The World's Famous Orations (Volume 2)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SCIPIO AFRICANUS MAJOR TO HIS MUTINOUS TROOPS1 (203 B.C.) Born about 234 B C., died in 183; served at Cannes and while Proconsul conquered Spain; twice defeated Hasdrubal, and in 202 gained the battle of Zama, after which he negotiated the treaty which ended the Second Punic War. I Imagined that language would never fail me in which to address my army; not that I have ever accustomed myself to speaking rather than action, but because having been kept in a camp almost from my boyhood, I had become familiar with the dispositions of soldiers. But I am at a loss both for sentiments and expressions with which to address you, whom I know not even by what name I ought to call. Can I call you countrymen, who have revolted from your country? or soldiers, who have rejected the command and authority of your general, and violated the solemn obligation of your oath? Can I call you enemies? I recognize the persons, faces, dress, and mien of fellow countrymen but I perceive the actions, expressions, intentions, and feelings of enemies; for what have you wished and hoped for but what the Ilergetians and Lacetanians did. Yet they followed Man- donius and Indibilis, men of royal rank, who 1 Delivered at Sucro. in Spain, In 303 B.C. Reported by Livy. Spttlan and Edmonds translation. THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS were the leaders of their mad project; you conferred the auspices and command upon the Um- brian, Atrius, and the Calenian, Albius. Deny, soldiers, that you were all concerned in this measure, or that you approved of it when taken. I shall willingly believe, when you disclaim it, that it was the folly and madness of a few. For the acts which have been committed are of such a nature that, if the whole army participated in them, they could not be expiated without atonements...