Summary of Book XXXV
Publius Scipio Africanus, sent on an embassy to
Antiochus, at Ephesus conversed with Hannibal, who had
associated himself with Antiochus, in order that, if it
were possible, he should take from him the fear which he
felt of the Roman people. Among other things, when
he asked whom Hannibal considered the greatest general,
he named Alexander, king of the Macedonians, because
with a small force he had defeated armies uncountable
and because he had traversed the farthest countries, to
see which was beyond human hopes. When Scipio asked
whom he ranked second, he said that Pyrrhus had been
the first to teach the art of castrametation, and besides
no one had chosen his ground or placed his troops more
skilfully. Continuing as to whom he would place third,
he named himself there. Scipio then asked with a smile,
“What would you say if you had defeated me?” “Then,
in truth,” he replied, “I should have ranked myself
ahead of Alexander, ahead of Pyrrhus and ahead of all
other generals.” Among other prodigies, which are
reported to have been very numerous, it is said that a
cow belonging to Gnaeus Domitius exclaimed, “Rome,
for thyself beware.” Nabis, tyrant of the Spartans,
provoked by the Aetolians, who were inciting both Philip
and Antiochus to make war upon the Roman people,
rebelled against the Roman people, but waging war
against Philopoemen, the chief of the Achaeans, was
killed by the Aetolians. The Aetolians also abandoned
the friendship of the Roman people. Antiochus, when
he had joined in alliance with them and had begun war
in Greece, occupied several cities, among them Chalcis
and all Euboea. The book contains in addition the
narrative of events among the Ligures and the preparations
of Antiochus for war.
