History of Rome

​From this Hannibal had a double joy—for nothing of what was being done among the enemy escaped him, with deserters reporting many things and he himself exploring through his own men—

: namely, that he would catch the unchecked rashness of Minucius in his own way, and that half of the strength had departed from Fabius’s cleverness.

​There was a hill between the camp of Minucius and that of the Carthaginians, which whoever occupied would undoubtedly make the position more disadvantageous to the enemy.

​Hannibal wished not so much to take it without a contest, although that was worth the effort, as to find a cause of contest with Minucius, whom he knew well enough would run forward to oppose him.

​All the intervening land appeared at first sight useless to an ambusher, because it had not only nothing of woodland but was not even covered with briars, ​yet in reality it was naturally suited for concealing ambushes, all the more because in an open valley no such trickery could be feared; and there were hollow rocks in the windings, so that some of them could hold two hundred armed men.

​In these hiding places, as many as could fitly occupy each place, five thousand infantry and cavalry were concealed.

​Lest, however, anywhere either the movement of someone heedlessly going out or the glitter of arms should detect the trickery in so open a valley, by sending a few at dawn to occupy the hill we mentioned before, he diverted the eyes of the enemy.

​Immediately at the first sight, the smallness of their number was despised, and everyone demanded for himself to drive the enemy thence and occupy the place; the general himself, among the most foolish and fierce, called to arms and scolded the enemy with empty threats.

​At first he sent out the light-armed troops, then he sent the cavalry in a close column; finally, seeing that reinforcements were being sent to the enemy as well, he advanced with the legions drawn up.

​Hannibal too, as his own men were struggling, by sending more and more reinforcements of infantry and cavalry as the contest grew, had now filled up a regular battle line, and the battle was fought with the entire strength on both sides. The first light-armed troops of the Romans, going up the pre-occupied hill from a lower position, ​being repulsed and driven down, struck terror into the cavalry that was coming up behind, and fled back to the standards of the legions.

​The line of infantry alone was undaunted among the terrified, and it seemed that, if it were a regular and straight-forward battle, they would by no means be unequal; so much courage had the successful action of a few days before inspired in them;

​but the ambushers, rising suddenly and attacking on both flanks and from the rear, caused such tumult and terror that neither courage for battle nor hope of flight was left to anyone.