Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 38
Evan T. Sage, Ph.D., Ed.

60. In reply to this the praetor Terentius read the¹ Petillian law and the decree of the senate and the sentence which had been passed on Lucius Scipio; [2] unless the fine which was imposed was paid to the treasury there was nothing which he could do except to order the convicted man to be arrested and taken to prison. [3] When the tribunes had withdrawn for consultation, a little later Gaius Fannius announced that, in accordance with the decision of himself and his colleagues except Gracchus, the tribunes would not interfere with the praetor so as to prevent his exercise of his authority. [4] Tiberius Gracchus thus decreed: that he would not prevent the praetor from collecting, out of the property of Lucius Scipio, the fine that had been imposed; [5] Lucius Scipio himself, who had conquered the richest king in the world, extended the empire of the Roman people to the most distant limits of [6??] the earth, bound King Eumenes, the Rhodians, and so many cities of Asia by obligations to the Roman people, had led in his triumph and thrown into prison so many leaders of the enemy, he would not permit to lie in prison and in chains among the enemies of the Roman people, and he ordered him to be released. [7] This decree was listened to with such applause and with such joy did men see Scipio released that it scarcely seemed that the trial had taken place in the same state. Then the praetor sent the quaestors to take possession, on behalf of the state, of the property of Lucius Scipio. [8] Not only was there no trace of the king's wealth discovered, but by no means was there as much property found as would equal the amount of the fine. [9] Such a sum was raised for Lucius Scipio by his relatives and friends and clients that if he had [p. 211]received it he would have been a great deal richer² than he had been before his downfall. [10] He accepted none of it; what was necessary for a decent existence was redeemed for him by his nearest relatives; and the ill-will against the Scipios ended by recoiling upon the heads of the praetor and his advisers and the accusers.³