26.19
Seeing
how the step which they had taken so impetuously now filled them with
anxiety, Scipio called the voters together and spoke to them about his age
and the command which they had entrusted to him, and the war which he
had to conduct. He spoke in such lofty and glowing words that he evoked
their enthusiasm once more, and inspired them with more hopeful confidence
than is usually called out by faith in men's promises or by reasonable
anticipations of success. Scipio won people's admiration not only by the
sterling qualities which he possessed, but also by his cleverness in displaying
them, a cleverness which he had developed from early youth. In his public
life he generally spoke and acted as though he were guided either by visions
of the night or by some divine inspiration, whether it was that he was really
open to superstitious influences or that he claimed oracular sanction for his
commands and counsels in order to secure prompt adoption. He sought to
create this impression on men's minds from the beginning, from the day when
he assumed the toga virilis, for he never undertook any important business,
either public or private, without first going to the Capitol, where he sat for
some time in the temple in privacy and alone. This custom, which he kept up
all through his life, gave rise to a widespread belief, whether designedly upon
his part or not, that he was of divine origin, and the story was told of him
which was commonly related of Alexander -a story as silly as it was
fabulous -that he was begotten by an enormous serpent which had been
often seen in his mother's bedroom, but on any one's approach, suddenly
uncoiled itself and disappeared. The belief in these marvels was never
scoffed at by him; on the contrary, it was strengthened by deliberate policy
on his part in refusing to deny or to admit that anything of the kind ever
occurred. There were many other traits in this young man's character, some
of which were genuine, others the result of studied acting, which created a
greater admiration for him than usually falls to the lot of man.
It was the confidence with which he had in this way inspired his
fellow-citizens that led them to entrust to him, young as he was, a task of
enormous difficulty, and a command which involved the gravest
responsibilities. The force which he had formed out of the old army in Spain,
and that which sailed from Puteoli with C. Nero, were further reinforced by
10,000 infantry and 1000 cavalry. M. Junius Silanus was appointed as his
second in command. Setting sail from the mouth of the Tiber with a fleet of
thirty vessels, all quinqueremes, he coasted along the Etruscan shore,
crossed the Gulf of Gaul, and after rounding the Pyrenaean Promontory
brought up at Emporiae, a Greek city, founded by settlers from Phocaea.
Here he disembarked his troops and proceeded overland to Tarraco, leaving
orders for his fleet to follow his movements. At Tarraco he was met by
deputations which had been sent from all the friendly tribes as soon as they
knew of his coming. The vessels were hauled ashore, and the four Massilian
triremes which had acted as convoy were sent home. The deputations
informed Scipio of the unsettlement amongst their tribes due to the varying
fortunes of the war. He replied in a bold and assured tone, full of
self-confidence, but no expression savouring of presumption or arrogance
escaped him, everything he said was marked by perfect dignity and sincerity.
