Summer 2000: Week 3

   xlv. …Transgressi flumen eas quoque, quas in castris minoribus habuerant, copias suis adiungunt, atque ita instructa acie in dextro cornu-id erat flumini proprius-Romanos equites locant, deinde pedites: laevum cornu extremi equites sociorum, intra pedites ad medium iuncti legionibus Romanis tenuerunt: iaculatores cum caeteris levium armorum auxiliis prima acies facta: consules cornua tenuere, Terentius laevum Aemilius dextrum, Gemino Servilio media pugna tuenda data.

   45. …Having crossed the river, they were joined by the troops from the smaller camp, and formed their line in this manner: in the right wing, next to the river they placed the Roman cavalry, and adjoining them the Roman infantry; the extremity of the left wing was composed of the confederate cavalry: and, enclosed by these, the confederate infantry stretched to the center, so as to unite with the Roman legions. The archers, and other light-armed auxiliaries, formed the van. The consuls commanded the wings, Terentius the left, Aemilius the right; the charge of the center was committed to Geminus Servilius.

   xlvi. Hannibal luce prima Balearibus levique alia armatura praemissa transgressus flumen, ut quosque traduxerat, ita in acie locabat: Gallos Hispanosque equites prope ripam laevo in cornu adversus Romanum equitatum, dextrum cornu Numidis equitibus datum, media acie peditibus firmata ita ut Afrorum utraque cornua essent, interponerentur his medii Galli atque Hispani. Afros Romanam magna ex parte crederes aciem, ita armati erant, armis et ad Trebiam caeterem magna ex parte ad Trasumennum captis…Numerus omnium peditum, qui tum steterunt in acie, millium fuit quadraginta, decem equitum. Duces cornibus praeerant sinistro Hasdrubal dextro Maharbal, mediam aciem Hannibal ipse cum fratre Magone tenuit. Sol seu de industria ita locatis, seu quod forte ita stetere, peropportune utrique parti obliquus erat, Romanis in meridiem Poenis in septemtrionem versis: ventus-Volturnum regionis incolae vocant-adversus Romanis coortus multo pulvere in ipsa ora volvendo prospectum ademit.

   46. Hannibal, at the first light, sending before him the Balearians, and the other light-armed troops, crossed the river, and posted each company in his line of battle, in the same order in which he had led them over. The Gallic and Spanish cavalry occupied the left wing, near the bank, opposite the Roman cavalry, and the Numidian horse the right; the infantry forming the center in such a manner, that both ends of their line were composed of Africans, and between these were placed the Gauls and Spaniards. The Africans, for the most part, resembled a body of Roman troops, being furnished, in great abundance, with the arms taken partly at the Trebia, but the greater part at the Thrasimenus….The whole number of infantry, drawn up in the field on this occasion, was forty thousand, of cavalry ten thousand. The generals who commanded the wings were, Hasdrubal on the left, and Maharbal on the right. Hannibal himself, with his brother Mago, took command of the center. The sun, very conveniently for both parties, shone on their flanks, whether this position was chosen designedly, or that it fell out by accident; for the Romans faced the south, the Carthaginians the north. The wind, which the natives of the country call Volturnus, blew briskly against the Romans, and by driving great quantities of sand into their faces, prevented them from seeing clearly.

   xlvii. Clamore sublato procursum auxiliis et pugna levibus primum armis commissa: deinde equitum Gallorum Hispanorum laevum cornu cum dextro Romano concurrit, minime equestris more pugnae, frontibus enim adversis concurrendum erat, quia nullo circa ad evagandum relicto spatio hinc amnis hinc peditum acies claudebant in directum utrimque nitentes. Stantibus ac confertis postremo turba equis vir virum amplexus detrahebat equo: pedestre magna iam ex parte certamen factum erat: acrius tamen quam diutius pugnatum est, pulsique Romani equites terga vertunt. Sub equestris finem certaminis coorta est peditum pugna. Primo et viribus et animis pares constabant ordines Gallis Hispanisque: tandem Romani, diu ac saepe connisi, aequa fronte acieque densa impulere hostium cuneum nimis tenuem eoque parum validum a caetera prominentem acie: impulsis deinde ac trepide referentibus pedem insistere, ac tenore uno per praeceps pavore fugientium agmen in mediam primum aciem illati postremo nullo resistente ad subsidia Afrorum pervenerunt, qui utrimque reductis alis constiterant, media, qua Galli Hispanique steterant, aliquantum prominente acie. Qui cuneus ut pulsus aequavit frontem primum, deinde cedendo etiam sinum in medio dedit, Afri circa iam cornua fecerant irruentibusque incaute in medium Romanis circumdedere alas, mox cornua extendendo clausere et ab tergo hostes. Hinc Romani defuncti nequiquam proelio uno, omissis Gallis Hispanisque, quorum terga ceciderant, et adversus Afros integram pugnam ineunt, non tantum in eo iniquam quod inclusi adversus circumfusos, sed etiam quod fessi cum recentibus ac vegetis pugnabant.

   47. The shout being raised, the auxiliaries advanced, and the fight commenced, first, between the light-armed troops; then the left wing consisting of Gallic and Spanish cavalry, engaged with the right wing of the Romans; but not in the usual method of fighting between horsemen, for they were obliged to engage front to front, no room having been left for any evolutions, the river on one side, and the line of infantry on the other, confining them, so that they could only push directly forward; at last the horses being pressed together in a crowd, and stopped from advancing, the riders, grappling man to man, dragged each other to the ground. The contest was now maintained chiefly on foot, but was more furious than lasting; for the Roman horsemen, unable to keep their stand, turned their backs. When the fight between the cavalry was almost decided, the infantry began to engage. At first the Gauls and Spaniards maintained their ranks, without betraying any inferiority either in strength or courage. At length the Romans, by frequent and persevering efforts, with their front regular and in compact order, drove back a body which projected before the rest of their line in form of a wedge, and which being too thin, consequently wanted strength; as these gave ground, and retreated hastily and in disorder, they pursued, and without slackening their charge, broke through their dismayed and flying battalions; at first, to their center line; and, at length, meeting with no resistance, they arrived at the reserved troops of the Africans, which latter had been posted on both flanks of the others, including backwards towards the rear, while the center, composed of the Gauls and Spaniards, jutted considerably forward. By the retreat of this prominent part, the front was first rendered even; then, by their proceeding still in the same direction, a bending inward was at length formed in the middle, on each side of which the Africans now formed wings; and the Romans, incautiously rushing into the center, these flanked them on each side and by extending themselves from the extremities, surrounded them on the rear also. In consequence of this, the Romans who had already finished one battle, quitting the Gauls and Spaniards, whom they had pursued with much slaughter, entered now on a new one against the Africans, in which they had not only the disadvantage of being hemmed in, and, in that position, obliged to fight, but also, that of being fatigued, while their antagonists were fresh and vigorous.