<p rend="Plain Text">= Pliny, Nat. hist. viii. 31 (§ 1); viii. 47 (§ 2); xxxi. 131 (§ 3). The first two of these extracts refer to P.'s account of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a>; the third is incorrectly assigned to the historian (see p. 568).</p>
34.16.1 - 34.16.1
<p rend="Plain Text">For the use of elephants' tusks in building cf. Dio Chrys. 79. 4 (in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=India&groupId=648&placeId=1187">India</a>) and Lucr. ii. 538–9 (if that is the meaning of 'uallo munitur eburno'); see Borthwick, CQ, 1973, 291–2.</p>
<p rend="Plain Text">
<emph rend="bold">auctore Gulusa regulo:</emph>
P. perhaps had this information from Gulussa, the second son of Masinissa (cf. ix. 25. 4 n.), when he accompanied Scipio Aemilianus to Masinissa's court in 151 (cf. § 2 n., xxxvi. 16. 12 n.), or in camp at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> during the Third Punic War (cf. xxxviii. 7–8).
</p>
34.16.2 - 34.16.2
<p rend="Plain Text">
P. probably saw the crucified lions during the winter of 151/0, when Scipio was sent from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a> to obtain elephants for L. Lucullus from Masinissa; Aemilianus may have inherited relations with the king from Africanus. See App. Lib. 71 f.; Val. Max. ii. 10. 4. v. 2 ext. 4. Against the argument of Simon, 48 ff., that Scipio was sent direct to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a> before going to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> see Astin, 271–2; Appian, loc. cit., says he returned to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a>, and Valerius Maximus says ex Hispania in Africam missum. See ix. 25. 4 n., xxxvi. 16. 12.
<milestone unit="page" n="638">[638]</milestone>
<emph rend="bold">cruci fixos:</emph>
P.'s rationalistic argument is nave. The lions may have been crucified as a sacrifice to the gods of an animal closely linked to Baal Hammon and to Tanit, and so a specially welcome offering; cf. Pdech, Rev. hist. rel. 1965, 58, quoting G. Charles-Picard.
</p>
34.16.3 - 34.16.3
<p rend="Plain Text">
Polybius on sponges: see p. 568 for the likelihood that the P. referred to here is not the historian; his identity is uncertain.
<milestone unit="page" n="639">[639]</milestone>
</p>
Walbank Commentary