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About this general,[1] "some seek to know through what course he became most famous -- from inborn character or from tribulations endured.[2] But all the others [sc. other biographers] attribute both some luck and always more guesswork in deliberation when embarking upon his projects, regarding such men to be more divine and wondrous than those who engage in each task according to reason, not recognizing that among the aforementioned, although one is praiseworthy, to be but enviable coincides with the other. And, although it is also common to those in lucky circumstances, praiseworthiness itself is to belong solely to men of good judgment and possessing sensibility, and whom are to be regarded most divine and beloved by the gods. To me, Publius seems," says Polybius, "to have borne a close resemblance in character and predisposition to Lycurgus,[3] the lawgiver of the Spartans. For neither must one suppose Lycurgus to have composed the Spartan constitution by superstitious fears and all the promptings by the Pythia,[4] nor Publius to have preserved so great a dynasty for his fatherland by being motivated out of dreams and omens. But both of them seeing most of mankind not ready to accept the unfamiliar nor to partake in challenging endeavors without hope from the gods, Lycurgus, on the one hand, having always augmented his own projects with the Pythia's prophesy, made his own plans more acceptable and trustworthy, while quite similarly Publius, on the other hand, constructing his projects as if they came from divine inspiration, prepared with better courage the ranks of his men for the challenges of their duties. By calculation and foresight and all according to reason he carried out his own tasks as attempted. For it is agreed upon that this man was beneficent and magnanimous, yet shrewd and sober, with an intense concentration about a given proposition, as would be confirmed by no one more than those who have lived with him and have held up his character to the light and examined it. Gaius Laelius[5] was one of them, taking part with him in every deed and word from [sc. Publius'] youth until death, he elaborated this belief about him by speaking with evident candor and consonance to the man's endeavors."[6]
"To the first Publius, after a retaliatory ambush successfully occurred, a crown of green dog's tooth grass was given by the Romans."[7]
"Once some young men among the Romans, having struck up the acquaintance of a maiden surpassing other women in refinement and beauty, and, conscious of Publius being fond of women, they came bringing her along, and having introduced her, announced the girl to be a gift to him. Struck and amazed by her beauty, he declared that while being a private soldier nothing would be more delightful than to accept such a gift, yet upon becoming a general[8] nothing so much is worse, by his refusal hinting that while sometimes such things in living as respite and relaxation provide most delightful enjoyments to young men, yet at the most critical times of engagement they become an impediment to the spirit and body for those who indulged. He said he indeed held gratitude toward the young men, but, having summoned the maiden's father and having handed her over, entreated [sc. the father] to marry her to whomever he were to select among the citizens. Through these, exhibiting both empowerment and moderation, he garnered a great respect from the ranks of his men."[9]

*po/plios: peri\ tou/tou tou= strathgou= zhtou=si/ tines, ti/ni tro/pw| e)ge/neto e)pifane/statos, a)po\ poi/as fu/sews h)\ tribh=s o(rmhqei/s. oi( me\n ou)=n a)/lloi pa/ntes e)pituxh= tina kai\ to\ plei=on ai)ei\ paralo/gws kai\ tw=| au)toma/tw| katorqou=nta ta\s e)pibola\s pareisa/gousi, nomi/zontes w(sanei\ qeiote/rous ei)=nai kai\ qaumastote/rous tou\s toiou/tous a)/ndras tw=n kata\ lo/gon e)n e(ka/stois pratto/ntwn, a)gnoou=ntes, o(/ti to\ me\n e)paineto/n, to\ de\ makaristo\n ei)=nai sumbai/nei tw=n proeirhme/nwn. kai\ to\ me\n koino/n e)sti kai\ toi=s tuxou=si, to\ de\ e)paineto\n mo/non i)/dion u(pa/rxein tw=n eu)logi/stwn kai\ fre/nas e)xo/ntwn a)ndrw=n, ou(\s kai\ qeiota/tous ei)=nai kai\ prosfilesta/tous toi=s qeoi=s nomiste/on. e)moi\ dokei= *po/plios, fhsi\n o( *polu/bios, *lukou/rgw| tw=| tw=n *lakedaimoni/wn nomoqe/th| paraplhsi/an e)sxhke/nai fu/sin kai\ proai/resin. ou)/te ga\r *lukou=rgon h(ghte/on deisidaimonou=nta kai\ panta\ prose/xonta th=| *puqi/a| susth/sasqai to\ *lakedaimoni/wn poli/teuma, ou)/te *po/plion e)c e)nupni/wn o(rmw/menon kai\ klhdo/nwn thlikau/thn th=| patri/di peripoih=sai dunastei/an: a)ll' o(rw=ntes e(ka/teroi tou\s pollou\s tw=n a)nqrw/pwn ou)/te para/doca prosdexome/nous r(a|di/ws ou)/te toi=s deinoi=s tolmw=ntas paraba/llesqai xwri\s th=s tw=n qew=n e)lpi/dos, *lukou=rgos me\n ai)ei\ proslambano/menos tai=s i)di/ais e)pibolai=s th\n e)k th=s *puqi/as fh/mhn eu)paradektote/ras kai\ pistote/ras e)poi/ei ta\s i)di/as e)pinoi/as, *po/plios de\ paraplhsi/ws w(s meta\ th=s qei/as e)pipnoi/as poiou/menos ta\s e)pibola\s eu)qarseste/rous pareskeu/aze tou\s u(potattome/nous pro\s ta\ deina\ tw=n e)/rgwn. kai\ meta\ logismou= kai\ pronoi/as e)/pratte kai\ pa/nta kata\ lo/gon e)ce/baine ta\ te/lh tw=n pra/cewn au)tw=|. e)kei=nos ga\r o(/ti me\n h)=n eu)ergetiko\s kai\ megalo/yuxos, o(mologei=tai, dio/ti d' a)gxi/nous kai\ nh/pths, th=| dianoi/a| peri\ to\ proteqe\n e)ntetame/nos, ou)dei\s a)\n sugxwrh/seie plh\n tw=n sumbebiwko/twn kai\ teqeame/nwn u(posta\s au)tou= th\n fu/sin. w(=n ei(=s h)=n *ga/ios *lai/lios, a)po\ ne/ou metesxhkw\s au)tw=| panto\s e)/rgou kai\ lo/gou me/xri teleuth=s, o( tau/thn peri\ au)tou= do/can e)rgasa/menos dia\ to\ dokei=n ei)ko/ta le/gein kai\ su/mfwna toi=s u(p' e)kei/nou pepragme/nois. o(/ti prw/tw| *popli/w| e)lloxh/sews a)moibh=s deciw=s genome/nhs, u(po\ *(rwmai/wn e)do/qh ste/fanos a)grw/stews xlwra=s. o(/ti pote\ neani/skoi tines tw=n *(rwmai/wn e)pituxo/ntes parqe/nw| kata\ th\n a)kmh\n kai\ to\ ka/llos diaferou/sh| tw=n a)/llwn gunaikw=n kai\ sunido/ntes filogu/nhn o)/nta to\n *po/plion h(=kon au)th\n a)/gontes kai\ parasth/santes e)/faskon au)tw=| dwrei=sqai th\n ko/rhn. o( de\ kataplagei\s kai\ qauma/sas to\ ka/llos, i)diw/ths me\n w)\n ou)demi/an a)\n h(/dion e)/fh de/casqai tau/ths th=s dwrea=s, strathgo\s d' u(pa/rxwn ou)d' o(poi/an h(=tton, tou=t' ai)nitto/menos dia\ th=s a)pofa/sews, dio/ti kata\ me\n ta\s a)napau/seis e)ni/ote kai\ r(a|qumi/as e)n tw=| zh=n h(di/stas toi=s ne/ois a)polau/seis ta\ toiau=ta pare/xetai kai\ diatriba/s, e)n de\ toi=s tou= pra/ttein kairoi=s me/gista gi/netai kata\ yuxh\n kai\ kata\ sw=ma e)mpo/dia toi=s xrwme/nois. toi=s me\n ou)=n neani/skois e)/fh xa/rin e)/xein, to\n de\ th=s parqe/nou pate/ra kale/sas kai\ dou\s au)th\n e)k xeiro\s e)ke/leue sunoiki/zein w(=| pot' a)\n proairh=tai tw=n politw=n. di' w(=n kai\ ta\ th=s e)gkratei/as kai\ ta\ th=s metrio/thtos e)mfai/nwn mega/lhn a)podoxh\n ei)rga/zeto toi=s u(potattome/nois.

[1] Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, 236-183 BCE, campaigned in Iberia, 210-206; OCD4 s.v.; Walbank, p.191ff; and already pi 2053.
[2] An approximation of Polybius 10.2.2 (web address 1).
[3] OCD4 s.v. Lycurgus(2) and lambda 824.
[4] Oracular priestess of Apollo at Delphi; cf. OCD4 s.v. Delphic oracle, pi 3127, pi 3128, and pi 3129.
[5] Gaius Laelius, c.235-c.160, was Scipio Africanus' childhood friend and general under his command in Iberia. He rose to the rank of consul in 190 and informed Polybius in Rome from 167-150. See OCD4 s.v. Laelius(1) and Walbank, pp.198-200.
[6] Polybius 10.2.5-3.3 (web address 2).
[7] Quotation unidentifiable, but appearing already at delta 233; cf. Aelian fr.120 (Domingo-Forasté, p. 88) and kappa 458. *)/agrwstis (cf. LSJ s.v.), dog's tooth or Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactylon, is a turf and forage grass native to northern Africa, southern Europe, and Asia (Tutin, p. 259; Polunin, no. 1801).
[8] Scipio Africanus had in fact been elected pro consule prior to his arrival in Iberia, 210 BCE (Walbank, p.219 and Livy 26.18).
[9] Quoted closely from Polybius 10.19.3-7 (web address 3). With considerable additional detail, the story also appears at Livy 26.50.

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