the name publius cornelius scipio was regularly, though not always, given by the scipio branch of the "gens cornelia" to the eldest son in each generation. at first most of the scipios who became consuls were not named publius, probably because the eldest son rarely survived to adulthood. the first scipio to become consul was named lucius, the first to become censor was also lucius. the first publius to become consul was scipio africanus's father. at least eleven men bearing this name have been identified in livy and polybius, of whom eight men were consuls (and a ninth consular tribune at a time when there were no consuls). of the eight men, three were censors. of these three, two were famous generals. two of the men, father and son, became pontifex maximus successively.