134 



SCIO-SCIPIO AFRICANUS. 



SCIO (Chios, called by the Turks Saki-Adasai), 

 one of the largest and richest islniuis of the Grecian 

 archipelago, contains ;>!VJ square miles. It is separ- 

 ated from the continent of Asia on the east by a 

 narrow strait (Strctto di Capo bianco), and has a 

 healthy climate. But little attention is paid to 

 raising grain or keeping cattle, but it produces 

 abundantly silk, cotton, turpentine, marble, fruits, 

 and particularly wine (Chiau wine was celebrated 

 even in antiquity), oranges, lemons and mastic (to 

 the amount of eighty tons a year, valued at 800,000 

 pia-iters). The beauty of the females is celebrated. 

 On this island, remains of ancient art are still to be 

 seen ; among others, the school of Homer, the foun- 

 tains of Helen, the ruins of Delphinium, Carda- 

 missa, and a temple of Neptune. The chief city, 

 of the same name, on the eastern coast of the island, 

 has a harbour, spacious, but very difficult of access, 

 and about 20,000 inhabitants. The population of 

 the whole island was estimated, before the Greek 

 revolution, at upwards of 120,000; mostly Greeks. 

 When Greece revolted, in 1821, the Sciots at- 

 tempted to drive away the Turkish garrison. The 

 Turks threw themselves into the citadel, and con- 

 tinued the contest with the inhabitants till 1822, 

 when a Turkish fleet landed, under the command 

 of the capudan pacha, and a massacre began, in 

 which, after many thousands had fallen in battle, 

 from April 14 to 20, 40,000 persons, without dis- 

 tinction of age or sex, were put to the sword, and 

 some of them cruelly tortured. The fugitives 

 escaped to the mountain fastnesses or to the oppo- 

 site continent, or, in Greek vessels, to the other 

 islands. At length the Greek fleet attacked the 

 Turks, and destroyed several of their vessels with 

 fire-ships. The capudan pacha was obliged to re- 

 treat, half consumed, from his ship lying in flames, 

 and to land upon the shore, where he had, a short 

 time before, murdered the innocent without com- 

 punction, and where he now perished in the great- 

 est tortures. But the Greeks were not strong 

 enough to occupy the island, and the vengeance of 

 the Turks now assailed the mastic villages, the 

 people of which had remained quiet during the re- 

 volution. June 19, 1822, these villages were 

 burnt, and 30,000 Christians murdered or sold into 

 slavery. In March, 1823, the population of the 

 island was only 16,000. Scio from that time has 

 remained under the dominion of the Turks. Fab- 

 vier's attempt to reconquer Scio, in 1827, failed. 

 A part of the unhappy Sciots fled to the ships of 

 the French admiral De Rigny Before the devas- 

 tation of Scio, there was a school in its chief city, 

 and it was the see of a Greek and Roman bishop. 

 It has been lately reported that the sultan had 

 ordered the restoration of the property and estates 

 of the Sciots without reservation. In 1770, a naval 

 engagement took place between the Russians and 

 Turks, between this island and Tschesme, which 

 lies on the opposite coast of Natolia; a part of the 

 Turkish fleet was burned by the Russians. 



SCIOTO ; a river of Ohio, the second in size of 

 those which have their whole courses in this state. 

 Its general course is south ; its length about 170 

 miles; and it flows into the Ohio river by a mouth 

 130 yards wide, between Portsmouth and Alexan- 

 dria. It is navigable for boats about 130 miles, 

 and is connected with the Sandusky by a portage 

 four miles long. The country watered by this 

 river is known by tbe name of the Scioto country, 

 and is remarkably fertile. On the eastern bank, 

 about five miles above Columbus, is an almost in- 



exhaustible quarry of marble, which receives a good 

 polish, and is of a beautiful gray colour. 



SCIPIO AFRICANUS (the elder), Pum.iue 

 CORNELIUS. The Cornelian family was rich in great 

 men, among whom the conqueror of the formidable 

 Hannibal is particularly distinguished. His fuller, 

 who bore the same name, fought without sin 

 but not without honour, against the Carthaginians, 

 in the beginning of the second Punic war. In 

 the bloody engagement on the river Ticinus, in 

 Upper Italy, the young Scipio, hardly sixteen years 

 old, took an active part, and is said to have saved 

 the life of his wounded father. From the still 

 more fatal battle of Cannae (B. C. 216), lie 

 escaped with the remains of the conquered army. 

 The wreck of the cavalry, having assembled at 

 Canubium, chose him for their commander, and he 

 led them back to Rome. Here his remarkable 

 firmness induced a company of young men of dis- 

 tinction, who had resolved to flee from Italy in des- 

 pair, to remain and defend their country. With 

 his drawn sword he stepped boldly among them, 

 and threatened to kill whoever should refuse to 

 take the oath that he proposed. Astounded by 

 his boldness, they did as he desired, and aided^ to 

 save Rome. Such spirit met with public honour. 

 At the age of twenty, he was made curule edile, 

 and, a few years after, was appointed proconsul in 

 Spain. Here he overcame the enemy, not merely 

 by his courage and conduct, but also by his magna- 

 nimity and kindness. His first successful enter- 

 prise of importance was the conquest of New Car- 

 thage. With great boldness, he attacked the city 

 on the side washed by the sea, which was almost 

 defenceless, and easiest to be surmounted, with 500 

 of the most courageous soldiers, who waded through 

 the low water at ebb tide, took one of the gates by 

 storm, and, while the troops who were to assail the 

 city on the land side, were storming other parts, 

 the enemy were so terrified that they hastened into 

 the castle, and quickly surrendered this hold also. 

 The Africans who were taken he sold for slaves ; 

 the Spaniards received their liberty. This treat- 

 ment made a deep impression on the latter, and they 

 separated from the Carthaginians. He gained still 

 more esteem among the warlike Celtiberians, by 

 restoring the beautiful bride of the young prince 

 Allucius, who was brought to him as a prisoner, and 

 who had made a deep impression on his heart, as soon 

 as he heard of her being betrothed to the prince. 

 The ransom, which her overjoyed parents urged 

 upon the conqueror, he bestowed upon the youth- 

 ful pair. Allucius, as a token of his gratitude, im- 

 mediately entered the Roman service with a body 

 of chosen troops, and rendered important service. 

 The next year, Scipio totally defeated Asdrubal, 

 Hannibal's brother, notwithstanding his advantage- 

 ous position, and compelled him to retreat to the 

 Pyrenees. Thus the Carthaginians lost still more 

 adherents in Spain. A near relative of Masinissa, 

 king of Numidia, who was among the prisoners, 

 he liberated, and conferred on him rich presents. 

 This kindness procured for him the favour of the 

 Numidian monarch, and led to the advantageous al- 

 liance which Rome soon after concluded with this 

 powerful prince. The title of king, which the 

 Spaniards offered to the victorious general, he 

 steadfastly refused. He now laboured to reduce 

 the disaffected tribes in the interior of Spain. In 

 the mean while, the Carthaginians collected a fresh 

 army, which was led by Mago and Hanno. Scipio 

 attacked them, and, after a long and bloody engage- 



