had both perished in Spain
within a month.

The chief feature of Scipio's policy was, while he was defeating
Hannibal in battles, to be undermining him with his native allies; and
to make that people realize to what hard taskmasters they had bound
themselves; and by his own manliness and courtesy and justice to win
them to his side.

He marched his army swiftly and unexpectedly upon New Carthage, the
capital and center of the whole Carthaginian movement, sent his fleet
to blockade the city, and planned his moves with such precision that
the fleet for the blockade and the army for the siege arrived before
the city on the same day.

Taken entirely by surprise. New Carthage was captured without a siege.
Not one of the inhabitants was spared, and spoil of fabulous amounts
fell to the victors.

It seems like a fairy tale--or like the story of Mexico and Peru
1800 years later--to read of 276 golden bowls which were brought to
Scipio's tent, countless vessels of silver, and 18 tons of coined and
wrought silver.

But the richest part of the prize was the 750 Spanish hostages--high
in rank of course--whom the various tribes had given in pledge of
their fidelity to Carthage. Now Scipio held these pledges, and they
were a menace and a promise. They were Roman slaves, but he could by
kindness, and by holding out the hope of emancipation, placate and
further bind to him the native people.

By an exercise of tact and clemency Scipio gained such an ascendancy
over the inhabitants, and so moved were they by this unexpected
generosity and kindness, that many would gladly have made him their
king.

But he seems to have been the "noblest Roman of them all," and when
saluted as king on one occasion he said: "Never call me king. Other
nations may revere that name, but no Roman can endure it. My soldiers
have given me a more honorable title--that of general."

Such nobility, such a display of Roman virtue, was a revelation to
these barbarians; and they felt the grandeur of the words, though they
could not quite understand them. They were won to the cause of Rome,
and formed loyal alliances with Scipio which they never broke.

In the year 206 B.C. Gades (Cadiz), the last stronghold, was
surrendered to the Romans, and the entire Spanish Peninsula had been
wrenched from the Carthaginians.

_Iberia_ was changed to _Hispania_, and fifteen years later the whole
of the Peninsula was organized into a Roman province, thenceforth
known