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Why did Scipio Africanus receive the surname Africanus?
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Scipio Africanus
Silver coin from Carthago Nova, believed to be a portrait of Scipio Africanus the Elder; in the Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, National Museum, Copenhagen.
Scipio Africanus received the surname Africanus in 201 BCE as a tribute to his military success in Africa during the Second Punic War.12
Specifically, the name was awarded following his decisive victory over the Carthaginian general Hannibal at the Battle of Zama in 202 BCE. In the Roman naming system, this type of individual surname, known as an agnomen, was often acquired to commemorate significant achievements or military campaigns.123