Locri tests Scipio's command judgment

After Roman troops abuse Locri's inhabitants, a clash between Scipio's tribunes and the local commander Pleminius grows from a dispute over stolen property into open violence. The tribunes try to uphold discipline, Pleminius orders them beaten, and their soldiers retaliate by mutilating him. Scipio restores Pleminius and sends the tribunes to Rome, a verdict the reviewed author treats as a serious but difficult-to-explain blemish. The evidence and reasoning presented at Scipio's inquiry do not survive, so a firm judgment is difficult. One practical interpretation is that Scipio punished his own subordinates to avoid appearing partial, while leaving the Senate responsible for Pleminius. The episode exposes both divided command and the limits of judging an ancient decision from fragmentary sources.