Tragedy

Even Roman history isn't deprived of any tragedy. Although we cannot always see the tragedy the same way the Romans did, we feel sympathy. One of the most famous adoption tragedies is linked to the Scipiones:

 
The daughter of the L. Aemilius Paullus, consul in 219 and 216, Aemilia Tertia, married Scipio Africanus. Together they had four children, two boys, Publius (P. Scipio Afr.f.) and Lucius (L. Scipio Afr.f.), and two girls, the Corneliae (major and minor).
Aemilia Tertia's brother – also called L. Aemilius Paullus, consul in 182 and 168 – and his wives (he was married twice) had also four children, four sons this time. Because four sons qua legacy isn't very practical, two sons were relinquished for adoption. The youngest is adopted as P. Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus by P. Scipio Afr.f.; the oldest as Q. Fabius Maximus Aemilianus by Q. Fabius Maximus, the son or possible grand-son of Q. Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, a famous general during the Second Punic War. We do not know their names from when they were still Aemilii. His two remaining sons died in their teens. Poor Aemilius in the end died without any legal (male) heirs. His two adopted sons did inherit, but by testament.

But that's not the end of all tragedy for Scipio Aemilianus. He married Sempronia, the daughter of his aunt by adoption, Cornelia minor. The sources tell that their marriage was unhappy and remained childless. Sempronia was even a suspect in the sudden death of Scipio Aemilianus in 129. Due to his childless marriage, Scipio Aemilianus didn't had any heirs. A Roman man in this circumstance has two options: divorce and remarriage or adoption. Strangely enough Scipio Aemilianus doesn't choose either option. A.E. Astin gives two very good explanations: first, Sempronia had brought into the marriage an dowry and most likely this was substantial. Divorce meant returning the dowry. Since 134 Scipio Aemilianus spent enormous amount of money on among others the war against Numantia. The troops got little paid out of the booty from the conquest, so likely the booty from Numantia was minimal. Astin thinks it is highly improbable that Scipio Aemilianus possessed large sums of (ready) cash and disapproved of selling possessions or returning real-estate. Secondly, his own experiences with his own adoption could have prevented him from adoption himself. The relation with his new family wasn't always smooth. Furthermore as censor, Scipio Aemilianus made remarks against other aristocrats concerning adoption. He disliked that other aristocrats used adoption as a way of obtaining children, instead of the normal biological way. If Scipio Aemilianus considered adoption above remarriage, this could have backfired on him politically. In the end it is not sure why Scipio Aemilianus choose not to adopt nor to remarriage. The only thing which is clear, is that he felt himself hindered to take either step. So despite the possibility of adoption, it would not have been possible or acceptable for every Roman.

 
The adoption of Scipio Aemilianus was not the only adoption case within the Scipionic family. Although this is not a tragedy, it is more a strange case. Scipio Nasica jr. and his wife Licinia Crassa had at least two sons. Both known sons are giving up for adoption. Aemillus Paullus is mentioned because of his tragically situation. Such a story is not known of Scipio Nasica jr. As it is important for a Roman to continue the family name, it seems to be that Scipio Nasica jr. made a similar gamble as Aemilius Paullus. It is not known whether other sons of Scipio Nasica jr. reached adulthood. Other sons except for the adopted ones are not known. The unknown son or sons could have died prematurely or didn't play a significant political role. In the first instance, Scipio Nasica jr. would have been mourned as Aemilius Paullus. In the second case the survival of his line is secure. Due to the lack of a similar kind of regret for Scipio Nasica jr. I think a unknown son or sons continued the family line and at the same time didn't play any significant role in politics.

So who where the two sons who were giving up for adoption: One son, P. Scipio Nasica is adopted in 64 by Q. Caecilius Metellus. He makes carrier as Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio. In 52 he becomes consul. His daughter Cornelia marries the son of the famous Crassus. After his death in Syria she marries Pompey. There is nothing known of her life after Pompey's death in Egypt.
The other son, Lucius Scipio Nasica, is adopted in by his maternal grandfather, L. Licinius Crassus, in his will. He dies as a young man.

 
Based on:
Astin, A.E., Scipio Aemilianus (Oxford 1967)
Ward, A.M., Marcus Crassus and the late Roman republic (Columbia, 1977), p.46-57, 273 nt 25
Appian, Bella civilia (The civil wars, I-III), I.20
Livy, Ab urbe condita (From xxx), XLV.41
Livy, Periochae, fragmenta et Iulii Obsequentis (Periochae), 59 
Orosius, Historiarum adversus paganos libri septem (The seven books of history against the pagans), 5.10
Polybius, Historiai (xxx), XXXI.28
Plutarch, Aimilios Paulos (Aemilius Paulus), 35
Valerius Maximus, Facta et dicta memorabilia (Memorable doings and sayings), III.8.6