It was to this country that Scipio's father, the consul Publius, was sent. The 17-year-old son went with him. In Spain, the Romans were faced with Hannibal.
At the end of 218, Scipio Africanus first took part in a major battle. It was the battle of Tizin. The Romans lost it because they underestimated their enemy. But Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus under Titine only became famous. Upon learning that the enemy cavalry attacked his father, the young warrior alone rushed to the aid of the consul. The horsemen fled. After this episode, Cornelius Scipio Africanus for his courage was awarded an honorary award in the form of an oak wreath. It is significant that the brave young man defiantly refused him, saying that the feats were not done for recognition.
Further information about the young man is contradictory. So it is not fully established whether he participated in subsequent battles with the Carthaginians of that period. These inaccuracies are due to the fact that the ancient era 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 cartridges. One way or another, there is a version that in 216 BC. e. Scipio Africanus was a military tribune in the army, who fought at the Battle of Cannes. If this is true, then he was extremely lucky to stay alive and avoid captivity, because the Romans then suffered a crushing defeat from the army of Hannibal.
Scipio was distinguished by a solid character and vivid leadership qualities. An episode is known when he, learning about the desire of several commanders to desert due to defeats of the republic, burst into the tent to the conspirators and, threatening them with a sword, made him swear allegiance to Rome.
Roman avenger
Scipio's father and uncle died during that Second Punic War. Only his elder brother Lucius remained from his family (his mother died during childbirth). In 211 BC e. Publius put forward his candidacy for the position of Curule aedile to support a relative in his own political campaign. In the end, both were elected. Scipio African senior began his own civilian career, which later also marked numerous successes.
Shortly before being elected aedile, the military participated in the successful siege of Capua. After the capture of this city, the Roman authorities began to consider the campaign plan 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. Until now, it was not possible to defeat this strategist, 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 national assembly, none of the commanders dared to stand for election. No one wanted to become a scapegoat after another rout. At this critical moment, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus proposed to lead the army. On the eve of his father and uncle died. For the military campaign against Carthage became personal. He made a fiery speech about revenge for the defeat of Rome, after which he was elected proconsul. For a 24-year-old young man, it was an unprecedented success. Now he had to justify the aspirations and hopes of his fellow citizens.
Spanish campaign
In 210 BC e. Scipio African senior, together with the 11 thousandth army by sea, went to Spain. There he joined forces with the army of the local propretor. Now in his hands were 24 thousand people. Compared to the Carthaginian contingent in the Pyrenees, it was a rather modest army. In Spain there were three Phoenician armies. The warlords were the brothers Hannibal Magon and Gasdrubal, as well as the lasts of the latter Gasdrubal Giskon. If at least two of these forces were united, then Scipio would face imminent defeat.
However, the commander was able to take advantage of all his minor advantages. His strategy was completely different from the one followed by his predecessors, who were defeated by the Carthaginians. First, the Roman army used cities north of the Iber River, once founded by the Greek colonists, as their bases. Scipio Africanus particularly insisted on this. A brief biography of the strategist is full of episodes when he made extraordinary decisions. The Iberian campaign was just such an event. Scipio understood that there was no point in landing in the south, where the enemy’s positions were especially strong.
Secondly, the Roman commander appealed for help to the local population, unhappy with the rule of the Carthaginian colonialists. These were the Celtiberians and the northern Iberians. The army of the republic acted along with the partisans who knew the terrain and the local roads very well.
Thirdly, Scipio decided not to give a general battle at once, but to gradually exhaust the enemy. To do this, he resorted to fleeting raids. There were four of them. When the next army of the Carthaginians was defeated, the Romans returned to their bases, there they regained 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, you can understand what made Scipio African Sr. famous. He was able to make the most optimal decision and always with maximum efficiency used his own advantages and weaknesses of the enemy.
The conquest of Iberia
Scipio's first major success in Spain was the capture of New Carthage, a major port that was a stronghold of the regional dominion of African colonists. In ancient sources, the story of the conquest of the city was supplemented by a story that became known as "the generosity of Scipio Africanus."
Once the commander was brought 300 Iberian hostages of a noble family. Also, Roman soldiers gave Scipio a gift of a young captive, distinguished by rare beauty. The commander learned from her that the girl was the bride of one of the captured hostages. Then the leader of the Romans ordered her to be given to the groom. The captive thanked Scipio by bringing his own large detachment of horsemen to his army and since then has faithfully served the republic. This story has become widely known thanks to the artists of the Renaissance and the New Age. Many European masters (Nicola Poussin, Niccolo del Abbate, etc.) depicted this antique plot in their pictures.
Scipio achieved a decisive victory in Spain at the Battle of Ilip in 206 BC. e. Commander-in-Chief Hasdrubal Giskon fled to his homeland. After the defeat in Carthage, they decided to abandon the Iberian possessions. In Spain, Roman power was finally established.
Homecoming
At the end of 206 BC. e. Scipio African Sr. returned to Rome in triumph. Publius Cornelius spoke to the Senate and announced his victories - he managed to defeat four enemy armies and expel the Carthaginians from 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 Quint Fulvius Flaccus. The Senate refused Scipio a formal ritual of triumph. However, this did not prevent the commander from becoming a real national hero. Ordinary Romans enthusiastically greeted the winner.
However, the war with Carthage has not yet ended. Although Punian authority in Spain was a thing of the past, Rome’s adversaries still controlled North Africa and some of the islands of the Mediterranean. Scipio went to Sicily. If the republic managed to recapture 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 (mainly Greek colonists), promising him to return all the property lost during the ongoing war.
African campaign
In the summer of 204 BC e. Scipio, along 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 force 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, hibernated directly on the African coast, not 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 protect his country. In order to somehow extend the time, the Punians began to negotiate with Scipio about peace, which, however, ended in nothing.
When Hannibal arrived in Africa, he also arranged a meeting with the Roman commander. The following proposal followed - the Carthaginians left Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Spain in exchange for a peace treaty. However, Publius Cornelius refused to accept such conditions. He objected that the republic already in fact controls all these lands. Scipio, for his part, proposed a tougher version of the agreement. Hannibal refused. It became clear that bloodshed was inevitable. The fate of Hannibal and Scipio African was to be decided in a confrontation.
Battle of Zame
The decisive battle at Zam took place on October 19, 202 BC. e. On the side of the Roman Republic, the Numidians, the indigenous inhabitants of the African continent, also spoke. Their help was invaluable to the Latins. The fact was that the Romans puzzled for a long time how to neutralize Hannibal's most formidable weapon - the elephants. These huge animals terrified Europeans who have never dealt with such beasts. Archers and riders sat on elephants, shooting their enemies. Such "cavalry" has already demonstrated its effectiveness during the Hannibal attack on Italy. He led elephants through the high Alps, which made the Romans even more confused.
The Numidians knew very well the habits of elephants. They understood how to neutralize them. It is these animals that the Africans took up, eventually offering the Romans the best strategy (about it below). As for the numerical ratio, the aspect ratio was approximately the same. Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, whose brief biography already consisted of many campaigns, brought to Africa a well-knit and harmonious army that unquestioningly carried out the orders of its long-standing commander. The Roman army consisted of 33 thousand foot soldiers and 8 thousand horsemen, while the Carthaginians had 34 thousand foot soldiers and 3 thousand cavalry.
Victory over Hannibal
The army of Publius Cornelia met the attack of the elephants in an organized manner. The infantry parted before the animals. They rushed along the formed corridors at high speed, without hitting anyone. Numerous archers were waiting for them in the rear, who fired at animals with dense fire. The decisive role was played by the Roman cavalry. First, she defeated the Carthaginian cavalry, and then hit the rear infantrymen. The ranks of the Punians faltered and they ran. Hannibal tried to stop them. Scipio African, however, achieved what he wanted. He was the winner. The Carthaginian army lost 20 thousand killed, and the Roman - 5 thousand.
Hannibal became an outcast and ran far east. Carthage admitted defeat. The Roman Republic received all of its European and island possessions. The sovereignty of the African state was significantly undermined. In addition, independence received Numibia, 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.
Seleucid War
The next ten years for the commander passed peacefully. He came to grips with his political career, for which he had not had enough time before due to regular campaigns and expeditions. To understand who Publius Cornelius Scipio is an African senior, it is enough to list his civilian posts and titles. He became consul, censor, senate trailer and legate. The figure of Scipio was the most significant in Roman politics of his time. But he also had enemies in the person of the aristocratic opposition.
In 191 BC e. the commander again went to war. This time he drove east, where Rome had a conflict with the Seleucid Empire. The decisive battle took place in the winter of 190 - 189. BC e. (due to inconsistency of sources, the exact date is unknown). As a result of the Syrian war, King Antioch 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 impropriety, theft of money, etc. A state commission was appointed, which forced Scipionov to pay a large fine.
This was followed by a period of behind-the-scenes struggles with opponents of Publius Cornelius in the Senate. His main antagonist was Mark Porzi Caton, who wanted to get a censorship position and sought to destroy a faction of supporters of the famous military leader. As a result, Scipio lost all his posts. He went on a voluntary exile to his estate in Campania. There, Publius Cornelius spent the last year of his life. He died in 183 BC. e. at the age of 52. Coincidentally, his main military adversary, Hannibal, who also lived in exile in the east, also died at that time. Scipio turned out to be one of the most outstanding people of his time. He managed to defeat Carthage and the Persians, as well as make an outstanding career in politics.