Scipio, thirty-one in 205 BCE, is unanimously…
205 BCE
Scipio, thirty-one in 205 BCE, is unanimously elected to the consulship in this year, by which time Hannibal's movements are restricted to the southwestern toe of Italy.
Scipio intends to take the war to Africa, but some of the Senators are envious of him and only let him to go to Sicily without giving him an army.
Even so, Scipio starts a volunteer army when he is in Sicily.
His great name draws to him a number of volunteers from all parts of Italy; among these are the shamed survivors of the fiasco at the Battle of Cannae, eager to once again prove their worth as soldiers.
Scipio turns Sicily into a camp for training his army.
Scipio realizes that the Carthaginian, and especially Numidian superiority in cavalry would prove decisive against the largely infantry forces of the Roman legions.
In addition, a large portion of Rome's cavalry ware allies of questionable loyalty, or noble equites exempting themselves from being lowly foot soldiers.
One anecdote tells of how Scipio pressed into service several hundred Sicilian nobles to create a cavalry force.
The Sicilians were quite opposed to this servitude to a foreign occupier (Sicily being under Roman control only since the First Punic War), and protested vigorously.
Scipio assented to their exemption from service providing they pay for a horse, equipment, and a replacement rider for the Roman Army.
In this way, Scipio created a trained nucleus of cavalry for his African campaign.
The Roman Senate, in sending a commission of inquiry to Sicily, finds Scipio at the head of a well-equipped and trained fleet and army.
Scipio presses the Senate for permission to cross into Africa.
The conservative branch of the Roman Senate, championed by Fabius Maximus, the Cunctator (Delayer), opposes the mission.
Fabius still fears Hannibal's power, and views any mission to Africa as dangerous and wasteful to the war effort.
Scipio is also harmed by some senators' disdain of his Hellenophile tastes in art, luxuries, and philosophies.
The introduction, in 205 BCE, of the Phrygian worship of Cybele and the transference of the image of the goddess herself from Pessinus to Rome to bless the expedition may have affected public opinion against Scipio as well.
All Scipio can obtain is permission to cross over from Sicily to Africa if it appears to be in the interests of Rome, but not financial or military support.
Locations
Topics
Commodities
Subjects
Regions
Southwest Europe
View →Subregions
