Tom Holland

And there is, of course, really only the one candidate.

He has.

I mean, he's a very, very good soldier.

So he'd been an observer at Oriscopo where Massanissa had defeated the Carthaginians.

And so he had seen Hasdrubal, the Carthaginian commander-in-chief, up close.

You know, he knew what made him tick.

And then for the past two years, he'd been serving before the walls of Carthage itself, where he was basically the only senior officer to have emerged with any credit at all.

I mean, he'd had a very good war.

The only drawback is that he's still in his 30s.

And people will remember that the minimum age

to serve as consul is 40.

That had been waived for Scipio Africanus against the opposition of Roman conservatives.

But the people hadn't cared.

They'd forced it through.

And the same thing happens this time.

The people, and I quote, declared that he was the only worthy successor of his father, Aemilius Paulus, the conqueror of Macedon and of the Scipios.

And so the Senate, recognising the force of public opinion, perhaps just a little desperate themselves, agree to waive the prohibition and say, yeah, Scipio can run for consul and he's duly elected.

And the intriguing thing is that even the absolute spokesman for conservatism, Cato, even Cato gives Scipio Emilianus the nod.

I mean, he really is the right man for the job.

Yes, and...