he strove so hard to save.
He had not, like Alexander, to lead picked troops against effeminate
Asiatics. He had to mould his little army out of raw and barbarous
levies. He had no reinforcements to fall back on. With a motley army
of Libyans, Gauls, and Spaniards he had to encounter a nation in
arms--a nation of the stoutest and most highly trained warriors of
ancient times. There is not in all history so wonderful an example of
what a single man of genius may achieve against the most tremendous
odds, as the story of the Phoenician hero--the greatest captain that
the world has seen.

SCIPIO AFRICANUS MAJOR

(235-183 B.C.)

[Illustration: Scipio.]

P. Cornelius Scipio, Africanus Major, was the son of that P. Cornelius
Scipio who was defeated by Hannibal at the Ticinus. If it be true that
at the age of seventeen Scipio fought in this battle, and rescued his
wounded father, he must have been born in B.C. 235. He was in the
battle of Cannae (B.C. 216) as a tribune, and was among those who,
after the defeat, escaped to Canusium. Here the chief command of the
remaining troops was unanimously entrusted to him and another. On this
occasion it was owing to his presence of mind that the remnants of the
Roman army did not, in their despair, quit Italy.

In B.C. 212, Scipio was curule aedile, though he had not yet attained
the legitimate age. The tribunes of the people endeavored to prevent
his election, but they were obliged to give up their opposition, for
the people, who seem to have perceived the extraordinary abilities of
the young man, elected him almost unanimously. In B.C. 211 his father
and uncle fell in Spain, and the Carthaginians again took possession
of the country, which they had almost entirely lost. When Capua had
fallen again into their hands, and Italy no longer required their
exclusive attention, the Romans determined to act with more energy
against the Carthaginians in Spain. On the day of the election, no one
ventured to come forward to undertake the command in this war. Young
Scipio, then scarcely twenty-four years of age, at last offered to
take the command of the army in Spain. The people were struck with
admiration at the courage of the young man, and gave him command, with
proconsular power, which was afterward prolonged to him for several
years (B.C. 210-206).

The extraordinary power which young Scipio exercised over his
contemporaries was perhaps partly owing to superstition, for he wa