other, as it were in file. This he did, because of the elephants, whereof Hannibal had many. For of those beasts the danger was less whilst there was open way to let them through. Therefore he took such order, that when they had passed through the spaces between the first battalions, they should not come upon the Principes in front. Unto his velites, or those of the light armature, that were to begin the fight, he gave direction, that when they found themselves overcharged either by the enemies or (which was most to be feared) by the elephants, they should run back through those lanes that were between the maniples; and that those which were swiftest, or otherwise best able, should continue on their flight until they were got behind all their own army, thereby leaving room enough unto those that were wounded, or cast behind, to save themselves on the void ground that was betwixt the first and second, or the second and third battles, without cloying up the way between the maniples, which he desired to keep open. His Italian horse he placed in the left wing under C. Lælius. In the right wing was Masinissa with his Numidians. He himself, riding up and down, exhorted his men to do valiantly; using words not many, but very forcible. He bade them remember what they had achieved since their coming into Afric. He told them, that, if this day were theirs, the war was at an end; and that their victory in this war should make them lords of all the world; for that afterwards none would be found able to resist them. On the contrary, if they were beaten, he asked them whither they would fly. They were far from home, yea and far from their own standing camp; neither was there any place in Afric that would give them shelter; if they fell into the Carthaginians' hands, they knew what to expect: and therefore there was none other way, but death or victory, unless they would live like wretched slaves under most merciless enemies. In such necessity, he said that they which consider themselves to be, and take resolution answerable thereunto, have never been known to fail of getting victory.

Hannibal, on the other side, placed his elephants, that were more than fourscore, in front of his battle. Next behind these he made his vanguard, all of mercenaries, Ligurians, Gauls, Baleares, and Moors. Then followed his battle; which was of Carthaginians and Africans, more interested in the quarrel than were those mercenaries, though not so good soldiers; but to help (if it might be) their want of courage, they had with them four thousand Macedonians, lately sent from king Philip. More than the space of a furlong behind these came his rearward, consisting of those brave soldiers which had served him in his Italian wars, and were the only men in whom he reposed any confidence. Opposite to Lælius, in his own right wing, he bestowed the Carthaginian horse. Tychæus and the Numidians he placed in his left wing against Masinissa. He was indeed far too weak for the enemy in horse, both in number and in goodness. For Tychæus and Mezetullus had no more than three thousand; and those not so well exercised as were the four thousand of Masinissa. The Carthaginians also were no more, nor none other, than such as could be levied in the haste of a few days; and the remainder of those that had of late been often vanquished, and accustomed to fly. But it was no time for Hannibal, neither had he perhaps authority, to make these his companions alight and serve on foot, setting better men in their saddles. All that he could have done, was to stay a little longer, and expect more help. Had Vermina the son of Syphax come thither, as he did in few days after, with sixteen thousand and upwards, the most of them horse, the advantage of number might have served well to supply all other defect. Yet since the lords of Carthage would brook no delay, Hannibal must be fain to comfort himself with the hope that he reposed in his old Italian soldiers, whose virtue had wrought greater wonders when it was more strongly opposed. He encouraged therefore his men with words agreeable to their several conditions, promising unto the mercenaries bountiful rewards; threatening the Carthaginians with inevitable servitude, if they lost that day; but espe

cially animating his old fellow-soldiers by the many victories which they had obtained against far greater numbers. He bade them to look upon the enemies, and make an estimate, whether they were any thing like so many as that huge army which they had slaughtered at Cannæ. He willed them to remember, that it was one P. Scipio, even the father of this man, whom they had first of all compelled to run away. He told them, that these legions, which they yonder beheld, were, for the most part of them, the very worst of the Roman soldiers; even such, as for their dastardly flight out of sundry battles, could no longer be trusted to bear arms in their own country. As for the rest, they were young men, the sons of cowards, and bred up in the continual fear of those weapons by which their fathers were daily slain or chased. Wherefore he entreated these his old companions, upon whose virtue he meant wholly to repose himself, that they would this day strive to make good their honour, and to purchase the fame of men invincible.

Such exhortations used the two generals before the fight. When they drew near together, the Numidian horsemen on both sides began to skirmish: the trumpets and other instruments of war sounded to battle; and Hannibal commanded his elephants to break upon the Romans. Of these elephants, (as they were always an uncertain kind of help,) those that stood near unto the point of the left wing turned back for fear, and ran upon their own Numidian horse, which they affrighted and disordered. Masinissa, espying this, gave charge upon the same Numidians; and, not suf fering them to rally themselves, drave them quite out of the field. The rest of those beasts made a great spoil of the Roman velites, whom they followed into the spaces between the maniples; but without any harm to the battalions themselves; which gave them open way, accordingly as Scipio had well provided. Divers of them receiving many wounds, and growing therewith furious, could no longer be governed; but ran back upon the right point of their own battle, and beyond that into the open field. Herewithal

they disordered the Carthaginian horse which were in that wing; against whom they gave to Lælius the same advantage that Masinissa had against the Numidians, which he used in like sort. In the mean while, the battles of foot advanced, and drew near together with a slow and stately pace, till they were almost within a weapon's cast; at what time they gave a shout, and ran one at the other. The mercenaries for a time seemed both in audacity and in quickness to have the better of the Romans, wounding many, and doing more harm than they took. But the Roman discipline after a while prevailed against the boisterous violence of these untrained barbarians. Whereunto it helped not a little, that the battle of the Principes, following somewhat near after the Hastati, encouraged their fellows, and shewed themselves ready, if need were, to relieve them: contrariwise, the mercenaries received no manner of help or comfort from those that should have seconded them. For the new levied Carthaginians and Africans, when they saw their hired soldiers give back, did also themselves retire. This caused the Ligurians, Gauls, and the rest to think themselves betrayed; whereupon they inclined unto flight. The Carthaginian battle was herewith more terrified than before; so as it refused to give way unto the mercenaries for their safe retreat, and yet withal forbore to make head against the enemies that pursued them. It was no time to ask them what they meant by this; fear and indignation caused those that were at once chased by the Romans, and betrayed as they thought by their own fellows, to turn their arms with an heedless fury against both the one and the other. Thus were many of the Carthaginians beaten down and slain, through their own indiscretion, by their own mercenaries. The Roman Hastati in like sort, fighting with desperate men in a throng, had their hands so full of work, that the Principes were fain to come up unto them, and help to overbear this great medley of enemies, that were together by the ears among themselves. In this place was made a great slaughter both of the mercenaries and of the

Carthaginians; which, hindering one another, could neither fight nor easily fly. Such of them as escaped ran towards Hannibal, who kept his ground, and would not stir one foot to help or save these runaways. He caused his men to bend their pikes at those of his own side that would have rushed upon him, whom he thereby compelled to turn aside beyond his battle, and save themselves in the open field. The ground, over which the Romans were now to march, ere they could meet with Hannibal, was covered with such thick heaps of dead bodies and weapons, and so slippery with blood, that Scipio began to stand in great doubt, lest the orders of his battalions should be dissolved in passing that way. In such case, if he should fight with that warlike army which he saw before him, remaining yet entire, and without fear expecting him, he might be well assured to receive a notable overthrow. He caused therefore the Hastati to make a stand there where they were, opposite unto the main battle of the Hannibalians. Then drawing up his Principes and Triarii, he placed them, when they had overcome the bad way, all in one front with the Hastati, and made of them his two cornets. This done, he advanced towards Hannibal, who entertained him after another manner than ever he had been received in his life before. All the day's work till now seemed to have been only a matter of pastime, in regard of the sharp conflict that was maintained between these notable soldiers. The Romans were encouraged by their having prevailed all the day before; they were also far the more in number. But these old soldiers of Hannibal were fresh, and (perhaps) the better men. They fought with such obstinate resolution, that no man gave back one foot, but rather chose to die upon the ground whereon he stood. So that, after a long time it was uncertain which part had the worse, unless it may seem that the Romans were beginning to shrink; forasmuch as the return of x Masinissa and Lælius from pursuit of the enemies' horse is said to have been most happy, Excerpt e Polyb. 1. 15.