26.48
Leaving C. Laelius with the marines in
charge of the city, Scipio led his legions the same day back into camp. They
were well-nigh worn out; they had fought in the open field, had undergone
much toil and danger in the capture of the city, and after capturing it had
sustained a conflict on unfavourable ground with those who had taken refuge
in the citadel. So he gave them one day's respite from all military duties and
ordered them to seek refreshment and rest. The next day he issued orders for
all the soldiers and marines to appear on parade that he might address them.
First he offered up a thanksgiving to the immortal gods because they had not
only made him master in a single day of the wealthiest city in all Spain, but
had also brought together beforehand into the place all the resources of
Africa and Spain, so that whilst nothing was left to the enemy he and his men
had a superabundance of everything. Then he praised the courage of his
troops, whom, he said, nothing had daunted, neither the sortie of the enemy,
nor the height of the walls, nor the untried depth of the lagoon, nor the fort
on the hill, nor the unusual strength of the citadel. Nothing had prevented
them from surmounting every obstacle and forcing their way everywhere.
Though every man amongst them deserved all the rewards he could give, the
glory of the mural crown belonged especially to him who was the first to
scale the wall, and the man who considered that he deserved it should claim
it.
Two men came forward, Q. Tiberilius, a centurion of the fourth
legion, and Sextus Digitius, one of the marines. The contention between
them was not so heated as the excitement with which each body advocated
the claim of its own representative. C. Laelius, the commander of the fleet,
supported the marine, M. Sempronius Tuditanus took the part of his
legionaries. As the dispute was almost becoming a mutiny, Scipio announced
that he would allow three arbitrators to be named who should investigate the
case and take evidence and give their decision as to which had been the first
to scale the wall and enter the town. C. Laelius and M. Sempronius were
named by their respective parties, and Scipio added the name of P. Cornelius
Caudinus, who belonged to neither party, and bade the three sit at once and
try the case judicially. As they proceeded, the dispute became hotter than
ever, for the two men whose dignity and authority had helped to restrain the
excitement were now withdrawn to the tribunal. At last Laelius left his
colleagues and stepped down in front of the tribunal to Scipio and pointed
out to him that the proceedings were being carried on in defiance of all order
and self-restraint, and the men were almost coming to blows. And even if
there were no resort to violence the precedent that was being set was none
the less detestable, since men were trying to win the reward of valour by
falsehood and perjury. On the one side were the soldiers of the legion, on the
other those of the fleet, all alike ready to swear by all the gods to what they
wanted rather than to what they knew to be true, and prepared to involve in
the guilt of perjury not themselves only, but the military standards, the eagles
and their solemn oath of allegiance. Laelius added that he was making these
representations to him at the wish of P. Cornelius and M. Sempronius.
Scipio approved of the step Laelius had taken and summoned the troops to
assembly. He then announced that he had definitely ascertained that Q.
Tiberilius and Sextius Digitius had both surmounted the wall at the same
moment, and he should honour their bravery by presenting them each with a
mural crown. Then he bestowed rewards upon the rest according to each
man's merit. C. Laelius, the commander of the fleet, was singled out for
special distinction, and in the praises which he lavished upon him he placed
him on an equality with himself, finally presenting him with a golden crown
and thirty oxen.
