Liberator, this Numidian captured my heart as soon as I was freed from slavery. Now,<hr>
I am the only one to hold an essential place in his soul. Go then, Massinissa, and do not forget<hr>
to keep your promise to the unfortunate Sophonisbe who will eagerly await<br>
freedom or poison.<hr>
<hr>
<hr>
                                         Effect of this speech<hr>
       This beautiful and pitiful queen obtained what she requested, for Massinissa did not manage to<hr>
change Scipion's mind. Thus, unable to guarantee her freedom without risk,<hr>
Massinissa gave her the poison. He preferred his interest and the friendship of the Romans to the life of this<hr>
person. I would have accepted if he lost her to preserve his glory, if there was no other choice,<hr>
but the fact that this courageous man lived eighty years after her death and is still<br>
the friend of the Romans angers me every time I read this incident in the history pages.<hr>
That's also what pushes me to stop here, for if I wrote more about him,<hr>
I would utter insults. Let's have pity on Sophonisbe and disapprove of the action of<hr>
the insensitive and overly wise Massinissa.<hr>
<hr>
<hr>
                                                  Notes<hr>
       Sophonisbe, born in Carthage in 235 B.C. and died in Cirta in 203 B.C., is a<hr>
queen of Numidia and the wife of Syphax, Berber king of Numidia, then of Massinissa.<hr>
       Syrte is a Libyan city located on the country's Mediterranean coast, and more<hr>
specifically at the level of the Gulf of Syrte.<hr>
       Syphax, born around 250 B.C. and died around 202 B.C., is a Berber king of<hr>
Western Numidia whose capital was Cirta, today's Constantine in Algeria. He is captured<hr>
in 203 B.C. by Massinissa and the Romans following the defeat of the battle of the Great<hr>
Plains. He died captive at Rome.<hr>
       Numidia, or the Kingdom of Numidia, is a Berber kingdom, mainly located<hr>
on Algerian territory, but also on a small part of Tunisia, Libya and,<hr>
marginally, in the Maghreb in Morocco. Its founders are the Numidians, a Berber people,<hr>
who created a powerful state with an original civilization in North Africa, generally<hr>
considered as the first Algerian state in history.<hr>
       The Battle of the Great Plains opposes, in 203 B.C., the Roman army<hr>
of Scipio Africanus, allied with the Numidian prince Massinissa, to the Carthaginian army. The<hr>
Carthaginians are led by Hasdrubal Gisco and the Numidians by his son-in-law, King Syphax.<hr>
Scipio wins the battle.<hr>
       Hasdrubal Gisco, died in 202 B.C., is a Carthaginian general from the second<hr>
Punic war opposing Rome to Carthage.<hr>
<hr>
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