He
bent all his energies to persuade the people to approve of this project,
but was violently opposed by Fabius, who spread great alarm through the
city, pointing out that it was being exposed to great danger by a
reckless young man, and endeavouring by every means in his power to
prevent the Romans from adopting Scipio's plan. He carried his point
with the Senate, but the people believed that he was envious of Scipio's
prosperity and desired to check him, because he feared that if he did
gain some signal success, and either put an end to the war altogether or
remove it from Italy, he himself might be thought a feeble and dilatory
general for not having finished the war in so many campaigns.
It appears that at first Fabius opposed him on grounds of prudence and
caution, really fearing the dangers of his project, but that the contest
gradually became a personal one, and he was moved by feelings of
jealousy to hinder the rise of Scipio; for he tried to induce Crassus,
Scipio's colleague, not to give up the province of Africa to Scipio, but
if the expedition were determined on, to go thither himself, and he
prevented his being supplied with funds for the campaign. Scipio being
thus compelled to raise funds himself, obtained them from the cities in
Etruria which were devoted to his interests. Crassus likewise was not
inclined to quarrel with him, and was also obliged to remain in Italy by
his office of Pontifex Maximus.
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