aly, and encouraged and animated the
Romans, while Hannibal and his army, as well as the people who were in
alliance with him, were disheartened and depressed by them. Scipio was
one of these generals commanding in foreign lands. His province was
Spain. The news which came home from his army became more and more
exciting, as he advanced from conquest to conquest, until it seemed
that the whole country was going to be reduced to subjection. He
overcame one Carthaginian general after another until he reached New
Carthage, which he besieged and conquered, and the Roman authority was
established fully over the whole land.

Scipio then returned in triumph to Rome. The people received him with
acclamations. At the next election they chose him consul. On the
allotment of provinces, Sicily fell to him, with power to cross into
Africa if he pleased. It devolved on the other consul to carry on the
war in Italy more directly against Hannibal. Scipio levied his army,
equipped his fleet, and sailed for Sicily.

The first thing that he did on his arrival in his province was to
project an expedition into Africa itself. He could not, as he wished,
face Hannibal directly, by marching his troops into the south of
Italy, for this was the work allotted to his colleague. He could,
however, make an incursion into Africa, and even threaten Carthage
itself, and this, with the boldness and ardor which marked his
character, he resolved to do.

He was triumphantly successful in all his plans. His army, imbibing
the spirit of enthusiasm which animated their commander, and confident
of success, went on, as his forces in Spain had done, from victory to
victory. They conquered cities, they overran provinces, they defeated
and drove back all the armies which the Carthaginians could bring
against them, and finally they awakened in the streets and dwellings
of Carthage the same panic and consternation which Hannibal's
victorious progress had produced in Rome.

The Carthaginians being now, in their turn, reduced to despair, sent
embassadors to Scipio to beg for peace, and to ask on what terms he
would grant it and withdraw from the country. Scipio replied that _he_
could not make peace. It rested with the Roman senate, whose servant
he was. He specified, however, certain terms which he was willing to
have proposed to the senate, and, if the Carthaginians would agree to
them, he would grant them a _truce_, that is, a temporary suspension
of hostiliti