§35.4.1ὅσῳ δὲ φιλοτιμότερον ἡ σύγκλητος διέκειτο πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον, τοσούτῳ σφίσι τὰ πράγματʼ ἀπέβαινε παραδοξότερα. §35.4.2τοῦ μὲν γὰρ Κοΐντου τοῦ τὸν πρότερον ἐνιαυτὸν στρατηγήσαντος ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ καὶ τῶν μετʼ αὐτοῦ στρατευσαμένων ἠγγελκότων εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην τήν τε συνέχειαν τῶν ἐκ παρατάξεως κινδύνων καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀπολωλότων καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν τῶν Κελτιβήρων, §35.4.3τοῦ δὲ Μαρκέλλου προφανῶς ἀποδειλιῶντος τὸν πόλεμον, ἐνέπεσέ τις πτοία τοῖς νέοις παράλογος, οἵαν οὐκ ἔφασαν οἱ πρεσβῦται γεγενημένην πρότερον. §35.4.4εἰς γὰρ τοῦτο προύβη τὰ τῆς ἀποδειλιάσεως ὥστε μήτε χιλιάρχους προπορεύεσθαι πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν τοὺς ἱκανούς, ἀλλʼ ἐλλείπειν τὰς χώρας, τὸ πρότερον εἰθισμένων πολλαπλασιόνων προπορεύεσθαι τῶν καθηκόντων, §35.4.5μήτε τοὺς εἰσφερομένους ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων πρεσβευτὰς ὑπακούειν, οὓς ἔδει πορεύεσθαι μετὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, §35.4.6τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, τοὺς νέους διακλίνειν τὰς καταγραφὰς καὶ τοιαύτας πορίζεσθαι προφάσεις ἃς λέγειν μὲν αἰσχρὸν ἦν, ἐξετάζειν δʼ ἀπρεπές, ἐπιτέμνειν δʼ ἀδύνατον. §35.4.7τέλος δὲ καὶ τῆς συγκλήτου καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων ἐν ἀμηχανίαις ὄντων τί τὸ πέρας ἔσται τῆς τῶν νέων ἀναισχυντίας — τούτῳ γὰρ ἠναγκάζοντο χρῆσθαι τῷ ῥήματι διὰ τὰ συμβαίνοντα — Πόπλιος Κορνήλιος [Ἀφρικανός], §35.4.8νέος μὲν ὤν, δοκῶν δὲ σύμβουλος γεγονέναι τοῦ πολέμου, τὴν ἐπὶ καλοκἀγαθίᾳ καὶ σωφροσύνῃ δόξαν ὁμολογουμένην πεποιημένος, §35.4.9τῆς δʼ ἐπʼ ἀνδρείᾳ φήμης προσδεόμενος, θεωρῶν τὴν σύγκλητον ἀπορουμένην, ἀναστὰς εἶπεν εἴτε χιλίαρχον εἴτε πρεσβευτὴν πέμπειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν Ἰβηρίαν μετὰ τῶν ὑπάτων ἐξεῖναι· πρὸς ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἑτοίμως ἔχειν. §35.4.10καίτοι γʼ ἔφη κατʼ ἰδίαν μὲν αὑτῷ τὴν εἰς Μακεδονίαν ἔξοδον ἅμα μὲν ἀσφαλεστέραν ἅμα δʼ οἰκειοτέραν §35.4.11εἶναι· συνέβαινε γὰρ τότε τοὺς Μακεδόνας ἐπʼ ὀνόματος καλεῖν τὸν Σκιπίωνα διαλύσοντα τὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς στάσεις· §35.4.12ἀλλὰ τοὺς τῆς πατρίδος καιροὺς ἔφη κατεπείγειν μᾶλλον καὶ καλεῖν εἰς τὴν Ἰβηρίαν τοὺς ἀληθινῶς φιλοδοξοῦντας. §35.4.13πᾶσιν δὲ παραδόξου φανείσης τῆς ἐπαγγελίας καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ διὰ τὴν ἄλλην εὐλάβειαν, παραυτίκα μὲν εὐθέως συνέβη μεγάλην ἀποδοχὴν γενέσθαι τοῦ Σκιπίωνος, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον ταῖς ἑξῆς ἡμέραις· §35.4.14οἱ γὰρ πρότερον ἀποδειλιῶντες, ἐκτρεπόμενοι τὸν ἐκ παραθέσεως ἔλεγχον, οἱ μὲν πρεσβεύσειν ἐθελοντὴν ἐπηγγέλλοντο τοῖς στρατηγοῖς, οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὰς στρατιωτικὰς καταγραφὰς προσεπορεύοντο κατὰ συστρέμματα καὶ συνηθείας. —
The more eagerly the senate was disposed toward the war, the more contrary to their expectations did matters turn out for them. For since Quintus, who had been commander in Iberia the previous year, and those who had served with him had reported to Rome the continuous dangers of pitched battles, the multitude of the slain, and the bravery of the Celtiberians, and since Marcellus was manifestly shrinking from the war, an extraordinary panic fell upon the young men, such as the elders said had never happened before. Indeed, this cowardice proceeded to such a point that neither did competent military tribunes come forward for office, but they left their posts vacant (whereas formerly many times the required number had been accustomed to come forward), nor did the legates proposed by the consuls obey, who ought to have gone with the commander, and what was worst of all, the young men evaded the enlistment and devised such excuses as it was shameful to mention, unseemly to investigate, and impossible to refute. At last, when both the senate and the magistrates were at a loss as to what would be the end of the young men's shamelessness—for they were compelled to use this word because of what was happening—Publius Cornelius [Africanus], though a young man, but reputed to have been an adviser of the war, and having established an undisputed reputation for nobility of character and temperance, but desiring to add to his reputation for bravery, seeing that the senate was in difficulties, stood up and said that it was permitted to send him to Iberia either as military tribune or as legate with the consuls; for he was ready for either. And yet, he said, for himself individually, the expedition to Macedonia was both safer and more appropriate; for it happened at that time that the Macedonians were calling upon Scipio by name to settle the dissensions among them. But, he said, the crisis of their country was more urgent, and summoned those who were truly ambitious of honor to Iberia. His offer appearing unexpected to all, both on account of his youth and the caution of others, there immediately followed a great acceptance of Scipio, and still more so in the succeeding days. For those who were previously cowardly, trying to avoid the shame of comparison, some offered to serve voluntarily as legates to the commanders, while others went forward to the military enlistment in crowds and groups of friends.