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Why did Lucius Aemilius Paullus give Scipio Africanus the Younger books from the Macedonian royal library?
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Lucius Aemilius Paullus gave Scipio Africanus the Younger books from the Macedonian royal library because he held a fervent belief in the value of a Greek education.
Paullus, who was known for combining traditional Roman virtues with a keen interest in Greek culture, had ensured that his sons were raised on a "Greek pattern" of education, surrounded by teachers, scholars, and rhetoricians. After his decisive victory at the Battle of Pydna, Paullus kept the library of the defeated King Perseus for himself, specifically to enrich the intellectual development of his son, Scipio.12