Tom Holland

She goes off, she marries Syphax, and Syphax thinks she's absolutely great.

He adores her.

And so this really cements the alliance, which is obviously bad news for Massinissa, because

In Africa, if Syphax with his Numidian horsemen and the mass weight of the Carthaginians in Africa, in Carthage, if they combine, Massinissa is in real trouble.

So he's desperate for Scipio to arrive and provide him with the backing of the legions.

And so when Scipio does land in Africa, Massinissa is thrilled and he feels it's payback time.

And sure enough,

Neither Hasdrubal nor Sifax prove any match for Scipio.

And it turns out, in fact, that Scipio is prepared to play very, very dirty against Sifax and Hasdrubal indeed.

What does Scipio do that's so dirty?

Well, so a few months after his arrival, he's in winter quarters, so there's no campaigning.

Scipio...

arranges a truce with Syphax, the Numidian king.

His goal is to try and win him back to the Roman cause because Scipio and Syphax had actually met before.

Scipio had gone as an ambassador to him and they got on well enough.

Syphax said, no, I'm not interested.

I love Carthage now and I've got this gorgeous wife.

I'm not betraying her.

Scipio then makes a personal visit to Sifax, tries to press his case again.

Again, Sifax rebuffs him.