A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

SCIPIO. SCIPIO. 747
The tribune C. Minucius Augurinus ordered him early as B. C. 187 (Liv. xxxix. 52; Cic. Cat. aaj.
to be dragged to prison and there detained till the 6).' The date of Polybius is most probably the
money was paid; whereupon Africanus, still more correct one.
enraged at this fresh insult to his family, and setting Scipio married Aemilia, the daughter of L.
himself above the laws, rescued his brother from the Aemilius Paulus, who fell at the battle of Cannae
hands of the tribune's officer. The contest would [AEMILIA, No. 2], and by her he had four children,
probably have been attended with fatal results two sons [Nos. 14 and 15], and two daughters, the
had not Tib. Gracchus, the father of the celebrated elder of whom married P. Scipio Nasica Corculum
tribune, and then tribune himself, had the pru- [No. 23J, and the younger Tib. Gracchus, and thus
dence, although lie disapproved of the violent became the mother of the two celebrated tribunes
conduct of Africanus, to release his brother Lucius [CoRNELIA, Nos. 4, 5]. (It is unnecessary to cite
from the sentence of imprisonment. The property, the numerous passages in Polybius and Livy rehowever, of Lucius was confiscated; and, as it lating to Scipio; those in Cicero in which he is
was not sufficient to pay the fine, his clients and mentioned are given by Orelli, in his Ononzast.
friends generously contributed not only a sufficient Tull. vol. ii. p. 186; there are some interesting reamount to supply the deficiency, but so large a marks on his character and the state of parties in
sum that he would have been richer even than Rome at his time, by Gerlach, in his treatise enbefore; but he would only receive sufficient to titled P. Cornelius Scipio und LIM. Porcius Cato, in
defray his most pressing wants. The successful the Schweizer. luseunz for 1837.)
issue of the prosecution of Lucius, emboldened his 13. L. CORNELIUS SCIPIO ASIATICUS, also
enemies to bring the great Africanus himself before called ASIAGENES or ASIAGENUS, was the son of
the people. His accuser was M. Naevius, the tri- No. 9, and the brother of the great Africanus
bune of the people, and if the date of his tribunate [No. 12]. He served under his brother in Spain,
is correctly stated by Livy (xxxix. 52) the accu- where he took the town of Oringis in B. C. 208;
sation was not brought till the end of B. c. 185. and on the completion of the war was sent by his
When the trial came on, Scipio did not condescend brother to Rome, with the joyful news. He was
to say a single word in refutation of the charges praetor in B. C. ] 93, when he obtained the province
that had been brought against him, but descanted of Sicily, and consul in B. c. 190, with C. Laelius.
long and eloquently upon the signal services he had The senate had not much confidence in his abilities
rendered to the commonwealth. Having spoken (Cic. Phil. xi. 7), and it was only through the offer
till night-fall, the trial was adjourned till the fol- of his brother Africanus to accompany him as a
lowing day. Early next morning, when the tri- legate that he obtained the province of Greece and
bunes had taken their seats on the rostra, and the conduct of the war against Antiochus (Liv.
Africanus was summoned, he proudly reminded xxviii. 3, 4, 17, xxxiv. 54, 55, xxxvi. 45, xxxvii.
the people that this was the anniversary of the 1). He defeated Antiochus at Mount Sipylus, in
day on which he had defeated Hannibal at Zama, B. C. 190, entered Rome in triumph in the following
and called upon them to neglect all disputes and year, and assumed the surname of Asiaticus. The
law-suits, and follow him to the Capitol, and there history of his accusation and condemnation, and of
return thanks to the immortal gods, and pray that the confiscation of his property, has been already
they would grant the Roman state other citizens related iIn the life of his brother. But notwithlike himself. Scipio struck a chord which vibrated standing the poverty to which he is said to have
on every heart; their veneration of the hero re- been reduced (Liv. xxxviii. 60), he celebrated
turned again; aud he was followed with such with great splendour, in B. C. 185, the games
crowds to the Capitol, that the tribunes were left which he had vowed in his war with Antiochus.
alone in the rostra. Having thus set all the laws Valerius of Antium related that he obtained the
at defiance, Scipio immediately quitted Rome, and necessary money during an embassy on which he
retired to his country seat at Lternum. The tri- was sent after his condemnation, to settle the disbunes wished to renew the prosecution, but Grac- putes between the kings Antiochus and Eunienes.
chus wisely persuaded them to let it drop. (Liv. He was a candidate for the censorship in B. c. 184,
xxxviii. 50-60; Gell. iv. 18, vii. 19; Val. Max. but was defeated by the old enemy of his family,
iii. 7. ~ 1; Meyer, Or at. Roman. Fragns. pp. 6-8, M. Porcius Cato, who gave another proof of his
2d ed.) Scipio never returned to Rome. He hatred to the family by depriving Asiaticus of his
would neither submit to the laws nor aspire to the horse at the review of the equites (Liv. xxxix. 22,
sovereignty of the state; and he therefore resolved 40, 44). It appears, therefore, that even as late
to expatriate himself for ever. He passed his re- as this time an eques did not forfeit his horse by
maining days in the cultivation of his estate at becoming a senator.
Liternum (Senec. Ep. 86); and at his death is The name of Scipio Asiaticus occurs on coins,
said to have requested that his body might be buried and he is the only one of the family of whom
there, and not in his ungrateful country. His re- coins are extant. On the obverse is a head
quest was complied with, and his tomb existed at crowded with laurel, and on the reverse Jupiter
Liternum in the time of Livy. This appears to have
been the more general account; but others related
that he died at Rome, and was buried in the family I
sepulchre outside of the porta Capena, where a
statue of him was erected alongside of the statues
of his brother Lucius and the poet Ennius (Liv. )
xxxviii. 56). The year of his death is equally L A
uncertain. Polybius and Rutilius related that he
died in the same year as Hannibal and Philopoemen, that is, in B. C. 183. Livy and Cicero placed
his death in B. c. 185, and Valerius of Antium as COIN OF L. SCIPIO ASIATICUS.