Total War Rome: Destroy Carthage

Characters

The following are historical characters unless they are noted as fictional; the biographical notes go up to 146 BC. The names are those used in the novel, followed by their full name where known.

Aemilius Paullus — Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus (c. 229–160 BC), father of Scipio and distinguished general who defeated the Macedonians at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC.

Andriscus — Ruler of Adramyttium in Asia Minor who claimed to be the son of Perseus, was briefly self-appointed king in Macedonia and was defeated by the Romans under Metellus at the second Battle of Pydna in 148 BC.

Brasis — Fictional gladiator, a former Thracian mercenary captured in Macedonia.

Brutus — Decimus Junius Brutus, a fictional son of the historical Marcus Junius Brutus, of the gens Junia; a friend of Scipio and commander of the Praetorian Guard at the siege of Carthage.

Cato — Marcus Porcius Cato (c. 238–149 BC), famous elder statesman of the Roman Senate who repeatedly called for Carthage to be destroyed, ‘Carthago delenda est’.

Claudia Pulchridina — Of the gens Claudia, fictional wife of Scipio by arranged marriage; her name means ‘beautiful’.

Demetrius — Demetrius I, later named Soter (‘Saviour’); contemporary of Scipio Aemilianus, a scion of the Seleucid dynasty held hostage in Rome during his youth. He became king of Syria from 161 BC.

Ennius — Ennius Aquilius Tuscus, a fictional scion of the original Etruscan branch (the Tuscii) of the gens Aquilia; a close friend of Scipio and commander of the fabri, the army engineers.

Eudoxia — Fictional British slave girl and friend of Fabius.

Fabius — Fabius Petronius Secundus, a fictional legionary from Rome who is the bodyguard and friend of Scipio in the novel.

Gaius Paullus — Gaius Aemilius Paullus, fictional cousin of Scipio on his father’s side.

Gnaeus — Gnaeus Metellus Julius Caesar, of the gens Metelli. Fictional son of Metellus and Julia whose true paternity is revealed in the novel; present as a tribune at the siege of Carthage.

Gulussa — Second son of Masinissa, sent by his father to Rome in 172 BC to present the Numidian case against Carthage; on Masinissa’s death Scipio made him commander of the Numidian forces, which he led in the siege of Carthage.

Hasdrubal — General who defended Carthage in 146 BC; the fate of his wife and children is described by the historian Appian.

Hippolyta — Fictional Scythian princess who joins the academy in Rome and later leads the Numidian cavalry alongside Gulussa in North Africa.

Julia — Fictional daughter of the historical Sextus Julius Caesar, from the Caesares branch of the gens Julia; friend and lover of Scipio, but betrothed to Metellus.

Masinissa — (c. 240–148 BC) Long-lived first king of Numidia in North Africa, foe and then ally of Rome during the Second Punic War (218–201 BC) whose conflict with Carthage over disputed territory led to the Third Punic War (149–146 BC).

Metellus — Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus (born c. 210 BC), praetor in Macedonia in 148 BC who defeated the upstart Andriscus and then went on to serve under Mummius in the siege of Corinth in 146 BC; in the novel he is the rival and enemy of Scipio, and husband of Julia.

Perseus — Last king of the Antigonid dynasty in Macedonia, defeated by Aemilius Paullus at the Battle of Pydna in 148 BC.

Petraeus — Gnaeus Petraeus Atinus, fictional ‘old centurion’ who trains the boys in the academy at Rome.

Petronius — Fictional tavern-keeper near the Gladiator School in Rome.

Polybius — (born c. 200 BC) Greek cavalry commander and historian, famous for his Histories, who became a close friend and adviser to Scipio; present at the siege of Carthage.

Porcus — Porcus Entestius Supinus, fictional servant and adviser to Metellus.

Ptolemy — Ptolemy VI Philometor (‘mother-lover’), a contemporary of Scipio Aemilianus and scion of the Ptolemy dynasty who became king in Egypt in 180 BC, marrying his sister Cleopatra II.

Quintus Appius Probus — Fictional centurion at Intercatia in Spain.

Rufius — Fabius’ hunting dog, present with him and Scipio in the Macedonian Royal Forest.

Scipio — Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus, the ‘Younger’ Scipio (born c. 185 BC), second son of Aemilius Paullus and adoptive grandson of Scipio Africanus; what is known of his historical career up to 146 BC forms the framework for the novel.

Scipio Africanus — Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the ‘Elder’ Scipio (c. 236–183 BC), of the Scipiones branch of the gens Cornelia, outstanding Roman general of the Second Punic War who defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama in North Africa in 202 BC.

Sextius Calvinus — Gaius Sextius Calvinus, a senator who is an enemy of Scipio; of the Calvini branch of the gens Sextii, father of a man of the same name who was consul in 124 BC.

Terence — Publius Terentius Afer (c. 190–159 BC), playwright of North African origin (hence his cognomen Afer, from Afri), brought from Carthage to Rome as a slave by the senator Terentius Lucanus (hence his nomen Terentius, adopted on being given his freedom); one of Scipio’s literary circle in Rome.