Livy Book 30

Gaius Laelius

Index	Introduction			People
Chapter 3 Chapter 3 notes Chapter 4 Chapter 4 notes Chapter 5 Chapter 5 notes	Chapter 6 Chapter 6 notes Chapter 12 Chapter 12 notes Chapter 13 Chapter 13 notes	Chapter 14 Chapter 14 notes Chapter 15 Chapter 15 notes Chapter 30 Chapter 30 notes	Chapter 31 Chapter 31 notes Chapter 32 Chapter 32 notes Chapter 33 Chapter 33 notes	Scipio Laelius Syphax Masinissa Sophonisba

Gaius Laelius, who died after 160 BC, was a Roman general and politician who contributed to Roman victory during the Second Punic War (218-201) between Rome and Carthage.

He was a novus homo, that is, a man whose family had never held high office in Rome. He owed his political advancement to his commander and friend Scipio Africanus. Laelius accompanied Scipio on his Spanish campaign (210-206) and commanded the fleet at New Carthage. He fought at Baecula and Ilipa.

While in Africa with Scipio from 204 to 202, Laelius defeated the Numidian prince Syphax, an ally of the Carthaginians, and captured Cirta. He commanded the cavalry in Scipio's decisive victory over Hannibal at Zama (now in Tunisia; 202).

After the war Laelius advanced from plebeian aedile (197) to praetor in Sicily (196) to consul (190). In 189 he was Proconsul in Gaul. He went as ambassador to Perseus in 174 and to some Celtic tribes in 170.

In 160 he met Polybius and supplied the historian with a great deal of information about the life of Scipio Africanus