#Concessive clauses with _cum_; genitive of characteristic; causal
relative clauses; gerundive with _ad_; accusative of extent.#
1. Scipio would have been slain in the battle at the river Ticinus, if
his son Publius had not rescued him. 2. When Publius Scipio was not yet
twenty years old, he thought that he was old enough [had enough of
years] to be a candidate for[1] the aedileship. 3. After the battle of
Cannae, some young men of rank began to form plans for abandoning Italy.
4. Scipio hastened to their meeting-place, and, although[2] he was
alone, he forced them to give[3] up their conspiracy.[3] 5. After the
Romans had suffered two defeats in Spain, Scipio was chosen proconsul
and sent thither. 6. Here he prosecuted the war with such wisdom and
bravery that he earned the approval of all. 7. Do you not think that he
was worthy of the honor? 8. He gained possession of a large amount of
money and arms, but let the Spanish captives go without ransom. 9. He
did not doubt that in this way he would secure for the Romans the favor
of the Spanish [conciliate the Spanish to the Romans]. 10. Among the
captive Africans he found a boy of remarkable beauty,[4] who said that
his grandfather was the king of Numidia, and that he had crossed over
into Spain with his uncle Masinissa to carry on war with the Romans. 11.
Scipio freed the boy, and thus won the favor of the Numidian king. 12.
When the Spaniards wanted to call Scipio king, he asked them to refrain
from that title. 13. After Hannibal had been driven from Spain, Scipio,
who had[5] long been planning to transfer the war to Africa, sent
Laelius, whose[6] friendship he did not mistrust, to win over some of
the African chiefs. 14. Afterwards he crossed over to Africa himself,
and it is said that he met Hannibal [to him a meeting with Hannibal to
have been] at the court of Syphax. 15. It happened that many of those
chiefs were eager to form an alliance with Scipio. 16. His plan,
therefore, was easily carried out. 17. Although the young men of Sicily
shrank from so great a war themselves, still they were willing to
furnish horses and arms. 18. Although they were wealthy, they were not
(men) of great bravery. 19. In Africa the Romans fought with such
determination that in a short time the Carthaginians recalled Hannibal
from Italy to defend his country. 20. A battle was fought [it was
fought] at Zama, a town five days' march from Carthage. 21. The
Carthaginians were defeated, and forced to send ambassadors to sue for
peace. 22. As peace was now secured, Scipio returned to Italy. 23. On[7]
his arrival in Rome a vast multitude poured forth to meet him. 24.
Scipio was not only the most illustrious general of his age, but he was
also a man distinguished for [of distinguished] piety.[8] 25. The old
writers say that he used to visit [resort to] the capitol every day, to
consult with Jupiter about the public interests. 26. At Ephesus he[9]
afterwards had a conversation with Hannibal. 27. It is reported that
Hannibal acknowledged that Scipio was the greatest of all commanders.
28. When the senate seemed on the point[10] of transferring the conduct
of the war against Antiochus from Lucius Scipio to Laelius, because
(as was thought) the former[11] had too little courage and too little
wisdom for such a war, Africanus promised to be himself his brother's
lieutenant. 29. Scipio could endure no dishonor to his family. 30. After
Antiochus had been defeated, when the senate demanded from Lucius Scipio
an accounting of the spoils, Africanus prevented it. 31. He said that he
had been of [for] so great aid to his country that his integrity ought
not to be doubted. 32. It happened that Africanus himself was afterwards
summoned for trial by the tribunes on the very day on which the battle
of Zama had been fought.[12] 33. When ordered to plead his cause, he
mounted the rostrum and said: "Let us offer thanks to Jupiter, by whose
aid we obtained[13] so great a victory." 34. As the whole assembly
followed him he was relieved from the insults of the tribunes. 35. Soon
afterward Scipio retired to the country and never returned to Rome.
[Footnotes:
1: Use #ad# with gerundive or gerund.
2: H. 598 (515, III); M. 863; A. 326; G. 587; B. 309, 3.
3: Cf. _inceptô dêsisterent_, l. 14.
4: Cf. lines 51 and 64.
5: See p. 56, n. 6.
6: See p. 55, n. 8.
7: See XIII, l. 59.
8: _religiô._
9: Use dat. of poss. with #esse#.
10: Use future participle.
11: _ille._
12: See sent. 20, and p. 56, n. 4.
13: See p. 55, n. 8.]