Thursday 17 November 2022

Scipio Africanus | Timeline

Colorization by Alessandro Tomasi
Publius Cornelius Scipio "Africanus"
 (236/235–183 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, most notable as one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the best military commanders and strategists of all time, his greatest military achievement was the defeat of Hannibal at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC. This victory in Africa earned him the epithet Africanus, literally meaning “the African,” but meant to be understood as a conqueror of Africa. (Intro from Wikipedia)

January(?) 1(?), 236 B.C. - Rome, Roman Republic - Publius Cornelius Scipio is born
August(?) 1(?), 218 B.C. - Genoa, Italy - Publius Cornelius Scipio (his father) embarks his legions for Spain while Hannibal crosses the Pyrenees. He takes his 17-year-old son as leader of a small cavalry contingent =(START)
September 27, 218 B.C. - Massilia (Marseille, France) - At Massilia while Hannibal crosses the Rhône River
September 30, 218 B.C. - Roquemaure, Rhône River, France - Scipio (father) reaches the Carthaginian camp 3 days after they had left it, loosing an opportunity to stop them. He decides to pursue Hannibal to block him from entering Italy
November 30(?), 218 B.C. - Ticino River, Northern Italy - Scipio (father) and his cavalry run across Hannibal - Battle of Ticinus - Carthaginian victory - Scipio (father) is badly wounded, but in the confusion, his son cuts his way through to his wounded father and escorts him away from the fight, saving him from being either captured or killed. Scipio (son) is widely acclaimed for the heroic feat. Tiberius Sempronius Longus assumes the command while Scipio (father) recuperates
December 22, 218 B.C. - Trebia River, near Placentia, Northern Italy - Battle of the Trebia - Carthaginian victory (There's no certainty if he participated, but it is likely that he did)
January(?) 1(?), 216 B.C. - Rome - Young Scipio uses the reputation he had gained by saving his father's life to start his public career and run at the elections for military tribune. He is elected
July 25, 216 B.C. - Cannae, Apulia, SE Italy - Consuls Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus arrive at Cannae with a 85,000-strong army (including Scipio)
August 2, 216 B.C. - Cannae - Battle of Cannae - Catastrophic defeat for the Romans: +50,000 killed. Scipio survives and takes charge of some 10,360 survivors, together with another military tribune, Appius Claudius Pulcher
August 3(?), 216 B.C. - Canusium (Canosa di Puglia, Apulia) - 4,000 of the survivors, including Scipio, elude the carthaginian cavalry and make their way SW to Canusium
April(?) 1(?), 215 B.C. - While in Rome - In Catalonia, his father wins the Battle of Ibera/Dertosa against Hasdrubal Barca
January(?) 1(?), 213 B.C. - Rome - Scipio is elected for the post of "Curule Aedile", a magistracy post that supervisioned the markets, the food supply, public games, festivals and public buildings
January(?) 1(?), 211 B.C. - While in Rome - Battle of the Upper Baetis - Carthaginian victory. Both Scipio's father (Publius Cornelius Scipio) and uncle (Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio) are killed in battle
March 1, 211 B.C. - Rome - As a member of the Salii (a religious college dedicated to Mars), Scipio and other members of the Salii perform war Dances during the celebrations in honor of the Roman God of War
April(?) 1(?), 210 B.C. - Rome - Scipio is elected pro-consul and commander-in-chief of all Roman forces in Hispania. 10,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry are assigned to him (to add to the strenght of the forces already in Hispania)
August(?) 1(?), 210 B.C. - Ostia - Scipio sets sail to Hispania with 30 quinqueremes
September(?) 1(?), 210 B.C. - Empurium (Empuries, NE of Girona) - Scipio lands in Hispania in late Summer
September(?) 15(?), 210 B.C. - Tarraco (Tarragona, Spain) - The army marches overland to the Roman headquarters in Tarraco
April(?) 1(?), 209 B.C. - Mouth of River Ebro (between Barcelona and Valencia) - Scipio begins his march toward Carthago Nova with 28,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry, leaving Junius Silanus with 3,000 infantry and 500 cavalry to safeguard the territory north of the river
April(?) 15(?), 209 B.C. - Carthago Nova (Cartagena, Spain) - Scipio arrives in Carthago Nova in 14 days and takes up a position on the peninsula to blockade the city
April(?) 16(?), 209 B.C. - Carthago Nova - Scipio captures Carthago Nova
December(?) 1(?), 209 B.C. - Tarraco - Returns with his forces and hostages to Tarraco, where he winters
March(?) 1(?), 208 B.C. - Tarraco - Scipio begins his march toward Baetica (Andalucia)
April(?) 1(?), 208 B.C. - Baecula (Santo Tomé, NE of Jaén - Spain) - Battle of Baecula - Roman victory
September(?) 1(?), 208 B.C. - Tarraco - After the battle, Scipio leaves 11,000 troops in the field and withraws to his base at Tarraco
March(?) 1(?), 206 B.C. - Tarraco - Scipio begins another march toward Baetica (Andalucia)
April(?) 1(?), 206 B.C. - Ilipa, near Seville, Iberia - Battle of Ilipa - Roman victory
May(?) 1(?), 206 B.C. - Italica, 9km NW of Seville - Founds the settlement of Italica
July(?) 1(?), 206 B.C. - Tarraco - Scipio leaves Junius Silanus with 10,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry in the field and returns to Tarraco after a 70-day march, stopping to conduct diplomacy and to sort out the affairs of numerous communities
October(?) 1(?), 206 B.C. - Cirta (Constantine, Algeria) - Pays a visit to the Numidian princes Syphax and Massinissa, arriving at the port at the same time of carthaginian general Hasdrubal Gisco. He concludes an agreement with Syphax, gaining for Rome a vital source of cavalry and detriving Carthage of the same.
October(?) 5(?), 206 B.C. - Carthago Nova - Returns to Carthago Nova in 4 days
October(?) 11(?), 206 B.C. - Ilorci (Lorquí, NW of Murcia) - After receaving news that wealthy communities near the silver mines north of Carthago Nova had refused to fulfill their treaty obligations, Scipio marches from Carthago Nova and reaches Ilorci in 5 days. After the city is assailed, during which Scipio is wounded, all population in killed and the city is burned to the ground
December(?) 1(?), 206 B.C. - Tarraco - Returns to Tarraco and puts the government of Hispania in the hands of Junius Silanus at Tarraco and Marcius Septimus in Carthago Nova, setting sail to Rome with 10 ships
January(?) 1(?), 205 B.C. - Rome - Returns to Rome and is met with "unexampled joy and acclamation". He gives an account of his actions in Hispania to the Senate, before formally resigning his command
March(?) 1(?), 205 B.C. - Rome - Scipio is elected Consul at the age of 31. Tries to go to Africa but is prevented by his enemies in Rome
March 15, 205 B.C. - Rome - Assumes his new office on the Ides of March
July 1(?), 205 B.C. - Messina, Sicily - Scipio arrives in Sicily in June or July with the objective of training his forces
August(?) 1(?), 205 B.C. - Locri, Calabria - Scipio seizes an opportunity to take the calabrian coastal town of Locri from the Carthaginians. Hannibal is forced to withraw
January(?) 1(?), 204 B.C. - While in Syracuse, Sicily - Re-elected Consul for 204 B.C.
April(?) 1(?), 204 B.C. - Lilybaeum (Marsala), western tip of Sicily - Scipio sails for Utica with over 35,000 hardened troops
April(?) 5(?), 204 B.C. - near Cape Farina, NE of Utica, Tunisia - Three days later, Scipio lands near Cape Farina, causing panic among Carthaginian civilians
October(?) 1(?), 204 B.C. - Utica, Tunisia - Scipio lays siege to Utica
November(?) 15(?), 204 B.C. - N. Of Medjerda River, Tunisia - Unable to take Carthage right away, Scipio lifts the siege to Utica after 40 days and withraws to winter at a strong position north of Medjerda River, near the coast 
April(?) 1(?), 203 B.C. - Utica - Battle of Utica - Roman victory
April 30(?), 203 B.C. - Medjerda River, Tunisia - Battle of the Great Plains - Roman victory
October 18(?), 202 B.C. - Zama, Carthage (Siliana, Tunisia) - Peace conference with Hannibal Barca
October 19, 202 B.C. - Zama - Battle of Zama - Roman decisive victory. End of the Second Punic War
December 17, 202 B.C. - On his way to Tunis, Tunisia - Scipio receives intelligence that Verminia, with a Numidian army, was on his way. The romans engage them and defeat them
March(?) 1(?), 201 B.C. - Lilybaeum (Marsala), western tip of Sicily - Scipio lands at Lilybaeum
May(?) 1(?), 201 B.C. - Rome - Returns to Rome in triumph. After his triumph parade he is given the nickname of "Africanus" (The African)
April 1(?), 199 B.C. - Rome - Elected Patrician Censor, the most distinguished magistracy in Rome
January(?) 1(?), 194 B.C. - Rome - Scipio is elected Consul for 194 B.C.
June(?) 1(?), 194 B.C. - Placentia (Piacenza, N. Italy) - Joins the other Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus in Placentia, after his army is forced to withraw from Cisalpine Gaul after being attacked by the Boii
December(?) 1(?), 194 B.C. - Rome - Returns to Rome to preside at the elections for 193 B.C.
June(?) 1(?), 193 B.C. - Carthage, Tunisia - Travels to Carthage to mediate a conflict between the Carthaginians and Numidian king Massinissa
December(?) 1(?), 193 B.C. - Rome - Scipio campaigns for Publius Scipio Nasica and Caius Laelius for consulship
January(?) 1(?), 190 B.C. - Rome - Scipio's younger brother Lucius is elected Consul. Scipio declares that he would prefer to serve as his brother's legate
July 1(?), 190 B.C. - Brundisium (Brindisi, SE Italy) - Lucius Scipio's army begins assembling in Brundisium
August(?) 1(?), 190 B.C. - Apollonia (Pujan, near Fier, Albania) - The Scipios land at Apollonia with 13,000 infantry and 500 cavalry
September(?) 1(?), 190 B.C. - Amfissa, Central Greece - Amfissa is besieged and taken by the Scipios
September(?) 4(?), 190 B.C. - Pella, Macedon - Scipio arrives in Pella in just 4 days and visits King Philip of Macedon
October(?) 1(?), 190 B.C. - Hellespont (Dardanelles Strait, Turkey) - The Scipios reach the Hellespont
December(?) 1(?), 190 B.C. - Hellespont - The Scipios cross the Hellespont in 30 ships sent by the praetor Aemilius Regilus
December 30(?), 190 B.C. - Near Magnesia ad Sipylum (Manisa, Turkey) - Battle of Magnesia - Roman-Pergamene victory, marking the end of the macedonian phalanx's dominance on battlefields
September(?) 1(?), 189 B.C. - Rome - The Scipios return to Rome, via Corinth, Greece
January(?) 1(?), 188 B.C. - Rome - Lucius Scipio and Aemilius Regillus each celebrate a triumph. Lucius adopts the name "Asiagenus" to emulate his brother
January(?) 1(?), 187 B.C. - Liternum (Giugliano, Campania, Italy) - Retires to Liternum, 19km north of Naples, disillusioned with Roman politics and envious politicians
August(?) 1(?), 183 B.C. - Liternum - Scipio Africanus dies during the Summer of 183, aged 53 =(END)

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