Scipio Africanus: The First Imperator

Scipio Africanus (235–183 BC) commanded his first army at the age of 25, led a daring invasion in Africa to personally defeat Hannibal and secured Rome’s dominance over the Mediterranean. In ten years of command he never lost a battle, employing bold strategies to triumph over six enemy generals. Charismatic, ruthless and self-confident almost to the point of arrogance, Scipio was the first Roman leader hailed as Imperator, ‘victorious commander’, a title later adopted by emperors. He drove Carthage’s forces from Spain and annexed its territories, and later imposed terms on Antiochus III, extending Rome’s reach eastward; yet political jealousy at home led to his bitter exile. This biography explores the fortunes, fame and fate of a leader who outshone Caesar in military genius.