Origins & Early Life

Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus (185 BC – 129 BC), known as Scipio Aemilianus or Scipio Africanus the Younger, was a Roman general and statesman noted for his military exploits in the Third Punic War against Carthage and during the Numantine War in Spain. He oversaw the final defeat and destruction of the city of Carthage. He was a prominent patron of writers and philosophers, the most famous of whom was the Greek historian Polybius. In politics, he opposed the populist reform program of his murdered brother-in-law, Tiberius Gracchus.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Scipio Aemilianus was the second son of Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus, the commander of the Romans' victorious campaign in the Third Macedonian War, and his first wife, Papiria Masonis. Scipio was adopted by his first cousin, Publius Cornelius Scipio, the eldest son of his aunt Aemilia Tertia and her husband Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the acclaimed commander who won the decisive battle of the Second Punic War against Hannibal. This made Scipio Africanus the adoptive grandfather of Scipio Aemilianus. On adoption, he became Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, assuming the name of his adoptive father, but keeping...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Carneades — Contemporary (Died in -129) (-129): Leading Hellenistic Skeptic philosopher, critic of Stoicism and Epicureanism.
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• Plautus — Contemporary figure (Died in -184) (-184): Pioneering Roman comic playwright whose comedies defined early Latin literature.
• Antiochus III the Great — Contemporary figure (Died in -187) (-187): Seleucid King who expanded his empire to its zenith, earning the title 'the Great'.
• Hannibal — Contemporary figure (Died in -183) (-183): Brilliant Carthaginian general who led forces against the Roman Republic in the Second Punic War.
• Philopoemen — Contemporary figure (Died in -183) (-183): A prominent Achaean general and statesman from the 4th century BC.
• Apollonius of Perga — Contemporary figure (Died in -190) (-190): Pioneering geometer and astronomer renowned for defining conic sections.
• Hipparchus — Contemporary figure (Born in -190) (-190): Pioneering Greek astronomer, founder of trigonometry, and discoverer of the precession of the equinoxes.
• Empress Lü — Contemporary figure (Died in -180) (-180): Founding Empress of Han China, wielding immense power as regent and paramount authority.
• -185 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from -185
• -129 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from -129