Cornelius Scipio ‘Salvito’ (the agnomen ''Salvito'' was conferred on him due to his resemblance to a mime artist of the same name) was a minor member of the gens Cornelia who lived in the late Roman Republic. He was perhaps a descendant of

Scipio Africanus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (, , ; 236/235–183 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, most notable as one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the best military com ...

, the Roman general who defeated

Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...

, through his second son Lucius Cornelius Scipio. Salvito was, according to Plutarch and

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...

, "a contemptible nobody", who was taken by

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

in 46 BC on his North African campaign against the remnants of Pompey's forces, led by

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio (c. 95 – 46 BC), often referred to as Metellus Scipio, was a Roman senator and military commander. During the civil war between Julius Caesar and the senatorial faction led by Pompey, he was a staunch supp ...

. Because of a long-standing belief that only a Scipio could be victorious in Africa, and because he was facing a Scipio, Caesar placed Salvito at the front of his army, either as a good luck charm to calm his nervous troops, or to demonstrate his contempt to Scipio Nasica.Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'', 42:58:1; Plutarch, 52:5 Caesar forced him to attack the enemy frequently and to bring on the battle.

Sources

* Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 42 * Plutarch, Life of Caesar *

, Life of Julius Caesar

Notes

Salvito, Cornelius Scipio 1st-century BC Romans {{AncientRome-bio-stub