28.21
After
this Marcius was sent to reduce to submission any tribes that had not yet
been subjugated. Scipio returned to New Carthage to discharge his vows and
to exhibit the gladiatorial spectacle which he had prepared in honour of the
memory of his father and his uncle. The gladiators on this occasion were not
drawn from the class from which the trainers usually take them -slaves and
men who sell their blood -but were all volunteers and gave their services
gratuitously. Some had been sent by their chiefs to give an exhibition of the
instinctive courage of their race, others professed their willingness to fight
out of compliment to their general, others again were drawn by a spirit of
rivalry to challenge one another to single combat. There were several who
had outstanding quarrels with one another and who agreed to seize this
opportunity of deciding them by the sword on the agreed condition that the
vanquished was to be at the disposal of the victor. It was not only obscure
individuals who were doing this. Two distinguished members of the native
nobility, Corbis and Orsua, first cousins to each other, who were disputing
the primacy of a city called Ibes gave out that they intended to settle their
dispute with the sword. Corbis was the elder of the two, but Orsua's father
had been the last to hold that dignity, having succeeded his brother. Scipio
wanted them to discuss the question calmly and peaceably, but as they had
refused to do so at the request of their own relations, they told him that they
would not accept the arbitrament of any one, whether god or man except
Mars, and to him alone would they appeal. The elder relied upon his
strength, the younger on his youth; they both preferred to fight to the death
rather than that one should be subject to the commands of the other. They
presented a striking spectacle to the army and an equally striking proof of
the mischief which the passion for power works amongst men. The elder
cousin by his familiarity with arms and his dexterity easily prevailed over the
rough untrained strength of the younger. The gladiatorial contests were
followed by funeral games with all the pomp which the resources of the
province and the camp could furnish.
