Scipio Africanus: Soldier and Politician

One of the most fascinating personalities in the history of the Roman Republic comes vividly to life in this new book by H. H. Scullard, general editor of the Aspects of Greek and Roman Life series. The author provides a keen analysis of Scipio's military achievements together with an informed account of his political career. Based on the best and most recent scholarship, the book will undoubtedly be the standard biography of Scipio for many years to come. Professor Scullard stresses the historical importance of Scipio the soldier, and shows that his greatest success—the defeat of Hannibal in 202 B.C.—was made possible by his tactical genius, strategic insight, and the tenacity with which he fought for and won acceptance of his views despite bitter political opposition in Rome. By establishing a liberal conception of Rome's imperial mission in the world, Scipio laid the foundations of Roman power in Spain, Africa, and Asia. The author shows AScipio at the centre of the history of the Roman Republic—the first strong personality after an age that preferred corporate action and the champion of the forces that together produced the new Graeco-Roman culture of the late Republic. Photographs, maps, and drawings enhance this most readable biography.