Next day collecting the prisoners, of whom there were about 10-the foot and more than two thousand horse, he occupied himself with their disposal.
The Iberians in the districts I spoke of who were still allies of the Carthaginians now came in to submit to the Romans, and on meeting Scipio saluted him as king.
Edeco was the first who had done this and made obeisance to him, and he had been followed by Andobales. On that occasion Scipio had paid no great attention be did not particularly notice the appellation,
but when after the battle all addressed him as king, the matter gave him pause.
He therefore assembled the Iberians and told them that he wished to be called kingly by them and actually to be kingly, but that he did not wish to be king or to be called so by any one. After saying this he ordered him to call him general.
Perhaps even on this occasion one would be justified in noting with admiration Scipio's greatness of mind, in view of the fact that though he was still quite young and fortune had favoured him so highly that all who were subject to him were prompted to form this estimate of him and bestow on him the name of king of their own accord, he still kept his head and declined to profit by their enthusiasm and accept this splendid title.
But much more must we admire this exceptional greatness of mind when we look at the close of his life, at the period when in addition to his exploits in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> he had destroyed the power of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> and subjected to the dominion of his country the largest and finest part <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Libya&groupId=686&placeId=427">Libya</a> from the altars of Philaenus to the pillars of Heracles, when he had reduced Asia and overthrown the kings of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syria&groupId=995&placeId=502">Syria</a> and had made the greatest and richest part of the world subject to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, and had the opportunity of attaining royal power in whatever part of the world he chose to attempt it.
Such success indeed might have made not only a man, but if it is permitted to say so, even a god overweening.
And yet Scipio so far excelled all other men in greatness of mind, that when kingship, the greatest blessing for which any man would dare to pray to the gods, was often offered to him by fortune, he refused it, and valued more highly his country and his own loyalty to her than the thing which is the object of universal admiration and envy.
To resume my narrative, on the present occasion he picked out the Iberians from the prisoners and left them all free to return to their own countries without ransom, and ordering Andobales to choose for himself three hundred of the horses, he distributed the rest among those who had none.
After this he transferred his army to the Carthaginian camp owing to its favourable position, and dispatched a force to the pass over the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pyrenees&groupId=921&placeId=1650">Pyrenees</a> to observe the movements of Hasdrubal.
Subsequently, as the season was now advanced, he retired with his army to Tarraco to pass the winter in that district.
Walbank Commentary