s the first man in the
Republic, and for a time silenced all his enemies. But the party of
Fabius still cherished their old animosity against him, and Cato
inherited the hatred of his friend and patron. After the return of P.
Scipio and his brother Lucius from the war against Antiochus, they were
charged with having been bribed to let off the Syrian monarch too
leniently, and of having appropriated to their own use a portion of the
money which had been paid by Antiochus to the Roman state. The first
blow was directed against Lucius Scipio. At the instigation of Cato, the
two Petillii Tribunes of the people required Lucius to render an account
of all sums of money which he had received from Antiochus. Lucius
accordingly prepared his accounts; but, as he was in the act of
delivering them up, the proud conqueror of Hannibal indignantly snatched
them out of his hands, and tore them in pieces, saying "it was unworthy
to call to account for a few thousands a man who had paid millions into
the treasury." But this haughty conduct appears to have produced an
unfavorable impression, and his brother, when brought to trial in the
course of the tame year, was declared guilty, and sentenced to pay a
heavy fine. The Tribune ordered him to be dragged to prison, and there
detained till the money was paid; whereupon Africanus, still more
enraged at this fresh insult to his family, and setting himself above
the laws, rescued his brother from the hands of the Tribune's officer.
The contest would probably have been attended with fatal results had not
Tib. Gracchus, the father of the celebrated Tribune, and then Tribune
himself, had the prudence, although he disapproved of the violent
conduct of Africanus, to release his brother Lucius from the sentence of
imprisonment.

The successful issue of the prosecution of Lucius emboldened his enemies
to bring the great Africanus himself before the people. His accuser was
the Tribune M. Naevius. When the trial came on, Scipio did not condescend
to say a single word in refutation of the charges that had been brought
against him, but descanted long and eloquently upon the signal services
he had rendered to the commonwealth. Having spoken till nightfall, the
trial was adjourned till the following day. Early next morning, when the
Tribunes had taken their seats on the rostra, and Africanus was
summoned, he proudly reminded the people that this was the anniversary
of the day on which he had defeated Hanni