Tiberius Gracchus   

side, and forced them into difficult ground, whence there could be
no possibility of an escape. Mancinus, despairing to make his way
through by force, sent a messenger to desire a truce and conditions
of peace. But they refused to give their confidence to any one except
Tiberius, and required that he should be sent to treat with them.
This was not only in regard to the young man's own character, for
he had a great reputation amongst the soldiers, but also in remembrance
of his father Tiberius, who, in his command against the Spaniards,
had reduced great numbers of them to subjection, but granted a peace
to the Numantines, and prevailed upon the Romans to keep it punctually
and inviolably.
Tiberius was accordingly despatched to the enemy, whom he persuaded
to accept of several conditions, and he himself complied with others;
and by this means, it is beyond a question, that he saved twenty thousand
of the Roman citizens, besides attendants and camp followers. However,
the Numantines retained possession of all the property they had found
and plundered in the encampment; and amongst other things were Tiberius's
books of accounts, containing the whole transactions of his quaestorship,
which he was extremely anxious to recover. And therefore, when the
army were already upon their march, he returned to Numantia, accompanied
with only three or four of his friends; and making his application
to the officers of the Numantines, he entreated that they would return
him his books, lest his enemies should have it in their power to reproach
him with not being able to give an account of the moneys intrusted
to him. The Numantines joyfully embraced this opportunity of obliging
him, and invited him into the city; as he stood hesitating, they came
up and took him by the hands, and begged that he would no longer look
upon them as enemies, but believe them to be his friends, and treat
them as such. Tiberius thought it well to consent, desirous as he
was to have his books returned, and was afraid lest he should disoblige
them by showing any distrust. As soon as he entered into the city,
they first offered him food, and made every kind of entreaty that
he would sit down and eat something in their company. Afterwards they
returned his books, and gave him the liberty to take whatever he wished
for in the remaining spoils. He, on the other hand, would accept of
nothing but some frankincense, which he used in his public sacrifices,
and bidding them farewell with every expression of kindness, departed.
When he returned to Rome, he found the whole transaction censured
and reproached, as a proceeding that was base and scandalous to the
Romans. But the relations and friends of the soldiers, forming a large
body among the people, came flocking to Tiberius, whom they acknowledged
as the preserver of so many citizens, imputing to the general all
the miscarriages which had happened. Those who cried out against what
had been done, urged for imitation the example of their ancestors,
who stripped and handed over to the Samnites not only the generals
who had consented to the terms of release, but also all the quaestors,
for example, and tribunes, who had in any way implicated themselves
in the agreement, laying the guilt of perjury and breach of conditions
on their heads. But, in this all the populace, showing an extraordinary
kindness and affection for Tiberius, indeed voted that the consul
should be stripped and put in irons, and so delivered to the Numantines;
but, for the sake of Tiberius, spared all the other officers. It may
be probable, also, that Scipio, who at that time was the greatest
and most powerful man among the Romans, contributed to save him, though
indeed he was also censured for not protecting Mancinus too, and that
he did not exert himself to maintain the observance of the articles
of peace which had been agreed upon by his kinsman and friend Tiberius.
But it may be presumed that the difference between them was for the
most part due to ambitious feelings, and to the friends and reasoners
who urged on Tiberius, and, as it was, it never amounted to anything
that might not have been remedied, or that was really bad. Nor can
I think that Tiberius would ever have met with his misfortunes, if
Scipio had been concerned in dealing with his measures; but he was
away fighting at Numantia when Tiberius, upon the following occasion,