The History of Rome; Books Nine to Twenty Six - Titus Livius
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49. He then ordered the Spanish hostages to be summoned. What the
number of these was I feel reluctant to state, because in some authors
I find that it was about three hundred, in others seven hundred and
twenty-five. There is the same difference between authors with regard
to the other particulars. One writes that the Punic garrison consisted
of ten thousand, another of seven, a third of not more than two
thousand. In some you may find that ten thousand persons were
captured, in others above twenty-five thousand. I should have stated
the number of scorpions captured, both of the greater and smaller
size, at sixty, if I had followed the Greek author, Silenus, if
Valerius Antius, of the larger at six thousand, of the smaller at
thirteen, so great is the extent of falsehood. Nor are they agreed
even respecting the commanders, most say that Laelius commanded the
fleet, but some say Marcus Junius Silanus. Valerius Antius says, that
Arines commanded the Punic garrison, and was given up to the Romans;
other writers say it was Mago. They are not agreed respecting the
number of the ships taken, respecting the weight of gold and silver,
and of the money brought into the public treasury. If we must assent
to some of their statements, the medium is nearest to the truth.
However, Scipio having summoned the hostages, first bid them all keep
up their spirits observing, "that they had fallen into the hands of
the Roman people, who chose to bind men to them by benefits rather
than by fear, and keep foreign nations attached to them by honour and
friendship, rather than subject them to a gloomy servitude." Then
receiving the names of the states to which they belonged, he took an
account of the captives, distinguishing the number belonging to each
people, and sent messengers to their homes, to desire that they would
come and take back their respective friends. If ambassadors from any
of the states happened to be present, he delivered their countrymen to
them in person, and assigned to them the quaestor, Caius Flaminius,
the charge of kindly taking care of the rest. Meanwhile, there
advanced from the midst of the crowd of hostages a woman in years, the
wife of Mandonius, who was the brother of Indibilis, the chieftain of
the Illergetians; she threw herself weeping at the general's feet, and
began to implore him to give particularly strict injunctions to their
guardians with respect to the care and treatment of females. Scipio
replied, that nothing certainly should be wanting; when the woman
rejoined: "We do not much value such things, for what is not good
enough for such a condition? A care of a different kind disquiets me,
when beholding the age of these females; for I am myself no longer
exposed to the danger peculiar to females." Around her stood the
daughters of Indibilis, in the bloom of youth and beauty, with others
of equal rank, all of whom looked up to her as a parent. Scipio then
said: "Out of regard for that discipline which I myself and the Roman
nation maintain, I should take care that nothing, which is any where
held sacred, should be violated among us. In the present case, your
virtue and your rank cause me to observe it more strictly; for not
even in the midst of misfortunes have you forgotten the delicacy
becoming matrons." He then delivered them over to a man of tried
virtue, ordering him to treat them with no less respect and modesty
than the wives and mothers of guests.
50. The soldiers then brought to him a female captive, a grown-up
virgin, of such exquisite beauty, that whichever way she walked she
attracted the eyes of every body. Scipio, on making inquiries as to
her country and parentage, heard, among other particulars, that she
was betrothed to a young prince of the Celtiberians, named Allucius.
He immediately, therefore, summoned from their abode her parents and
lover, and having heard in the mean time that the latter was
desperately enamoured of her, as soon as he arrived he addressed him
in a more studied manner than her parents. "A young man myself," said
he, "I address myself to a young man, and therefore there need be the
less reserve in this conversation. As soon as your intended bride,
having been captured by my soldiers, was brought into my presence, and
I was informed that she was endeared to you, which her beauty rendered
probable, considering that I should myself wish that my affection for
my intended bride, though excessive, should meet with indulgence,
could I enjoy the pleasures suited to my age, (particularly in an
honourable and lawful love,) and were not my mind engrossed by public
affairs, I indulge as far as I can your passion. Your mistress, while
under my protection, has received as much respect as under the roof of
her own parents, your father-in-law and mother-in-law. She has been
kept in perfect safety for you, that she might be presented to you
pure, a gift worthy of me and of you. This only reward I bargain for
in return for the service I have rendered you, that you would be a
friend to the Roman people, and if you believe that I am a true man,
as these nations knew my father and uncle to have been heretofore,
that you would feel assured that in the Roman state there are many
like us, and that no nation in the world at the present time can be
mentioned, with which you ought to be less disposed that you, or those
belonging to you, should be at enmity, or with which you would rather
be in friendship." The young man, overcome at once with joy and
modesty, clung to Scipio's right hand, and invoked all the gods to
recompense him in his behalf, since he himself was far from possessing
means proportioned either to his own wishes or Scipio's deserts. He
then addressed himself to the parents and relatives of the damsel,
who, on receiving her back without any reward, whom they had brought a
very large weight of gold to redeem, entreated Scipio to accept it
from them as a present to himself; affirming, that if he would do so,
they should feel as grateful for it as they did for the restoration of
their daughter inviolate. As they were so earnest in their entreaties,
Scipio promised to accept it, and ordered it to be laid at his feet.
Then calling Allucius to him, he said: "To the dowry which you are
about to receive from your father-in-law, let these marriage presents
also from me be added;" bidding him take away the gold and keep it for
himself. Delighted with these presents and honours, he was dismissed
to his home, where he inspired his countrymen with the deserved
praises of Scipio, observing, "that a most godlike youth had come
among them, who conquered every thing, not only by arms, but by
kindness and generosity." Accordingly, making a levy among his
dependants, he returned to Scipio after a few days, with fourteen
hundred chosen horsemen.
51. Scipio kept Laelius with him until he had disposed of the
captives, hostages, and booty, in accordance with his advice; but when
all these matters were satisfactorily arranged, he gave him a
quinquereme; and selecting from the captives Mago, and about fifteen
senators who had been made prisoners at the same time with him, put
them on board, and sent him to Rome with the news of his victory. He
himself employed the few days he had resolved to stay at Carthage, in
exercising his naval and land forces. On the first day the legions
under arms performed evolutions through a space of four miles; on the
second day he ordered them to repair and clean their arms before their
tents; on the third day they engaged in imitation of a regular battle
with wooden swords, throwing javelins with the points covered with
balls; on the fourth day they rested; on the fifth they again
performed evolutions under arms. This succession of exercise and rest
they kept up as long as they staid at Carthage. The rowers and
mariners, pushing out to sea when the weather was calm, made trial of
the manageableness of their ships by mock sea-fights. Such exercises,
both by sea and land, without the city prepared their minds and bodies
for war. The city itself was all bustle with warlike preparations,
artificers of every description being collected together in a public
workshop. The general went round to all the works with equal
attention. At one time he was employed in the dock-yard with his
fleet, at another he exercised with the legions; sometimes he would
devote his time to the inspection of the works, which were every day
carried on with the greatest eagerness by a multitude of artificers
both in the workshops, and in the armoury and docks. Having put these
preparations in a train, repaired the walls in a part where they had
been shattered, and placed bodies of troops to guard the city, he set
out for Tarraco; and on his way thither was visited by a number of
embassies, some of which he dismissed, having given them answers on
his journey, others he postponed till his arrival at Tarraco; at which
place he had appointed a meeting of all his new and old allies. Here
ambassadors from almost all the people dwelling on this side the
Iberus, and from many dwelling in the further Spain, met. The
Carthaginian generals at first industriously suppressed the rumour of
the capture of Carthage; but afterwards, when it became too notorious
to be concealed or dissembled, they disparaged its importance by their
language. They said, that "by an unexpected attack, and in a manner by
stealth, in one day, one city of Spain had been snatched out of their
hands; that a presumptuous youth, elated with the acquisition of this,
so inconsiderable an advantage, had, by the extravagance of his joy,
given it the air of an important victory; but that as soon as he
should hear that three generals and three victorious armies of his
enemies were approaching, the deaths which had taken place in his
family would occur to his recollection." Such was the tone in which
they spoke of this affair to the people, though they were, at the same
time, far from ignorant how much their strength had been diminished,
in every respect, by the loss of Carthage.
END OF VOL. II