Puzzle

History can be quite a puzzle. This is above all true of Roman – or any type of ancient – history. For so many things historians would like to know the 'how', 'what' and 'why', no sources are available. Sometimes this is due to the passing of time. Not every document, building or inscriptions survives the hands of time. Sometimes this is due to the lack of interest by the historians of that time. Roman history is mostly about men with their great deeds (political or military or both). If something doesn't fit this description, sorry, it's not written. There are exceptions of course. We do have some of the letters of Cicero. There are plays, inscriptions, eulogies or buildings. But unfortunately they don't answer questions like 'why didn't Scipio Aemilianus adopt a son, when he and his wife didn't have any children?' (more on this another day). I can't look into Scipio Aemilianus' mind and can only guess at his motivations. To show you that Roman history can be a puzzle, but a fun one, I will use the following example:

If you want to start with an inquiry into ancient history, the "Real Encyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft" is one of the places to begin. This multivolume encyclopaedia, written in German in the 1890s, contains hundreds of topics. In the fourth volume, part 7 (1900), you will find several entries about the Scipiones, beginning on page 1426 (entry 317) and further. Entry 355, page 1504-1505, written by Münzer, concerns Scipio Nasica Serapio jr. This entry unfortunately doesn't tell us who his wife is. Luckily for us, we have a family tree which mentions her name. If we look at page 1234 of volume 3 at entry 131, and yes, it says that Caecilla Metella was married to P. Scipio Nasica, consul of 111 and grandmother of Metellus Scipio. That's our Scipio Nasica Serapio jr.! The entry further refers to entry 130. This is the entry of Caecilla Metella's sister, also named Caecilla Metella. Only the sister was married to C. Servilius Vatia, praetor of 114 and mother of P. Servilius Isauricus. The entry further contains a reference to several books of Cicero. These are: Brutus (211 f), Verrius (III.211), De domo (123), P. Red. (37) and Ad Quir. (6)¹. After checking all these references, there is one funny fact: nowhere in these texts is the name of Caecilla Metella as wife of Scipio Nasica Serapio sr. mentioned. But there is hope: In the text from Brutus we can read the following [underlining is mine]:

'We have all read the Letters of Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi; and are satisfied, that her sons were not so much nurtured in their mother's lap, as in the elegance and purity of her language. I [Cicero] have often too enjoyed the agreeable conversation of Laelia, the daughter of Caius, and observed in her a strong tincture of her father's elegance. I have likewise conversed with his two daughters, the Muciae, and his granddaughters, the two Liciniae, with one of whom (the wife of Scipio) you, my Brutus, I believe, have sometimes been in company."

"I have," replied he, "and was much pleased with her conversation; and the more so, because she was the daughter of Crassus."

"And what think you," said I, "of Crassus, the son of that Licinia, who was adopted by Crassus in his will?"

"He is said," replied he, "to have been a man of great genius: and the Scipio you have mentioned, who was my colleague, likewise appears to me to have been a good speaker, and an elegant companion."

"Your opinion, my Brutus," said I, "is very just. For this family, if I may be allowed the expression, seems to have been the offspring of Wisdom. As to their two grandfathers, Scipio and Crassus, we have taken notice of them already: as we also have of their great grandfathers, Q. Metellus, who had four sons,- P. Scipio, who, when a private citizen, freed the Republic from the arbitrary influence of T. Gracchus,- and Q. Scaevola, the augur, who was the ablest and most affable Civilian of his time. And lastly, how illustrious are the names of their next immediate progenitors, P. Scipio, who was twice Consul, and was called the Corculum [darling of the people],- and C. Laelius, who was esteemed the wisest of men?'

 The underlined names give us something of a family tree. The first thing that is noticed are the names of 2 grand fathers: Scipio and (Licinius) Crassus. Besides them, 3 great-grandfathers are mentioned: Q. (Caecilius) Metellus, P. Scipio en Q. (Mucius) Scaevola. And at last, two next immediate progenitors are named: P. Scipio Corculum en C. Laelius. We know from other sources that Scipio Corculum was married to Cornelia Major. Sons always carry the family name – except with adoption into another family – so we now can fill in the family tree for the Scipio part. As Crassus was mentioned, he can receive his place as well.

Crassus is a grandfather on the female side. This means his daughter was named Licinia and married to a Scipio, with at least one son, as the text states that he was adopted by his grandfather. From other texts we know that another son – Metellus Scipio – was also adopted. So Licinia and Scipio had at least two sons.
Cicero says that the Licinae are the granddaughters. This can only be if one of the Muciae is Licinia's mother. If this is true, Q. (Mucius) Scaevola is the great-grandfather and a Laelius is the next immediate progenitor on mothers' side.

On fathers' side there is only one option left. Cicero writes that Q. (Caecilius) Metellus a grandfather is. That is only possible is one of his daughters – Caecilla Metella – was married to a Scipio. And voila: the name of the wife is known through deduction.

But... was she really married to our Scipio Nasica Serapio jr.? For this, the best place to start is the next immediate progenitor: P. Scipio Corculum. There only ever was one Scipio Corculum and that is (P.) Scipio Nasica Corculum. He has at least one political son, because Vellius Paterculus mentions that the son of Scipio Nasica Corculum was named P. Scipio Nasica Serapio. In the Fasti Capitoline – which states all the yearly consuls – we can trace a P. Cornelius P.f. P.n. Scipio Nasica Serapio as consul in the year 138. It is not possible that he is also the consul in the year 111, because he dies in Pergamon in 138. So the consul of 111 can only be his son – stated as P. Cornelius P.f. P.n. Scipio Nasica Serapio, our Scipio Nasica Serapio jr. He dies while being a consul, according to both Plinius and Cicero. And therefore the next P. Scipio Nasica, praetor in 93, can only be his son. Following this reasoning, it can only be Scipio Nasica jr. who was married to Caecilla Metella.

It is a puzzle, and you do have to know or search where to look, but then... a lot is possible. This also confirms that an ancient historian needs a more complex and comprehensive approach of his topic.


¹ Cicero: Brutus = Brutus or De Claribus Oratoribus (Brutus) / Verrius = In C. Verrem Actio (The Verrine Orations) / De domo = De domo sua (Speech concerning his house delivered before the college of pontiffs) / P. Red = Post reditum ad senatum (Speech delivered before the Senate after his return to Rome) / Ad. Quir = Post reditum ad populum (Speech delivered before the people after his return from exile)


This deduction was based on:

• Real Encyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft (RE), volume III & IV
• Cicero, Brutus 128, 211-213
• Cicero, De domo sua 128
• Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum VI.1.17
• Dio Cassius, Historia Romana XL.51.3
• Eutropius, (Abridgment of Roman history) VI.23.2
• Plinius, Naturalis historia XXI.10
• Plutarch, Tiberius Gracchus 21.3
• Valerius Maximus, Facta et dicta memorabilia IX.5.3
• Vellius Paterculus, Historiae Romanae II.3.1