§11.1ὁ δὲ ταῦτα μὲν εἰρωνείαν ἡγεῖτο γεροντικήν· παραλαβὼν δὲ τὴν ἀποκληρωθεῖσαν δύναμιν ἰδίᾳ καὶ χωρὶς ἐστρατοπέδευσεν, οὐδὲν ἀγνοοῦντος τοῦ Ἀννίβου τῶν γινομένων, ἀλλὰ πᾶσιν ἐφεδρεύοντος.
But he considered these things to be senile irony; and having taken the force allotted to him, he encamped privately and apart, with Hannibal being ignorant of nothing that was happening, but lying in wait for everything.
ἦν δὲ λόφος κατὰ μέσον καταληφθῆναι μὲν οὐ χαλεπός, ὀχυρὸς δὲ καταληφθεὶς στρατοπέδῳ καὶ διαρκὴς εἰς ἅπαντα, τὸ δὲ πέριξ πεδίον ὀφθῆναι μὲν ἄπωθεν ὁμαλὸν διὰ ψιλότητα καὶ λεῖον, ἔχον δέ τινας οὐ μεγάλας τάφρους ἐν αὑτῷ καὶ κοιλότητας ἄλλας. §11.2διὸ καὶ τὸν λόφον ἐκ τοῦ ῥᾴστου κρύφα κατασχεῖν παρόν οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ὁ Ἀννίβας, ἀλλʼ ἀπέλιπε μάχης ἐν μέσῳ πρόφασιν.
And there was a hill in the middle, not difficult to be captured indeed, but secure once captured for a camp and self-sufficient in all respects, and the surrounding plain appeared from afar to be level and smooth because of its bareness, but it had within itself some not very large trenches and other hollows. Therefore, although it was possible to occupy the hill secretly with the greatest ease, Hannibal did not wish to do so, but left it in the middle as a pretext for battle.
ὡς δʼ εἶδε κεχωρισμένον τοῦ Φαβίου τὸν Μινούκιον, νυκτὸς μὲν εἰς τὰς τάφρους καὶ τὰς κοιλότητας κατέσπειρε τῶν στρατιωτῶν τινας, ἅμα δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ φανερῶς ἔπεμψεν οὐ πολλοὺς καταληψομένους τὸν λόφον, ὡς ἐπαγάγοιτο συμπεσεῖν περὶ τοῦ τόπου τὸν Μινούκιον. §11.3ὃ δὴ καὶ συνέβη, πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἀπέστειλε τὴν κούφην στρατιάν, ἔπειτα τοὺς ἱππεῖς, τέλος δʼ ὁρῶν τὸν Ἀννίβαν παραβοηθοῦντα τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ λόφου πάσῃ κατέβαινε τῇ δυνάμει συντεταγμένος, καὶ μάχην καρτερὰν θέμενος ἠμύνετο τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ λόφου βάλλοντας, συμπλεκόμενος καὶ ἴσα φερόμενος, ἄχρι οὗ καλῶς ἠπατημένον ὁρῶν ὁ Ἀννίβας καὶ γυμνὰ παρέχοντα τοῖς ἐνεδρεύουσι τὰ νῶτα τὸ σημεῖον αἴρει. §11.4πρὸς δὲ τοῦτο πολλαχόθεν ἐξανισταμένων ἅμα καὶ μετὰ κραυγῆς προσφερομένων καὶ τοὺς ἐσχάτους ἀποκτιννύντων ἀδιήγητος κατεῖχε ταραχὴ καὶ πτοία τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, αὐτοῦ τε τοῦ Μινουκίου τὸ θράσος κατακέκλαστο, καὶ πρὸς ἄλλον ἄλλοτε τῶν ἡγεμόνων διεπάπταινεν, οὐδενὸς ἐν χώρᾳ μένειν τολμῶντος, ἀλλὰ πρὸς φυγὴν ὠθουμένων οὐ σωτήριον.
And when he saw Minucius separated from Fabius, he scattered some of his soldiers by night into the trenches and hollows, and at dawn he openly sent a few to occupy the hill, in order to draw Minucius into a clash over the place. Which indeed came to pass; for first he sent the light-armed troops, then the cavalry, and finally, seeing Hannibal bringing aid to those on the hill, he descended in order with his entire force, and having joined a fierce battle, he repelled those who were throwing missiles from the hill, grappling and fighting on equal terms, until Hannibal, seeing him thoroughly deceived and presenting his rear naked to those in ambush, raised the signal. At this, as the men in ambush rose up from many sides at once and rushed upon them with shouting, killing the rearmost, an unspeakable confusion and panic seized the Romans, and the confidence of Minucius himself was shattered, and he stared anxiously at one commander after another, while no one dared to stand his ground, but they were forced into a flight that offered no safety.
οἱ γὰρ Νομάδες ἤδη κρατοῦντες κύκλῳ περιήλαυνον τὸ πεδίον καὶ τοὺς ἀποσκιδναμένους ἔκτεινον.
For the Numidians, already victorious, were riding round the plain in a circle and killing those who became scattered.