§11.22.1κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον δυσὶ δοκεῖ κεχρῆσθαι στρατηγήμασιν ὁ Πόπλιος. §11.22.2θεωρῶν γὰρ τὸν Ἀσδρούβαν ὀψὲ ποιούμενον τὰς ἐξαγωγάς, καὶ μέσους Λίβυας, τὰ δὲ θηρία προτιθέμενον ἑκατέρων τῶν κεράτων, αὐτὸς εἰωθὼς τῇ μὲν ὥρᾳ προσανατείνειν, §11.22.3τοὺς δὲ Ῥωμαίους μέσους ἀντιτάττειν τοῖς Λίβυσι, τοὺς δʼ Ἴβηρας ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων παρεμβάλλειν, ᾗ προέθετο κρίνειν ἡμέρᾳ, τἀναντία τοῖς προειρημένοις ποιήσας μεγάλα συνήργησε ταῖς σφετέραις δυνάμεσι πρὸς τὸ νικᾶν, οὐκ ὀλίγα δʼ ἠλάττωσε τοὺς πολεμίους. §11.22.4ἅμα γὰρ τῷ φωτὶ διαπεμψάμενος τοὺς ὑπηρέτας παρήγγειλε πᾶσι τοῖς χιλιάρχοις καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις ἀριστοποιησαμένους καὶ καθοπλισαμένους ἐξάγειν πρὸ τοῦ χάρακος. §11.22.5γενομένου δὲ τούτου καὶ προθύμως πειθαρχησάντων διὰ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν τοῦ μέλλοντος, τοὺς μὲν ἱππεῖς καὶ τοὺς εὐζώνους προαπέστειλε, συντάξας ἐγγίζειν τῇ παρεμβολῇ τῶν ὑπεναντίων καὶ προσακροβολίζεσθαι θρασέως, §11.22.6αὐτὸς δὲ τοὺς πεζοὺς ἔχων ἄρτι τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατολῆς ἐπιφαινομένης προῆγε, καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς μέσον τὸ πεδίον παρενέβαλε, τάττων ἐναντίως ἢ πρόσθεν· μέσους μὲν γὰρ ἐτίθει τοὺς Ἴβηρας, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν κεράτων τὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων. §11.22.7τοῖς δὲ Καρχηδονίοις, ἄφνω συνεγγιζόντων πρὸς τὸν χάρακα τῶν ἱππέων, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῆς ἄλλης δυνάμεως ἐκταττομένης ἐν ὄψει, μόλις ἐδόθη καιρὸς εἰς τὸ καθοπλίσασθαι. §11.22.8διόπερ ἠναγκάσθησαν οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀσδρούβαν ἔτι νήστεις ἔχοντες τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀπαρασκεύως ἐκ τοῦ καιροῦ τοὺς μὲν ἱππεῖς καὶ τοὺς εὐζώνους ἐπαφιέναι τοῖς ἱππεῦσι τῶν ὑπεναντίων εἰς τὰ πεδία, τὰς δὲ πεζικὰς δυνάμεις παρατάττειν, οὐ πολὺ τῆς παρωρείας ἐν τοῖς ἐπιπέδοις ποιούμενοι τὴν ἔκταξιν, καθάπερ ἦν ἔθος αὐτοῖς. §11.22.9ἕως μὲν οὖν τινος ἔμενον οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἔχοντες· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ μὲν τῆς ἡμέρας προύβαινε, τῶν δʼ εὐζώνων ἄκριτος ἦν καὶ πάρισος ἡ συμπλοκὴ διὰ τὸ τοὺς πιεζομένους καταφεύγοντας ὑπὸ τὰς ἰδίας φάλαγγας ἐκ μεταβολῆς κινδυνεύειν, §11.22.10τὸ τηνικαῦτα δὲ διαδεξάμενος ὁ Πόπλιος διὰ τῶν διαστημάτων ἐν ταῖς σημαίαις εἴσω τοὺς ἀκροβολιζομένους, καὶ μερίσας ἐφʼ ἑκάτερον κέρας ὀπίσω τῶν παρατεταγμένων, πρῶτον μὲν τοὺς γροσφομάχους, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτοις ἐπιβάλλει τοὺς ἱππεῖς, τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς μετωπηδὸν ποιούμενος τὴν ἔφοδον· §11.22.11ἀποσχὼν δὲ περὶ τετραστάδιον τῶν ὑπεναντίων, τοὺς μὲν Ἴβηρας τηροῦντας τὰς τάξεις τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπαγωγὴν παρήγγειλε, τῷ μὲν δεξιῷ τὰς σημαίας καὶ τὰς ἴλας ἐπι
At this time, Publius is believed to have employed two stratagems. For, observing that Hasdrubal made his movements late in the day, placing the Libyans in the center and the elephants in front of both wings, while he himself had been accustomed to delay his own deployment in terms of time, and to oppose the Libyans with the Romans in the center, while drawing up the Iberians on the wings—on the day when he had resolved to decide the issue, by doing the exact opposite of what has been mentioned, he greatly contributed to the victory of his own forces, and no less disadvantaged the enemy. For at daybreak, having sent round his staff, he ordered all the military tribunes and the soldiers to take their breakfast, arm themselves, and march out in front of the rampart. When this was done, the men eagerly obeying because they suspected what was about to happen, he sent forward the cavalry and light-armed troops, directing them to approach the enemy's camp and skirmish boldly. He himself, with the infantry, began to advance just as the sun was rising, and having reached the middle of the plain, he deployed his forces in a manner opposite to before; for he placed the Iberians in the center, and the Roman forces on the wings. To the Carthaginians, since the cavalry suddenly approached their rampart and the rest of the army was also being drawn up in full view, scarcely any time was allowed for arming. Therefore Hasdrubal and his officers were forced, while their men were still fasting and unprepared because of the suddenness of the occasion, to send out their own cavalry and light-armed troops onto the plain against the enemy's cavalry, and to draw up their infantry forces, making their deployment on the level ground not far from the foot of the hills, as was their custom. Now for a certain time the Romans remained quiet; but as the day advanced, the combat of the light-armed troops became indecisive and equal, because those who were hard pressed retreated under the protection of their own phalanxes and, turning about, renewed the fight. At this juncture Publius, receiving the skirmishers inside through the intervals between the maniples, and dividing them on each wing behind the deployed troops, posted first the velites and after them the cavalry, making his attack at first in line. When he was about four stades distant from the enemy, he ordered the Iberians to advance at the same pace, keeping their order, while to the right wing, the maniples and the squadrons of cavalry...