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[33] Non confertas autem cohortes ante sua quamque signa instruebat sed manipulos aliquantum inter se distantes ut esset spatium qua elephanti hostium acti nihil ordines turbarent. Laelium, cuius ante legati, eo anno quaestoris extra sortem ex senatus consulto opera utebatur, cum Italico equitatu ab sinistro cornu, Masinissam Numidasque ab dextro opposuit. uias patentes inter manipulos antesignanorum uelitibus-- ea tunc leuis armatura erat-- compleuit, dato praecepto ut ad impetum elephantorum aut post directos refugerent ordines aut in dextram laeuamque discursu applicantes se antesignanis uiam qua inruerent in ancipitia tela beluis darent. Hannibal ad terrorem primos elephantos-- octoginta autem erant, quot nulla unquam in acie ante habuerat-- instruxit, deinde auxilia Ligurum Gallorumque, Baliaribus Maurisque admixtis: in secunda acie Carthaginienses Afrosque et Macedonum legionem: modico deinde interuallo relicto subsidiariam aciem Italicorum militum-- Bruttii plerique erant, ui ac necessitate plures quam sua uoluntate decedentem ex Italia secuti-- instruxit. equitatum et ipse circumdedit cornibus; dextrum Carthaginienses, sinistrum Numidae tenuerunt. uaria adhortatio erat in exercitu inter tot homines quibus non lingua, non mos, non lex, non arma, non uestitus habitusque, non causa militandi eadem esset. auxiliaribus et praesens et multiplicata ex praeda merces ostentatur: Galli proprio atque insito in Romanos odio accenduntur: Liguribus campi uberes Italiae deductis ex asperrimis montibus in spem uictoriae ostentantur: Mauros Numidasque Masinissae impotenti futuro dominatu terret: aliis aliae spes ac metus iactantur. Carthaginiensibus moenia patriae, di penates, sepulcra maiorum, liberi cum parentibus coniugesque pauidae, aut excidium seruitiumque aut imperium orbis terrarum, nihil aut in metum aut in spem medium, ostentatur. Cum maxime haec imperator apud Carthaginienses, duces suarum gentium inter populares, pleraque per interpretes inter immixtos alienigenis agerent, tubae cornuaque ab Romanis cecinerunt, tantusque clamor ortus ut elephanti in suos, sinistrum maxime cornu, uerterentur, Mauros ac Numidas. addidit facile Masinissa perculsis terrorem nudauitque ab ea parte aciem equestri auxilio. paucae tamen bestiarum intrepidae in hostem actae inter uelitum ordines cum multis suis uolneribus ingentem stragem edebant. resilientes enim ad manipulos uelites cum uiam elephantis ne obtererentur fecissent, in ancipites ad ictum utrimque coniciebant hastas, nec pila ab antesignanis cessabant donec undique incidentibus telis exacti ex Romana acie hi quoque in suo dextro cornu ipsos Carthaginiensium equites in fugam uerterunt. Laelius, ut turbatos uidit hostes, addidit perculsis terrorem. |
[30.33]He did not form the cohorts in line before their respective standards, but placed some distance between the maniples in order that there might be space for the enemy elephants to be driven through without breaking the ranks. Laelius, who had been one of his staff-officers and was that year acting as quaestor by special appointment of the senate , was in command of the Italian cavalry on the left wing, Masinissa and his Numidians being posted on the right. Lanes kept open between the maniples of those fighting in front of the standards [he blocked up] with 'velites' the light infantry of those days, with instructions that when the elephants charged they shelter behind the lines of maniples, or else run to the right and left joining those fighting in front of the standards and so [make] a path to let [the beasts] rush in onto spears thrown from both flanks. Hannibal, to make his line look more menacing, [posted] his elephants in front. He had eighty altogether, a larger number, than he had ever brought into action before. Behind them were the auxiliaries, Ligurians and Gauls, with an admixture of Balearics and Moors. In the second line he placed Carthaginians and Africans together with a legion of Macedonians. A short distance behind these were posted his reserve line of Italian troops. These were mainly Bruttians who more from the compulsion of necessity than of their own free will had followed him as he was leaving Italy. Like Scipio, Hannibal covered his flanks with his cavalry, the Carthaginians held the right, the Numidians held the left. Different words of encouragement were required in an army composed of such diverse elements, who [had in common], neither language nor custom nor laws nor arms nor dress, nor even the motive for serving in the army To the auxiliaries [he showed off the pay] that was theirs, and would be multiplied by booty. The Gauls [were fired by] their own deep hatred of the Romans. To the Ligurians, drawn from wild mountain fastnesses,) the fruitful plains of Italy ) were offered in the hope of victory. As for the Moors and Numidians he threatened them by the prospect of being ) under the unbridled tyranny of Masinissa. ) Each nationality was swayed by its hopes or fears. For the Carthaginians it was their city walls, their homes, their fathers' sepulchres, their children with their parents, and their frightened wives, and either slavery and destruction or the empire of the world, (there was no middle course, they had either everything to hope for or everything to fear) that were paraded before them. Whilst in this manner the commander [addressed] the Carthaginians, and the officers of the various nationalities [were addressing] their own people and mostly through interpreters mingled with them, the aliens, the trumpets and horns of the Romans were sounded and such a clangor arose that the elephants [turned] on their own men, mostly those in front of the left wing, - the Moors and Numidians. Masinissa had no difficulty in adding terror to the disordered troops and so denuded the battle-line in that area of its auxiliary cavalry. A few of the animals, however, showed no fear and were driven into the enemy, and among the ranks of velites, in spite of the many wounds they received, they did considerable execution. For, springing back to the maniples, the velites, when they [had made] a path for the elephants, (to avoid being trampled to death), as the beasts were uncertain where to strike, from both sides they rained their darts on them. The leading maniples also kept up a fusillade of missiles until with darts falling on all sides, driven out of the Roman lines, these animals too on their own right wing [put] the Carthaginian cavalry to flight. Laelius, when he saw the enemy in confusion, he added panic to those in disarray. Notes on chapter 33. |
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