Summary of Book XXIX
GAIUS LAELIUS, having been sent by Scipio from Sicily
to Africa, brought back immense booty and delivered to
Scipio Masinissa's messages, complaining because he had
not yet transported his army to Africa. The war which
Indibilis had stirred up in Spain was brought to an end with
the Roman as victor. He himself was slain in battle;
Mandonius was surrendered by his own people to the
Romans in response to their demand. To Mago, who was
at Albingaunum, among the Ligurians, a large contingent
was sent from Africa and also funds with which to hire
auxiliaries; and he was ordered to unite with Hannibal.
Scipio crossed over from Syracuse into the Bruttian territory and recovered Locri by defeating the Punic garrison
and putting Hannibal to flight. Peace was made with
Philip. The Idaean Mother was brought to Rome from
Pessinus, a town in Phrygia, since in the Sibylline books
verses had been found, saying that a foreign enemy could
be driven out of Italy if the Idaean Mother should be
brought to Rome. And she was delivered to the Romans
by Attalus, King of Asia. It was a stone which the natives
said was the Mother of the gods. She was received by
Publius Scipio Nasica, son of that Gnaeus who had perished
in Spain. He was adjudged the best man by the senate,
because, although he was a young man who had not yet
been quaestor, the oracle commanded that that divinity
should be received and consecrated by the best man.
The Locrians sent envoys to Rome to complain of the
lawless conduct of Pleminius, the legatus, who had carried
off the money of Proserpina and had outraged their
children and their wives. He was taken in chains to Rome
and died in the prison.
1 When an unfounded report
[p. 363]
had been brought to the city in regard to Publius Scipio,
the proconsul, who was in Sicily, alleging that he was
leading a life of indulgence there, representatives were
for this reason sent by the senate to discover whether the
charges were true. Being cleared of evil repute Scipio
crossed over to Africa by permission of the senate. Syphax,
having received in marriage the daughter of Hasdrubal
son of Gisgo, renounced the friendship which he had made
with Scipio. Masinissa, King of the Massylians, while
serving in Spain for the Carthaginians, after losing his
father Gala, had been excluded from the kingship. When
he repeatedly sought to regain it by war, he was defeated
by Syphax, King of the Numidians, in a number of battles
and was completely dispossessed. And as an exile with
two hundred horsemen he joined Scipio and with him
at the very beginning of the campaign he slew Hanno son
of Hamilcar, together with his large force. Scipio, on the
arrival of Hasdrubal and Syphax, who had come with
almost a hundred thousand armed men, was forced to
raise the siege of Utica and fortified a winter camp.
Sempronius, the consul, fought successfully against
Hannibal in the territory of Croton. Between the censors,
Marcus Livius and Claudius Nero, there was a memorable
quarrel. For Claudius took away his colleague Livius'
horse because he had been condemned by the people and
driven into exile, and Livius did the same for Claudius
because the latter had borne false witness against him
and because he had not been sincere in being reconciled
with him. Likewise Livius left all the tribes but one mere
tax-payers, because they had both condemned him,
though innocent, and had later made him consul and censor.
The rite of purification was completed by the censors.
The number of citizens listed was 214,000.
