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THE ELDER SCIPIO ¹

[1] Scipio the Elder used to spend on literature all the leisure he could win from his military and political duties, and he used to say that he was busiest whenever he had nothing to do. ²

[2] When he captured Carthage ³ by assault, some of his soldiers, having taken captive a comely maiden, came to him with her, and offered to give her to him. I would gladly take her, said he, if I were a private and not a commander.⁴

[3] While he was besieging the city of Baria, ⁵ in which was visible a temple of Venus overtopping all else, he ordered that in giving sureties for appearance they should specify that place, since he purposed two days hence to hear litigants in this temple of Venus. And so he did, as he had foretold, after the city had been taken. ⁶

[4] When somebody inquired in Sicily on what he placed his reliance in purposing to take his army across to Carthage, he pointed out to the inquirer three hundred men ⁷ in armour, who were drilling, and also a lofty tower which overlooked the sea. There is not one of these men, said he, who would not go up to the top of that tower and throw himself down head first at my command.

[5] When he had crossed over, and was master of the land, and had burned the enemy’s camps, the Carthaginians sent to him and made a treaty of peace, agreeing to surrender their elephants and ships, and to pay an indemnity. ⁸ But when Hannibal had sailed back from Italy, they were sorry because of their agreement, since they did not now feel afraid. Scipio, learning this, said that, not even if they wished it, would he keep the compact unless they paid a million pounds more, because they had sent for Hannibal. ⁹

[6] When the Carthaginians had been utterly overthrown, they sent envoys to him to negotiate a treaty of peace, but he ordered those who had come to go away at once, refusing to listen to them before they brought Lucius Terentius. This Terentius was a Roman, a man of good talents, who had been taken prisoner by the Carthaginians. And when they came bringing the man, Scipio seated him on the tribune next to himself in the conference, and, this done, he took up the negotiations with the Carthaginians, and terminated the war. ¹⁰

[7] Terentius marched behind him in the triumphal procession, wearing a felt cap just like an emancipated slave. ¹¹And when Scipio died, Terentius provided wine with honey for all who attended the funeral to drink their fill, and did everything else connected with his burial on a grand scale. But this, of course, was later. ¹²

[8] Antiochus the king, ¹³ after the Romans had crossed over to attack him, ¹⁴ sent to Scipio to ask about terms of peace. This should have been done before, said Scipio, but not now, when you have taken the bit and the rider is in the saddle.¹⁵

[9] The Senate voted that he should receive a sum of money from the treasury, but the treasurers were not willing to open it on that day; whereupon he said that he would open it himself, for the reason it was kept closed, he declared, was because he had fdled it with so much money. ¹⁶

[10] When Petillius and Quintus brought before the people many accusations against him, he remarked that on this very day he had conquered the Carthaginians and Hannibal, and he said that he himself, with a garland on, was on his way up to the Capitol to offer sacrifice, and he bade anyone who so wished to give in his vote about him. With these words he went his way, and the people followed after, leaving behind his accusers still speaking.¹⁷

Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata. Plutarch. Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1931.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Sayings of Kings and Commanders (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).)

Editions (2)

Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).) — 76 focus

Σκιπιῶνος τοῦ Πρεσβυτερου

[1] Σκιπίων δὲ ὁ πρεσβύτερος τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν στρατειῶν καὶ τῆς πολιτείας σχολὴν ἐν γράμμασι διατριβὴν ποιούμενος, ἔλεγεν ὁπότε σχολάζοι, πλείονα πράττειν.

[2] ἐπεὶ δὲ Καρχηδόνα κατὰ κράτος εἷλε καὶ τῶν στρατιωτῶν τινες αἰχμάλωτον λαβόντες εὐπρεπῆ παρθένον ἧκον κομίζοντες, αὐτῷ δὲ ἐδίδοσαν, ἡδέως ἄν, ἔφη, ἔλαβον, εἴπερ ἦν ἰδιώτης καὶ μὴ ἄρχων.

[3] πολιορκῶν δὲ πόλιν Βαθεῖαν, ἧς ὑπερεφαίνετο ναὸς Ἀφροδίτης, ἐκέλευσεν ἐκεῖ τὰς ἐγγύας ὁμολογεῖν, ὡς εἰς τρίτην ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τῆς 196c Ἀφροδίτης ἀκουσόμενος τῶν διαδικούντων καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐποίησεν, ὡς προεῖπε, τῆς πόλεως ἁλούσης.

[4] πυνθανομένου δέ τινος ἐν Σικελίᾳ τίνι πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνα μέλλει τὸν στόλον περαιοῦν, δείξας αὐτῷ ἐνόπλους ἄνδρας τριακοσίους γυμναζομένους καὶ πύργον ὑψηλὸν ὑπὲρ θαλάττης, οὐδείς, ἔφη, τούτων ἐστὶν ὅστις ἐπὶ τὸν πύργον ἀναβὰς τοῦτον οὐκ ἂν ἑαυτὸν ῥίψειεν ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ἐμοῦ κελεύσαντος.

[5] ἐπεὶ δὲ διαβὰς τῆς τε γῆς ἐκράτει καὶ τὰ στρατόπεδα τῶν πολεμίων κατέκαυσεν, οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι πέμψαντες ἐποιοῦντο συνθήκας, τά τε 196d θηρία καὶ τὰς ναῦς καὶ τὰ χρήματα δώσειν ὁμολογήσαντες· Ἀννίβου δὲ καταπλεύσαντος ἐξ Ἰταλίας, μετεμέλοντο ταῖς ὁμολογίαις¹ διὰ τὸ θαρρεῖν πυθόμενος δὲ ὁ Σκιπίων ἔφη μηδὲ βουλομένοις αὐτοῖς ἔτι τὰς σπονδὰς φυλάξειν, ἂν μὴ τάλαντα πεντακισχίλια προσεκτείσωσιν, ὅτι μετεπέμψαντο τὸν Ἀννίβαν.

[6] ἐπεὶ δὲ νικηθέντες οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι κατὰ κράτος περὶ σπονδῶν καὶ εἰρήνης πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτόν, ἐκέλευσεν εὐθὺς ἀπιέναι τοὺς ἥκοντας, ὡς οὐκ ἀκουσόμενος πρότερον αὐτῶν ἢ Λεύκιον Τερέντιον ἀγάγωσιν· ἦν δὲ Ῥωμαῖος ὁ Τερέντιος, ἐπιεικὴς ἀνήρ, γεγονὼς αἰχμάλωτος ὑπὸ Καρχηδονίων· 196e ἐπεὶ δὲ ἧκον ἄγοντες τὸν ἄνδρα, καθίσας ἐν τῷ συμβουλίῳ παρʼ αὑτὸν² ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος, οὕτως ἐχρημάτισε τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις καὶ κατέλυσε τὸν πόλεμον.

[7] ὁ δὲ Τερέντιος ἐπηκολούθησεν αὐτῷ θριαμβεύοντι πιλίον ἔχων ὥσπερ ἀπελεύθερος· ἀποθανόντος δὲ τοῖς ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκφορὰν παραγινομένοις ἐνέχει πίνειν οἰνόμελι καὶ τὰ ἄλλα περὶ τὴν ταφὴν ἐφιλοτιμήθη. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὕστερον.

[8] Ἀντιόχου δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως μετὰ τὸ διαβῆναι Ῥωμαίους ἐπʼ αὐτὸν εἰς Ἀσίαν πέμψαντος πρὸς 196f τὸν Σκιπίωνα περὶ διαλύσεως, ἔδει πρότερον, εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ μὴ νῦν, ὁπότε καὶ τὸν χαλινὸν καὶ τὸν ἀναβάτην προσδέδεξαι.

[9] χρήματα δὲ τῆς συγκλήτου λαβεῖν αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ταμιείου³ ψηφισαμένης, τῶν δὲ ταμιῶν οὐ βουλομένων ἀνοῖξαι τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης, αὐτὸς ἀνοίξειν ἔφη· καὶ γὰρ κλείεσθαι διʼ αὐτὸν πλήσαντα χρημάτων τοσούτων τὸ ταμιεῖον.

[10] Πετιλλίου⁴ δὲ καὶ Κοΐντου πολλὰ πρὸς τὸν δῆμον αὐτοῦ κατηγορησάντων, εἰπὼν ὅτι τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳ Καρχηδονίους καὶ Ἀννίβαν ἐνίκησεν αὐτὸς μὲν ἔφη στεφανωσάμενος ἀναβαίνειν εἰς τὸ Καπετώλιον θύσων, τὸν δὲ βουλόμενον τὴν 197a ψῆφον ἐκέλευσε φέρειν περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἀνέβαινεν, ὁ δὲ δῆμος ἐπηκολούθησε τοὺς κατηγόρους ἀπολιπὼν λέγοντας.

Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol II. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 76 focus

Σκιπίωνος τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου

Σκιπίων δὲ ὁ πρεσβύτερος τὴν σχολὴν τὴν ¹ ἀπὸ τῶν στρατειῶν καὶ τῆς πολιτείας ἐν γράμμασι διατριβὴν ποιούμενος, ἔλεγεν ὁπότε σχολάζοι, πλείονα πράττειν.

[2] ἐπεὶ δὲ Καρχηδόνα κατὰ κράτος εἷλε καὶ τῶν 5 στρατιωτῶν τινες αἰχμάλωτον λαβόντες εὐπρεπῆ παρθένον ἧκον κομίζοντες, αὐτῷ δὲ ἐδίδοσαν, ἡδέως ἄν ἔφη ἔλαβον, εἴπερ ἦν ἰδιώτης καὶ μὴ ἄρχων.

[3] πολιορκῶν δὲ πόλιν Βαθεῖαν, ἧς ὑπερεφαίνετο ναὸς Ἀφροδίτης, ἐκέλευσεν ἐκεῖ τὰς ἐγγύας ὁμολογεῖν, 10 ὡς εἰς τρίτην ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης 196c ἀκουσόμενος τῶν διαδικούντων· καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐποίησεν, ὡς προεῖπε, τῆς πόλεως ἁλούσης.

[4] πυνθανομένου δέ τινος ἐν Σικελίᾳ τίνι πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνα μέλλει τὸν στόλον περαιοῦν, 15 δείξας αὐτῷ ἐνόπλους ἄνδρας τριακοσίους γυμναζομένους καὶ πύργον ὑψηλὸν ὑπὲρ θαλάττης οὐδείς ἔφη τούτων ἐστίν, ὅστις ἐπὶ τὸν πύργον ἀναβὰς τοῦτον οὐκ ἂν ἑαυτὸν ῥίψειεν ἐπὶ κεφαλήν, ἐμοῦ κελεύσαντος.

[5] ἐπεὶ δὲ διαβὰς τῆς τε γῆς ἐκράτει καὶ τὰ στρατόπεδα τῶν πολεμίων κατέκαυσεν, οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι πέμψαντες ἐποιοῦντο συνθήκας, τά τε θηρία 196d καὶ τὰς ναῦς καὶ τὰ χρήματα δώσειν ὁμολογήσαντες· Ἀννίβου δὲ καταπλεύσαντος ἐξ Ἰταλίας, μετεμέλοντο 25 ταῖς ὁμολογίαις διὰ τὸ θαρρεῖν· πυθόμενος δὲ ὁ Σκιπίων ἔφη μηδὲ βουλομένοις αὐτοῖς ἔτι τὰς σπονδὰς φυλάξειν, ἂν μὴ τάλαντα πεντακισχίλια προσεκτίσωσιν, ὅτι μετεπέμψαντο τὸν Ἀννίβαν.

[6] ἐπεὶ δὲ νικηθέντες οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι κατὰ κράτος περὶ σπονδῶν καὶ εἰρήνης πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτόν, ἐκέλευσεν εὐθὺς ἀπιέναι τοὺς ἥκοντας, ὡς οὐκ ἀκουσόμενος πρότερον αὐτῶν ἢ Λεύκιον Τερέντιον ἀγάγωσιν· ἦν δὲ Ῥωμαῖος ὁ Τερέντιος, 5 ἐπιεικὴς ἀνήρ, γεγονὼς αἰχμάλωτος ὑπὸ Καρχηδονίων· 196e ἐπεὶ δὲ ἧκον ἄγοντες τὸν ἄνδρα, καθίσας ἐν τῷ συμβουλίῳ παρʼ αὑτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος, οὕτως ἐχρημάτισε τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις, καὶ κατέλυσε τὸν πόλεμον.

ὁ δὲ Τερέντιος ἐπηκολούθησεν αὐτῷ θριαμβεύοντι πιλίον ἔχων ὥσπερ ἀπελεύθερος· ἀποθανόντος δὲ τοῖς ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκφορὰν παραγινομένοις ἐνέχει πίνειν οἰνόμελι καὶ τὰ ἄλλα περὶ τὴν ταφὴν ἐφιλοτιμήθη. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὕστερον.

Ἀντιόχου δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως μετὰ τὸ διαβῆναι Ῥωμαίους ἐπʼ αὐτὸν εἰς Ἀσίαν πέμψαντος πρὸς τὸν 196f Σκιπίωνα περὶ διαλύσεως, ἔδει πρότερον εἶπεν ἀλλὰ μὴ νῦν, ὁπότε καὶ τὸν χαλινὸν καὶ τὸν ἀναβάτην προσδέδεξαι.

χρήματα δὲ τῆς συγκλήτου λαβεῖν αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ταμιείου ² ψηφισαμένης, τῶν δὲ ταμιῶν οὐ βουλομένων ἀνοῖξαι τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης, αὐτὸς ἀνοίξειν ἔφη· καὶ γὰρ κλείεσθαι διʼ αὐτὸν πλήσαντα χρημάτων τοσούτων τὸ ταμιεῖον.

Πετιλλίου ³ δὲ καὶ Κοΐντου πολλὰ πρὸς τὸν δῆμον αὐτοῦ κατηγορησάντων, εἰπὼν ὅτι τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳ Καρχηδονίους καὶ Ἀννίβαν ἐνίκησεν, αὐτὸς μὲν ἔφη στεφανωσάμενος ἀναβαίνειν εἰς τὸ Καπετώλιον θύσων, τὸν δὲ βουλόμενον τὴν ψῆφον ἐκέλευσε 197a φέρειν περὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἀνέβαινεν, ὁ δὲ δῆμος ἐπηκολούθησε τοὺς κατηγόρους ἀπολιπὼν λέγοντας.

Translations (1)

The apophthegms or remarkable sayings of kings and great commanders. Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. I. Goodwin, William W., editor; Hinton, Edward, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 76 focus

[76] SCIPIO THE ELDER. Scipio the Elder spent on his studies what leisure the campaign and government would allow him, saying, that he did most when he was idle. When he took Carthage by storm, some soldiers took prisoner a very beautiful virgin, and came and presented her to him. I would receive her, said he, with all my heart, if I were a private man and not a governor. While he was besieging the city of Badia, wherein appeared above all a temple of Venus, he ordered appearances to be given for actions to be tried before him within three days in that temple of Venus; and he took the city, and was as good as his word. One asked him in Sicily, on what confidence he presumed to pass with his navy against Carthage. He showed him three hundred disciplined men in armor, and pointed to a high tower on the shore; There is not one of these, said he, that would not at my command go to the top of that tower, and cast himself down headlong. Over he went, landed, and burnt the enemy’s camp, and the Carthaginians sent to him, and covenanted to surrender their elephants, ships, and a sum of money. But when Hannibal was sailed back from Italy, their reliance on him made them repent of those conditions. This coming to Scipio’s ear, Nor will I, said he, stand to the agreement if they will, unless they pay me five thousand talents more for sending for Hannibal. The Carthaginians, when they were utterly overthrown, sent ambassadors to make peace and league with him; he bade those that came return immediately, as refusing to hear them before they brought L. Terentius with them, a good man, whom the Carthaginians had taken prisoner. When they brought him, he placed him in the council next himself, on the judgment-seat, and then he transacted with the Carthaginians and put an end to the war. And Terentius followed him when he triumphed, wearing the cap of one that was made free; and when he died, Scipio gave wine mingled with honey to those that were at the funeral, and performed other funeral rites in his honor. But these things were done afterwards. King Antiochus, after the Romans invaded him, sent to Scipio in Asia for peace; That should have been done before, said he, not now when you have received a bridle and a rider. The senate decreed him a sum of money out of the treasury, but the treasurers refused to open it on that day. Then, said he, I will open it myself, for the moneys with which I filled it caused it to be shut. When Paetilius and Quintus accused him of many crimes before the people,—On this very day, said he, I conquered Hannibal and Carthage; I for my part am going with my crown on to the Capitol to sacrifice; and let him that pleaseth stay and pass his vote upon me. Having thus said, he went his way; and the people followed him, leaving his accusers declaiming to themselves.

Notes on the current edition

Sayings of Kings and Commanders

1. Scipio Africanus Major, 235-183 B.C., conqueror of the Carthaginians at Zama.

2. Cf. Cicero, De officiis, iii. 1 numquam se minus otiosum esse quam cum otiosus . . . esset.

3. New Carthage in Spain, 210 B.C.; Polybius, x. 8-19; Livy, xxvii. 7 and xxvi. 42-51.

4. Cf. Polybius, x. 19; Polyaenus, Strategemata, viii. 16. 6; Livy, xxvi. 50; Valerius Maximus, iv. 3. 1; Frontinus, Strategemata, ii. 11. 5; Aulus Gellius.

5. Baria, attested by inscriptions, is probably the right spelling (variants: Barea, Bareia, Badia, Batheia), if the same town is meant.

6. Cf. Valerius Maximus, iii. 7. 1; and Aulus Gellius, vi. 1.

7. As in Livy, xxix. 1; Valerius Maximus, vii. 3. 3.

8. Polybius, xv. 18, and Livy, xxx. 16, indicate similar terms.

9. Not noted in Livy, xxx. 35, nor elsewhere, apparently.

10. Cf. Livy, xxx. 43.

11. Cf. Livy, xxx. 45; Valerius Maximus, v. 2. 5.

12. Cf. Livy, xxxviii. 55.

13. Antiochus the Great.

14. In 190 B.C.

15. Cf. Polybius, xxi. 15; Livy, xxxvii. 36; Appian, Roman History, the Syrian Wars, vi. 29.

16. Cf. Polybius, xxxiii. 14; and Valerius Maximus, iii. 7. 1.

17. There are many references to this incident. Cf. Moralia, 540 F; Plutarch’s Life of Cato Major, chap. xv. (344 D), Polybius, xxiii. 14; Livy, xxxviii. 50-51; Aulus Gellius, iv. 18. See also the note on the similar action of Epameinondas, Moralia, 194 B, supra.

Plutarch Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata 76

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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THE ELDER SCIPIO ¹

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Σκιπιῶνος τοῦ Πρεσβυτερου

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THE ELDER SCIPIO 1

Current edition Perseus

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THE ELDER SCIPIO ¹