Summer 2000: Week 4

   xlviii. Iam et sinistro cornu Romanis, ubi sociorum equites adversus Numidas steterant, consertum proelium erat, segne primo et a Punica coeptum fraude. Quingenti ferme Numidae, praeter caetera arma telaque gladios occultos sub loricis habentes, specie transfugarum quum ab suis parmas post terga habentes adequitassent, repente ex equis desiliunt parmisque et iaculis ante pedes hostium proiectis in mediam aciem accepti ductique ad ultimos considere ab tergo iubentur. Ac dum proelium ab omni parte conseritur, quieti manserunt: postquam omnium animos oculosque occupaverat certamen, tum arreptis scutis, quae passim inter acervos caesorum corporum humi strata erant, aversam adoriuntur Romanam aciem, tergaque ferientes ac poplites caedentes stragem ingentem ac maiorem aliquanto pavorem ac tumultum fecerunt. Quum alibi terror ac fuga, alibi pertinax in mala iam spe proelium esset, Hasdrubal, qui ea iam parte praeerat, subductos ex media acie Numidas, quia segnis eorum cum adversis pugna erat, ad persequendos passim fugientes mittit, Hispanos et Gallos equites Afris iam prope fessis caede magis quam pugna adiungit.

   48. By this time, the battle had begun on the left wing also of the Romans, where the confederate cavalry had been posted against the Numidians: it was languid at first, and commenced with a piece of Carthaginian treachery. About five hundred Numidians, carrying, besides their usual armor and weapons, swords concealed under their coats of mail, rode up under the appearance of deserters, with their bucklers behind their backs, and having hastily alighted from their horses, and thrown their bucklers and javelins at the feet of their enemies, were received into the center line, and conducted thence to the hindmost ranks, where they ordered to sit down in the rear. There they remained quiet, until the fight was begun in every quarter; when, however the thoughts and eyes of all were deeply intent on the dispute, snatching up the shields which lay in great numbers among the heaps of the slain, they fell on the rear of the Romans, and stabbing the men in the backs, and cutting their hams, made great slaughter, and caused still greater terror and confusion. While in one part, prevailed dismay and flight, in another, obstinate fighting in spite of despair. Hasdrubal who commanded on the left wing, after entirely routing the Roman cavalry, went off to the right, and, joining the Numidians, put to flight the cavalry of the allies. Then, leaving the Numidians to pursue them, with his Gallic and Spanish horse, he made a charge on the rear of the Roman infantry, while they busily engaged with the Africans.

   xlix. Parte altera pugnae Paulus, quamquam primo statim proelio funda graviter ictus fuerat, tamen et concurrit saepe cum confertis, Hannibali et aliquot locis proelium restituit, protegentibus eum equitibus Romanis omissis postremo equis, quia consulem et ad regendem equum vires deficiebant. Tum deinde nuntianti cuidam, iusisse consulem ad pedes descendere equites, dixisse Hannibalem ferunt "quam mallem vinctos mihi traderet." Equitum pedestre proelium-quale iam haud dubia hostium victoria-fuit, quum victi mori in vestigio mallent quam fugere, victores morantibus victoriam irati trucidarent quos pellere non poterant. Pepulerunt tamen iam paucos superantes et labore ac vulneribus fessos: inde dissipati omnes sunt equosque ad fugam qui poterant repetebant….

   49. On the other side of the field, Paullus had, in the very beginning of the action, received a grievous wound from a sling; nevertheless, at the head of a compact band, he frequently opposed himself in Hannibal's way; and, in several places, he restored the fight, being protected by the Roman horsemen, who, in the end, dismounted, because the consul's strength declined so far, that he was not able even to manage his horse. Some person on this, telling Hannibal that the consul had ordered the cavalry to dismount, he answered, as we are told, "I should have been much better pleased if he delivered them to me in chains." The fight maintained by the dismounted cavalry was such as might be expected, when the enemy had gained undoubted possession of the victory; and as the vanquished chose to die on the spot, rather than fly, the victors, enraged at them for retarding their success, put to death those whom they could not drive from their ground. They did, however, at length oblige them to quit the field, their numbers being reduced to a few, and those quite spent with toil and wounds. They were all entirely dispersed, and such as were able repaired to their horses, in order to make their escape….

   Tum inde effuse fugiunt. Septem millia hominum in minora castra, decem in maiora, duo ferme in vicum ipsum Cannas perfugerunt, qui extemplo a Carthalone atque equitibus nullo munimento tegente vicum circumventi sunt. Consul alter, seu forte seu consilio nulli fugientium insertus agmini, cum septuaginta fere equitibus Venusiam perfugit. Quadraginta quinque millia quingenti pedites, duo millia septingenti equites, et tanta prope civium sociorumque pars, caesi dicuntur: in his ambo consulum quaestores, L. Atilius et L. Furius Bibaculus, et viginti unus tribuni militum, consulares quidam praetoriique et aedilicii-inter eos Cn. Servilium Geminum et M. Minucium numerant, qui magister equitum priore anno aliquot annis ante consul fuerat--, octaginta praeterea aut senatores aut qui eos magistratus gessissent, unde in senatum legi deberent, quum sua voluntate milites in legionibus facti essent. Capta eo proelio tria millia peditum et equites mille et quingenti dicuntur.

   A general rout now took place; seven thousand men fled into the smaller camp, ten thousand into the greater, and about two thousand into the village of Cannae; but the town not being defended by any fortifications, these were instantly surrounded by Carthalo and the cavalry. The other consul, without joining any party of his routed troops, gained Venusia, with about seventy horsemen. The number of the slain is computed at forty thousand foot, and two thousand seven hundred horse; the loss of natives and of the confederates being nearly equal. Among these were the quaestors belonging to both consuls, Lucius Atilius, and Lucius Furius Bibaculus; twenty-one military tribunes; several who had passed through the offices of consul, praetor, or aedile, among whom are reckoned Gnaeus Servilius Geminus, and Marcus Minucius, who had been master of the horse in the preceeding year, and consul some years before; likewise eighty who were members of the senate, or had borne those offices which qualified them to be chosen into that body, and who had voluntarily enlisted as soldiers in the legions. The prisoners taken in this battle are reckoned at three thousand foot, and three hundred horse.