§3.115.1γενομένης δὲ τῆς συμπλοκῆς τῆς πρώτης ἐκ τῶν προτεταγμένων, τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς αὐτῶν τῶν εὐζώνων ἔπισος ἦν ὁ κίνδυνος, §3.115.2ἅμα δὲ τῷ τοὺς Ἴβηρας καὶ Κελτοὺς ἱππεῖς ἀπὸ τῶν εὐωνύμων πελάσαι τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἐποίουν οὗτοι μάχην ἀληθινὴν καὶ βαρβαρικήν· §3.115.3οὐ γὰρ ἦν κατὰ νόμους ἐξ ἀναστροφῆς καὶ μεταβολῆς ὁ κίνδυνος, ἀλλʼ εἰσάπαξ συμπεσόντες ἐμάχοντο συμπλεκόμενοι κατʼ ἄνδρα, παρακαταβαίνοντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἵππων.
When the first clash of the advanced guard took place, at first the contest between the light-armed troops themselves was equal, but as soon as the Iberian and Celtic cavalry from the left wing approached the Romans, they began a battle that was genuine and savage; for the contest was not according to the rules of turning back and wheeling round, but having once clashed, they dismounted from their horses and fought hand to hand, grappling man to man.
§3.115.4ἐπειδὴ δʼ ἐκράτησαν οἱ παρὰ τῶν Καρχηδονίων καὶ τοὺς μὲν πλείστους ἀπέκτειναν ἐν τῇ συμπλοκῇ, πάντων ἐκθύμως καὶ γενναίως διαγωνιζομένων τῶν Ῥωμαίων, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἤλαυνον παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν φονεύοντες καὶ προσφέροντες τὰς χεῖρας ἀπαραιτήτως, τότε δὴ τὰ πεζικὰ στρατόπεδα διαδεξάμενα τοὺς εὐζώνους συνέπεσεν ἀλλήλοις.
And when the Carthaginians got the upper hand and killed most of them in the clash, though all the Romans fought with spirit and bravery, and pursued the rest along the river, slaughtering them and showing no mercy, then indeed the infantry forces, succeeding the light-armed troops, clashed with one another.
§3.115.5ἐπὶ βραχὺ μὲν οὖν τῶν Ἰβήρων καὶ τῶν Κελτῶν ἔμενον αἱ τάξεις καὶ διεμάχοντο τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις γενναίως· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῷ βάρει θλιβόμενοι κλίνοντες ὑπεχώρουν εἰς τοὐπίσω, λύσαντες τὸν μηνίσκον.
For a short time, then, the ranks of the Iberians and Celts held their ground and fought bravely against the Romans; but after this, hard pressed by the weight, they gave way and retreated to the rear, breaking the crescent.
§3.115.6αἱ δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων σπεῖραι κατὰ τὴν ἐκθυμίαν ἑπόμεναι τούτοις διέκοψαν ῥᾳδίως τὴν τῶν ὑπεναντίων τάξιν, ἅτε δὴ τῶν μὲν Κελτῶν ἐπὶ λεπτὸν ἐκτεταγμένων, αὐτοὶ δὲ πεπυκνωκότες ἀπὸ τῶν κεράτων ἐπὶ τὰ μέσα καὶ τὸν κινδυνεύοντα τόπον· §3.115.7οὐ γὰρ ἅμα συνέβαινε τὰ κέρατα καὶ τὰ μέσα συμπίπτειν, ἀλλὰ πρῶτα τὰ μέσα διὰ τὸ τοὺς Κελτοὺς ἐν μηνοειδεῖ σχήματι τεταγμένους πολὺ προπεπτωκέναι τῶν κεράτων, ἅτε τοῦ μηνίσκου τὸ κύρτωμα πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἔχοντος.
And the Roman cohorts, following them up with spirit, easily broke through the line of their opponents, inasmuch as the Celts were drawn up in a thin line, while they themselves had consolidated from the wings towards the center and the point of danger; for the wings and the center did not clash at the same time, but the center first, because the Celts, drawn up in a crescent form, had projected far in advance of the wings, since the curve of the crescent was turned towards the enemy.
§3.115.8πλὴν ἑπόμενοί γε τούτοις οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ συντρέχοντες ἐπὶ τὰ μέσα καὶ τὸν εἴκοντα τόπον τῶν πολεμίων οὕτως ἐπὶ πολὺ προέπεσον ὥστʼ ἐξ ἑκατέρου τοῦ μέρους κατὰ τὰς ἐκ τῶν πλαγίων ἐπιφανείας τοὺς Λίβυας αὐτῶν γενέσθαι τοὺς ἐν τοῖς βαρέσι καθοπλισμοῖς· §3.115.9ὧν οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ δεξιοῦ κέρατος κλίναντες ἐπʼ ἀσπίδα καὶ τὴν ἐμβολὴν ἐκ δόρατος ποιούμενοι παρίσταντο παρὰ πλευρὰν τοῖς πολεμίοις, §3.115.10οἱ δʼ ἀπὸ τῶν εὐωνύμων ἐπὶ δόρυ ποιούμενοι τὴν κλίσιν ἐξ ἀσπίδος ἐπιπαρενέβαλλον, αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος ὃ δέον ἦν ποιεῖν ὑποδεικνύντος.
However, the Romans, pursuing them and rushing together towards the center and the yielding part of the enemy, advanced so far forward that on both sides of them, on their flanks, the Libyans in heavy armor came to be positioned; of whom those from the right wing, facing to the shield (left) and making a charge with the spear, stood along the flank of the enemy, while those from the left wing, facing to the spear (right), deployed from the flank, the very circumstance pointing out what they ought to do.
§3.115.11ἐξ οὗ συνέβη κατὰ τὴν Ἀννίβου πρόνοιαν μέσους ἀποληφθῆναι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ὑπὸ τῶν Λιβύων κατὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς Κελτοὺς παράπτωσιν.
As a result of this, according to the foresight of Hannibal, it happened that the Romans were cut off in the center by the Libyans during their charge upon the Celts.
§3.115.12οὗτοι μὲν οὖν οὐκέτι φαλαγγηδόν, ἀλλὰ κατʼ ἄνδρα καὶ κατὰ σπείρας στρεφόμενοι πρὸς τοὺς ἐκ τῶν πλαγίων προς
They, therefore, no longer in phalanx but man to man and by cohorts, turning towards those who were attacking them from the flanks...