Publius was elected consul at a pivotal point in Roman history. The Punic Wars had ended only 13 years beforehand and Rome now controlled many new territories around the Mediterranean through military expeditions such as Scipio Aemilianus’ conquest of Numantia in modern-day Spain, as well as the annexation of Asia Minor. Upon the death of Attallus III of Pergamum in 133 BC Rome was granted the land belonging to Attallus in his will. However, an Attalid pretender called Eumenes III tried to retain the lands. In 130 BC he defeated Scaevola's brother and then-consul Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus, killing him. Later, Scaevola's son Quintus Mucius Scaevola engaged in more fighting in the region, though not of clear nature, receiving a proconsular command in 121 BC. The rapid expansionism throughout this period caused internal unrest that had triggered the First Servile War in Sicily two years earlier in 135 BC. Publius Mucius Scaevola's fellow consul Lucius Calpernius Piso led armies in 133 BC against the slave revolt on the island of Sicily. This revolt was led by a man named Eunus, a semi-prophetic military leader who managed to win several small scale engagements against larger Roman forces. Piso managed to suppress this long-running revolt, though Scaevola had little involvement in this campaign and therefore shared little of the popularity and prestige it incurred. At some point during this period both Piso and Scaevola were absent from the city of Rome, meaning the Senate was presided over by the urban praetor.