The House of Scipii, also known as the House of Cornelia, was a Roman patrician family that was influential within the Roman Senate along with the House of Julii and the House of Brutii (Junia). They were based out of Capua on mainland Italy and Messana (Messina) in Sicily, and later conquered the rest of Sicily and North Africa during the Punic Wars. While the Julii held Gaul, Spain, and Western Europe and the Brutii held The Balkans, the Near East, Middle East, and Asia Minor, the Scipii held all of North Africa and Egypt.
History[]
The House of Scipii took part in the fall of Veii in 396 BC in the war with the Etruscan League, gaining their first mention in Roman history. A politically active patrician family, they were among the three major houses, along with the House of Julii and House of Brutii. The Scipio Cornelia family only had three praenomina: Gnaeus, Publius, and Lucius. Their gens was always Cornelius for males and Cornelia for women and Scipio was their cognomen.
In the 3rd century BC, they distinguished themselves in the Punic Wars, paterfamilias Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina taking Lilybaeum and Messana in the 260s BC. Further successes were seen under Scipio Africanus, who carried the Scipio name like a banner of success. He defeated Carthage in Spain from 210 to 206 BC in series of well-fought battles and ended the war at Zama in 201 BC by defeating Hannibal. As a result, Rome gained Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Spain, and North Africa from Carthage, all of which went to the House of Scipii. They would later conquer Asia Minor during a war with the Seleucids that was won at Magentia in 190 BC. This was the last battle of Scipio Africanus and Hannibal Barca, and the Scipii finished Carthage off when Scipio Aemilianus took Carthage in 148 BC. The Scipii base in North Africa was their fief for over a century.
The Scipio house was a staunch supporter of the Roman Republic along with the House of Pompeii, and they assisted the SPQR during the Roman Civil War. When Julius Caesar invaded North Africa, he lost to the Scipii at the Battle of Bagradas River in 48 BC but was victorious at the Battle of Thapsus in 46 BC, and he defeated the Scipii permanently; Metellus Scipio was killed in battle. Caesar would unite North Africa under his banner, destroying the House of Cornelia/Scipio.
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