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[6] Relucentem flammam 
primo uigiles Carthaginiensium, 
deinde excitati alii nocturno tumultu 
cum conspexissent, 
ab eodem errore 
credere et ipsi sua sponte incendium ortum; 
et clamor 
inter caedem 
et uolnera sublatus 
an ex trepidatione nocturna esset confusis 
sensum ueri adimebat. 
igitur pro se quisque inermes, 
ut quibus nihil hostile suspectum esset, 
omnibus portis, 
qua cuique proximum erat, 
ea modo 
quae restinguendo igni forent 
portantes 
in agmen Romanum ruebant. 
quibus caesis omnibus 
praeterquam hostili odio 
etiam ne quis nuntius refugeret, 
extemplo Scipio 
neglectas ut in tali tumultu portas inuadit; 
ignibusque in proxima tecta coniectis 
effusa flamma 
primo uelut sparsa pluribus locis reluxit, 
dein per continua serpens 
uno repente omnia incendio hausit. 
ambusti homines 
iumentaque foeda 
primum fuga, 
dein strage 
obruebant itinera portarum. 
quos non oppresserat ignis 
ferro absumpti, 
binaque castra 
clade una deleta. 
duces tamen ambo 
et ex tot milibus armatorum 
duo milia peditum 
et quingenti equites semermes, 
magna pars saucii 
adflatique incendio, 
effugerunt. 
caesa aut hausta flammis 
ad quadraginta milia hominum sunt, 
capta supra quinque milia, 
multi Carthaginiensium nobiles, 
undecim senatores; 
signa militaria centum septuaginta quattuor, 
equi Numidici supra duo milia septingentos;
 elephanti sex capti, 
octo ferro flammaque absumpti. 
magna uis armorum capta; 
ea omnia 
imperator Uolcano sacrata 
incendit. 

[6]The glowing flames [were seen by]
the Carthaginian sentries first,
then by others wakened by the tumult at night,

and all fell into the same mistake 
of supposing that it was an accidental outbreak.
The cries [arising]
amid the slaughter
and wounds 
confused them - was it due to nocturnal panic?, 
and stopped them from perceiving the truth. 
So unarmed, each man for himself,
no way suspecting the presence of an enemy,
[they rushed out], each through the gate 
nearest to him, 
[carrying out] only 
what might help to extinguish the flames, 

and so came right on the Roman army. 
They were all cut down;
the reason, beside the enemy's hatred, was
that none might escape and give the alarm. 
Scipio at once 
seized the gates left unguarded in such panic;
and fire was flung upon the nearest huts. 
The flames that were flung 
broke out at first in different places 
but then, creeping from hut to hut, 
suddenly wrapped everything in one blaze. 
Scorched men 
and foul animals 
first by their panic flight
and then with their corpses
blocked the passages to the gates.  
Those whom the fire did not overtake 
perished by the sword 
and the two camps 
were involved in one common destruction. 
Both the generals, however, 
and out of all those thousands 
2000 infantry 
and 500 cavalry,
the majority being wounded 
or suffering from the fire. 
made good their escape
Those slain or overcome by fire
number up to 40,000 men.
Over 5000 were taken alive, 
including many Carthaginian nobles 
of whom eleven were senators; 
174 standards, 
more than 2700 Numidian horses 
and 6 elephants were captured, 
8 others having been killed or burnt to death. 
An enormous quantity of arms was secured,
all these 
the general devoted to Vulcan, 
and burned.