however, to try to overcome Rome ; for the young general , Scipio , was making trouble in Africa, and Hannibal was re called to that country .
Scipio had by this time concluded that since he had recon quered Spain , the best thing for him to do was to attack Africa . Then , he felt sure , the Carthaginians would be TRIREME
obliged to send for Hannibal . The senate did not agree with him , and Fabius Cunctator heartily disapproved of the plan . Scipio had become consul , however , and finally the senate yielded , but so unwillingly that they would not grant him a proper number of troops . The common folk had the utmost confidence in him ; and when he called for volunteers, they promptly filled up his lines .
Scipio crossed the Mediterranean to Africa and laid siege to U'ti- ca . In those times it was thought fair to trick an enemy in every possible way, and Scipio set to work to per suade some of the allies of the Carthaginians that he was thinking seriously about making peace . These allies were perfectly willing to make peace for themselves, if they had a chance, and desert the Carthaginians. Scipio's real plan was , however, far from making peace ; but he was finding out
94 STORY OF THE
ROMAN PEOPLE
(Galley with three banks of oars)
HOW THE ROMANS CONQUERED CARTHAGE 95
all that he could about the arrangement of the camps. Then, one dark night, he set fire to the camps of his opponents . They ran wildly from their huts ; but the Romans were guard ing every way of escape , and the whole Carthaginian army in Africa was destroyed .
It was after this disaster that the Carthaginians ordered Hannibal to bring his troops home to defend their capital . So it was that Hannibal left Italy . He did no good by return ing home , however, for he had a terrible battle with Scipio at Za'ma, and this second Carthaginian army was destroyed .
Then Carthage begged for peace . It was granted ; but the conquered city was required to pay an enormous sum of money , to agree never to make war anywhere without the consent of Rome, to give up all ele phants , prisoners , and deserters, and all ships of war ex cept ten tri'remes, that is , galleys with three banks of oars . For seventeen years Hannibal had been trying to conquer Rome, and all his struggles had come to nothing but this . The Romans towed the great Carthaginian warships out of the harbor and burned
VICTORIOUS GENERAL THANKING HIS ARMY
96 STORY OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE
them ; and the Carthaginians looked on , grieving as if their city itself were in flames . The deserters were all put to death . The Latins among them were beheaded , the Romans crucified .
Scipio returned to Rome through Italy . All along his way the roads were lined with people who cheered and shouted in their delight that the war was over at last. It was the custom among the Romans for a victorious general to have a " triumph ," that is, to ride through the city to the Capitol with a proces sion of banners, captives in chains , and wagons loaded with the arms and treasures of the enemy. The triumph of Scipio was the most mag nificent that had yet been seen . The name Af -ri - ca'nus was given him in honor of his conquest of the Cartha ginians.
Time passed , and Hannibal
( From a Bronze Bust in the Museum at Naples ) showed such ability as a statesman that Carthage soon began to prosper. The Ro ere startled and demanded that he should be given up to them . To escape them , he fled from his country and became an exile .
In the two Carthaginian wars , Rome had lost more than
H 1
SCIPIO AFRICANUS
