When everyone congratulated Scipio on having driven the Carthaginians out of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> and entreated him to rest and take his ease, as he had put an end to the war, he said he considered them happy in having such hopes,
but that for his own part now especially the time had come when he had to consider how he should begin the war against <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a>;
for up to now the Carthaginians had been making war on the Romans, but now chance had given the Romans the opportunity of making war on the Carthaginians. . . .
Scipio, who was highly gifted in this respect, spoke to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syphax&groupId=993&placeId=1751">Syphax</a> with such urbanity and adroitness that Hasdrubal afterwards said to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syphax&groupId=993&placeId=1751">Syphax</a> that Scipio had seemed to him to be more formidable in his conversation than on the field of battle. . . .
Walbank Commentary