Summer 2000: Week 1

   lv. Hannibalis interim miles ignibus ante tentoria factis oleoque per manipulos, ut mollirent artus, misso, et cibo per otium capto, ubi transgressos flumen hostes nuntiatum est, alacer animis corporibusque arma capit atque in aciem procedit. Baleares locat ante signa, levem armaturum, octo ferme millia hominum, dein graviorem armis peditem, quod virium quod roboris erat. In cornibus circumfudit decem millia equitum, et ab cornibus in utramque partem divisos elephantos statuit. Consul effusos sequentes equites, quum ab resistentibus subito Numidis incauti exciperentur, signo receptui dato revocatos circumdedit peditibus : duodeviginti millia Romani erant, socium nominis Latini viginti, auxilia praeter ea Cenomanorum: ea sola in fide manserat Gallica gens. Iis copiis concursum est. Proelium a Balearibus ortum est : quibus quum maiore robore legiones obsisterent, deductae propere in cornua leves armaturae sunt, quae res efficit ut equitatus Romanus extemplo urgeretur: nam quum vix iam per se resisterent decem millibus equitum quattuor millia et fessi integris plerisque, obruti sunt insuper velut nube iaculorum a Balearibus coniecta: ad hoc elephanti eminentes ab extremis cornibus, equis maxime non visu modo sed odore insolito territis, fugam late faciebant. Pedestris pugna par animis magis quam viribus erat, quas recentes Poenus paulo ante curatis corporibus in proelium adtulerat: contra ieiuna fessaque corpora Romanis et rigentia gelu torpebant. Restitissent tamen animis, si cum pedite solum foret pugnatum: sed et Baleares pulso equite iaculabantur in latera et elephanti iam in mediam peditum aciem sese tulerant, et Mago Numidaeque, simul latebras eorum improvida praeterlata acies est, exorti ab tergo ingentem tumultum ac terrorem fecere. Tamen in tot circumstantibus malis mansit aliquamdiu immota acies, maxime praeter spem omnium adversus elephantos: eos velites ad id ipsum locati verrutis coniectis et avertere et insequuti aversos sub caudis, qua maxime molli cute vulnera accipiunt, foediebant:

   55. Meanwhile Hannibal's soldiers had fires made before their tents; oil was distributed to every company to lubricate their joints, and they had at leisure refreshed themselves with food. As soon, therefore, as intelligence was brought, that the enemy had passed the river, they took arms with sprightly vigor both of mind and body, and thus, advanced to battle. Hannibal placed in the van the Balearians and light-armed troops, amounting to about eight thousand; and in a second line, his heavier-armed infantry, the main power and strength of his army. The flanks he covered with ten thousand cavalry: and, dividing the elephants, placed half of them on the extremity of each wing. The consul seeing his cavalry, who pressed the pursuit with disorderly haste, taken at a disadvantage by the Numidians suddenly turning upon them, recalled them by the signal for retreat, and posted them on the flanks of the foot. His army consisted of eighteen thousand Romans, twenty thousand of the allies and Latine confederates, besides the auxiliary troops of the Cenomanians, the only Gallic state the continued faithful to their cause. This was the force employed in the engagement. The battle was begun by the Balearians, who being too powerfully opposed by the legions, the light-armed troops were hastily drawn off to the wings; which circumstance proved the cause of the Roman's cavalry being quickly overpowered: for being in number but four thousand, they had before been hardly able to maintain their ground against ten thousand; especially as they were fatigued, and the others mostly fresh; but now they overwhelmed under a cloud as it were of javelins thrown by the Balearians. Besides this, the elephants, advancing in the extremities of the wings, so terrified the horses, as to occasion a general rout. The fight between infantry was maintained by an equality of spirit rather than of strength; for with respect to the latter, the Carthaginians had brought theirs fresh into the battle, invigorated by food; the Romans, on the contrary were enfeebled by fasting and fatigue, and their limbs stiffened and benumbed with cold. They would, notwithstanding, have maintained their ground by dint of courage, had the conflict rested solely between them and the infantry. But the Balearians, after the discomforture of the cavalry, poured darts on their flanks, and the elephants had now made their way to the center of the line of the infantry; while Mago, with his Numidians, as soon as the army had passed by their lurking place without observing them, started up at once, and caused dreadful confusion and terror in the rear.

   lvi. trepidantesque et et prope iam in suos consternatos media acie in extremam ad sinistrum cornu adversus Gallos auxiliares agi iussit Hannibal: ii extemplo haud dubiam fecere fugam, quo novus terror additus Romanis, ut fusa auxilia sua viderunt. Itaque quam iam in orbem pugnarent, decem millia ferme hominum, quum alia evadere nequissent, media Afrorum acie, quae Gallicis auxiliis firmata erat, cum ingenti caede hostium perrupere: et quum neque in castra reditus esset flumine interclusis, neque prae imbri satis decernere possent qua suis opem ferrent, Placentiam recto itinere perrexere. Plures deinde in omnes partes eruptiones factae, et qui flamen petiere aut gurgitibus absumpti sunt aut inter cunctationem ingrediendi ab hostibus oppressi, qui passim per agros fuga sparsi erant, vestigia cedentis sequentes agminis Placentiam contendere: aliis timor hostium audaciam ingrediendi flumen fecit transgressique in castra pervenerunt. Imber nive mixtus et intoleranda vis frigoris et homines multos et iumenta et elephantos prope omnes absumpsit. Finis insequendi hostis Poenis flumen Trebia fuit, et ita torpentes gelu in castra rediere, ut vix laetitiam victoriae sentirent: itaque nocte insequenti, quum praesidium castrorum et quod reliquum ex magna parte militum erat ratibus Trebiam traiicerent, aut nihil sensere obstrepente pluvia aut, quia iam moveri nequibant prae lassitudine ac vulneribus, sentire sese dissimularunt, quietisque Poenis tacito agmine ab Scipione consule exercitus Placentiam est perductus, inde Pado traiectus Cremonam, ne duorum exercituum hibernis una colonia premeretur.

   56. Encompassed by so many perils, the line, notwithstanding, stood for a long time unbroken, even (which was most surprising to all) by the attack of the elephants. The light infantry, stationed for that purpose, plying these briskly with iron javelins, made them turn back; and then, following them behind, darted their weapons into them, under the tails, in which part of the skin being softest, it is easy to wound them. When they were by these means put into disorder, and ready to vent their fury on their own party, Hannibal ordered them to be driven away from the center towards the extremity of the left wing against the auxiliary Gauls. These they instantly put to flight, which spread new terror among the Romans. They were now obliged to fight in the form of a circle; when about ten thousand of them, having no other means of escape, forced their way, with great slaughter, through the center of the African line, which was composed of the Gallic auxiliaries; and, as they could neither return to their camp, from which they were shut out by the river, nor, by reason of the heavy rain, discover in which part they could assist their friends, they proceded straight to Placentia. After this, similar interruptions were made from all quarters, and those who pushed towards the river, were either drowned in the eddies, or hesitating to enter the water, were cut off. Some, who, in their flight, dispersed themselves over the country, falling in with the tracks of the body of troops which had retreated, following them to Placentia; others, from their fears of the enemy, assumed boldness to attempt the stream, and accomplishing their passage, arrived at the camp. The rain, mixed with snow, and the intolerable severity of the cold, destroyed great numbers of men and horses, and almost all the elephants. The Carthaginians continued the pursuit no further than the river Trebia, and returned to their camp so benumbed with the cold, as to be scarcely capable of feeling joy for the victory; insomuch that though, during the following night, the guard of the Roman camp, and a great part at least of their soldiers, passed the Trebia on rafts, the Carthaginians either perceived nothing of the matter through the noise made by the rain, or being, by wearing and wounds, disabled to move, pretended that they did not perceive it; and the enmy lying quiet, the consul Scipio led the troops in silence to Placentia, and thence across the Po to Cremona, lest the two armies, wintering in one colony, should be too great a burden.