28.35
The
negotiations which had been begun with Masinissa were delayed for various
reasons. He wanted in any case to meet Scipio personally and to grasp his
hand in confirmation of the league between them, and this was the reason
why Scipio undertook at that time such a long and out-of-the-way journey.
Masinissa was at Gades, and on being informed by Marcius that Scipio was
coming, he represented to Mago that his horses were getting out of
condition through being confined in so small an island, and were causing a
general scarcity from which all alike suffered, whilst his cavalry were
becoming enervated through inaction. He persuaded the Carthaginian
commander to allow him to cross to the mainland for the purpose of
plundering the adjacent country. When he had landed he sent three Numidian
chieftains to Scipio to fix the time and place of the interview. Two were to
be detained by Scipio as hostages, the third was to be sent back to conduct
Masinissa to the place that had been decided upon. They came to the
conference, each with a small escort. From what he had heard of his
achievements the Numidian had already conceived a great admiration for the
Roman commander and had pictured him in imagination as a man of grand
and imposing presence. But when he saw him he felt a deeper veneration for
him. The majesty, natural to Scipio, was heightened by his flowing hair and
the simplicity of his general appearance, which was devoid of all adornment
and decoration, and in the highest degree manly and soldierly. He was at the
most vigorous time of life, and his recovery from his recent illness had given
him a freshness and clearness of complexion which renewed the bloom of
youth.
Almost speechless with astonishment at this his first meeting with
him, the Numidian began by thanking him for having sent his nephew home.
From that moment, he declared, he had looked for such an opportunity as
this of expressing his gratitude, and now that one was offered him by the
kindness of heaven he would not let it slip. He was desirous of rendering
such service to Scipio and to Rome that no one of foreign birth might ever
be found to have afforded more zealous assistance. This had long been his
wish, but Spain was a strange and unknown land to him, and he had been
unable to carry out his purpose there; it would, however, be easy to do it in
the land of his birth, where he had been brought up in the expectation of
succeeding to his father's throne. If the Romans sent Scipio as their general
into Africa, he felt pretty certain that the time of Carthage would be very
short. Scipio watched him and listened to him with great pleasure. He knew
that Masinissa was the master-spirit in all the enemy's cavalry, and the
youth's whole bearing showed high courage. After they had pledged their
faith to each other, Scipio returned to Tarraco. Masinissa was allowed by the
Romans to carry off plunder from the adjacent fields, in order that he might
not be thought to have sailed across to the mainland without sufficient cause.
After this he returned to Gades.