of the Roman people. He stated that he had gone
into Spain against four generals, and four victorious
armies, but that he had not left a Carthaginian in
that country. On account of these services he
rather tried his prospect of a triumph, than pressed
it pertinaciously; for it was quite clear, that no
one had triumphed up to that time for services performed,
when not invested with a magistracy. When the
senate was dismissed he entered the city, and carried
before him into the treasury fourteen thousand three
hundred and forty-two pounds of silver, and a great
quantity of coined silver. Lucius Veturius Philo
then held the assembly for the election of consuls,
when all the centuries, with the strongest marks of
attachment, named Publius Scipio as consul. Publius
Licinius Crassus, chief pontiff, was joined with him
as his colleague. It is recorded, that this election
was attended by a greater number of persons than any
other during the war. People had come together
from all quarters, not only to give their votes, but
also for the purpose of seeing Publius Scipio.
They ran in crowds, not only to his house, but also
to the Capitol; where he was engaged in offering a
sacrifice of a hundred oxen to Jupiter, which he had
vowed in Spain, impressed with a presentiment, that
as Caius Lutatius had terminated the former Punic
war, so Publius Scipio would terminate the present;
and that as he had driven the Carthaginians out of
every part of Spain, so he would drive them out of
Italy; and dooming Africa to him as his province, as
though the war in Italy were at an end. The assembly
was then held for the election of praetors. Two
were elected who were then plebeian aediles, namely,
Spurius Lucretius and Cneius Octavius; and of private
persons, Cneius Servilius Caepio and Lucius Aemilius
Papus.
In the fourteenth year of the Punic war, Publius Cornelius
Scipio and Publius Licinius Crassus entered on the
consulship, when the provinces assigned to the consuls
were, to Scipio, Sicily, without drawing lots, his
colleague not opposing it, because the care of the
sacred affairs required the presence of the chief
pontiff in Italy; to Crassus, Bruttium. The provinces
of the praetors were then put to the determination
of lots, when the city jurisdiction fell to Servilius;
Ariminum, for so they called Gaul, to Spurius Lucretius;
Sicily to Lucius Aemilius; Sardinia to Cneius Octavius.
A senate was held in the Capitol, when, on the motion
of Publius Scipio, a decree was made, that he should
exhibit the games which he had vowed in Spain during
the mutiny of the soldiers, out of the money which
he had himself brought into the treasury.