Scipio learning this wrote and sent a letter to apostate legion in which he affected to pardon them for revolting on account of the scarcity of the necessities of life, and did not seem to think it proper to view them with suspicion but conferred praise upon those who had accepted their leadership for the purpose of preventing any outrage due to lack of government being either suffered or committed.  When Scipio had written to this effect and the soldiers had learned that he was alive and was not angry with them, they made no further demonstrations.  Even after he recovered his health he did not use harsh threats in dealing with them, but sent a promise to supply them with food and invited them all to come to him either all together or only a part at a time.  The soldiers, not daring to go in small squads, went in a body.  Scipio arranged that they should bivouac outside the wall—­for it was nearly evening—­and furnished them provisions in abundance.  So they encamped, but Scipio brought it about that the boldest spirits among them should enter the city, and during the night he overpowered and imprisoned them.  At daybreak he sent forth all his army as if to go on an expedition somewhere.  Then he called the recent arrivals inside the wall without their weapons in order to join his undertaking after they had received their provision-money.  As soon as they had accordingly entered he signaled the men who had gone forth to return just as they were.  Thus he surrounded the rebels and heaped upon them many reproaches and threats, saying finally:  [Sidenote:  FRAG. 56^42] “YOU ALL DESERVE TO DIE:  HOWEVER, I SHALL NOT PUT YOU ALL TO DEATH BUT I SHALL EXECUTE ONLY A FEW WHOM I HAVE ALREADY ARRESTED; THE REST I SHALL RELEASE.”  With these words he set the prisoners in their midst, fixed them upon crosses, and after copious abuse killed them.  Some of the soldiers standing by grew indignant and raised an outcry, whereupon he punished a number of them also.  After this he gave the rest their pay and conducted a campaign against Indibilis and Mandonius.  As they were too timid to offer him battle, he attacked and was victorious.

Following their capitulation most of the rest of Spain was again enslaved, Mago abandoned Gades, and Masinissa took the Roman side.  The Carthaginians at news of the death of Hasdrubal, Hannibal’s brother, had voted to give up Spain but to recover their prestige in Italy.  And they sent money to Mago that he might gather a force of auxiliaries and lead a campaign against that country.  He, setting out once more for Italy, reached the Gymnasian islands.  The larger one escaped his grasp; the natives from a distance kept using their slings (in which art they were masters) against the ships, so that he could not effect a landing:  but he anchored off the smaller one and waited there on account of the winter. [Sidenote:  FRAG. 56^44] THESE ISLANDS ARE SITUATED CLOSE TO THE MAINLAND IN THE VICINITY OF THE IBER.  THEY ARE THREE IN NUMBER AND THE GREEKS AND THE ROMANS ALIKE CALL THEM THE GYMNASIAN, BUT THE SPANIARDS THE BALEARES OR HYASOUSAE,[34] or, separately, the first Ebusus, the second the “Larger,"[35] and the third the “Smaller,"[36] exceedingly well named.—­Gades was occupied by the Romans.