§3.71.1τοῦ Τεβερίου πρὸς τούτοις ἦν.
of Tiberius, was occupied with these plans.
πάλαι δὲ συνεωρακὼς μεταξὺ τῶν στρατοπέδων τόπον ἐπίπεδον μὲν καὶ ψιλόν, εὐφυῆ δὲ πρὸς ἐνέδραν διά τι ῥεῖθρον ἔχον ὀφρῦν, ἐπὶ δὲ ταύτης ἀκάνθας καὶ βάτους συνεχεῖς ἐπιπεφυκότας, ἐγίνετο πρὸς τῷ στρατηγεῖν τοὺς ὑπεναντίους. §3.71.2ἔμελλεν δʼ εὐχερῶς λήσειν· οἱ γὰρ Ῥωμαῖοι πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ὑλώδεις τόπους ὑπόπτως εἶχον διὰ τὸ τοὺς Κελτοὺς ἀεὶ τιθέναι τὰς ἐνέδρας ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις χωρίοις, τοῖς δʼ ἐπιπέδοις καὶ ψιλοῖς ἀπεπίστευον, §3.71.3οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ πρὸς τὸ λαθεῖν καὶ πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν παθεῖν τοὺς ἐνεδρεύσαντας εὐφυέστεροι τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες τῶν ὑλωδῶν διὰ τὸ δύνασθαι μὲν ἐκ πολλοῦ προορᾶν πάντα τοὺς ἐνεδρεύοντας, εἶναι δʼ ἐπιπροσθήσεις ἱκανὰς ἐν τοῖς πλείστοις τόποις. §3.71.4τὸ γὰρ τυχὸν ῥεῖθρον μετὰ βραχείας ὀφρύος, ποτὲ δὲ κάλαμοι καὶ πτέρεις καί τι γένος ἀκανθῶν, οὐ μόνον πεζοὺς ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἱππεῖς ἐνίοτε δύναται κρύπτειν, ἐὰν βραχέα τις προνοηθῇ τοῦ τὰ μὲν ἐπίσημα τῶν ὅπλων ὕπτια τιθέναι πρὸς τὴν γῆν, τὰς δὲ περικεφαλαίας ὑποτιθέναι τοῖς ὅπλοις. §3.71.5πλὴν ὅ γε τῶν Καρχηδονίων στρατηγὸς κοινολογηθεὶς Μάγωνι τἀδελφῷ καὶ τοῖς συνέδροις περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἀγῶνος, συγκατατιθεμένων αὐτῷ πάντων ταῖς ἐπιβολαῖς, §3.71.6ἅμα τῷ δειπνοποιήσασθαι τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀνακαλεσάμενος Μάγωνα τὸν ἀδελφόν, ὄντα νέον μὲν ὁρμῆς δὲ πλήρη καὶ παιδομαθῆ περὶ τὰ πολεμικά, συνέστησε τῶν ἱππέων ἄνδρας ἑκατὸν καὶ πεζοὺς τοὺς ἴσους. §3.71.7ἔτι δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας οὔσης ἐξ ὅλου τοῦ στρατοπέδου σημηνάμενος τοὺς εὐρωστοτάτους παρηγγέλκει δειπνοποιησαμένους ἥκειν ἐπὶ τὴν αὑτοῦ σκηνήν. §3.71.8παρακαλέσας δὲ καὶ παραστήσας τούτοις τὴν πρέπουσαν ὁρμὴν τῷ καιρῷ παρήγγελλε δέκα τοὺς ἀνδρωδεστάτους ἕκαστον ἐπιλεξάμενον ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων τάξεων ἥκειν εἴς τινα τόπον τακτὸν ἤδη τῆς στρατοπεδείας. §3.71.9τῶν δὲ πραξάντων τὸ συνταχθέν, τούτους μὲν ὄντας ἱππεῖς χιλίους καὶ πεζοὺς ἄλλους τοσούτους ἐξαπέστειλε νυκτὸς εἰς τὴν ἐνέδραν, συστήσας ὁδηγοὺς καὶ τἀδελφῷ διαταξάμενος περὶ τοῦ καιροῦ τῆς ἐπιθέσεως· §3.71.10αὐτὸς δʼ ἅμα τῷ φωτὶ τοὺς Νομαδικοὺς ἱππεῖς συναγαγών, ὄντας φερεκάκους διαφερόντως, παρεκάλεσε καί τινας δωρεὰς ἐπαγγειλάμενος τοῖς ἀνδραγαθήσασι προσέταξε πελάσαντας τῷ τῶν ἐναντίων χάρακι κατὰ σπουδὴν ἐπιδιαβαίνειν τὸν ποταμὸν καὶ προσακροβολιζομένους κινεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους, βουλόμενος ἀναρίστους καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἀπαρασκεύους λαβεῖν τοὺς ὑπεναντίους. §3.71.11τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἡγεμόνας ἁθροίσας ὁμοίως παρεκάλεσε πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον καὶ πᾶσιν ἀριστοποιεῖσθαι παρήγγειλε καὶ περὶ τὴν τῶν ὅπλων καὶ τῶν ἵππων γίνεσθαι θεραπείαν.
Having moreover long before spotted, between the two camps, a spot which was flat and treeless, but well adapted for an ambush because of a watercourse with a bank, upon which grew thick thorns and brambles, he set about outmaneuvering the enemy. And he was likely to escape detection easily; for the Romans were suspicious of wooded places, because the Celts always laid their ambushes in such localities, but they felt completely secure in flat and treeless places, not knowing that for those who lie in ambush, both for the purpose of remaining unseen and of suffering no harm, such places are actually more suitable than wooded ones, because the ambushers can see everything from afar, while there are sufficient covers in most places. For any ordinary watercourse with a low bank, or sometimes reeds, ferns, or some kind of thorns, can conceal not only infantry but even cavalry at times, if one takes slight precaution to lay the conspicuous parts of the weapons flat on the ground and to put the helmets under the shields. At any rate, the Carthaginian general, having consulted with his brother Mago and the council about the coming battle, and all of them agreeing to his plans, as soon as the army had finished supper, called his brother Mago, who was young, full of energy, and trained in warfare from childhood, and assigned to him one hundred horsemen and an equal number of infantry. While it was still daylight, he had selected the strongest men from the whole army and ordered them to come to his tent after having had their supper. Having exhorted them and inspired them with the enthusiasm appropriate to the occasion, he ordered them each to choose ten of the bravest men from their own companies and to meet at a designated spot in the camp. When they had executed his orders, he dispatched these men, numbering a thousand horse and as many foot, by night to the ambush, having provided them with guides and given his brother instructions as to the time of the attack. At daybreak, he himself assembled the Numidian horsemen, who were exceptionally capable of enduring hardship, and after encouraging them and promising rewards to those who should distinguish themselves, he ordered them to approach the enemy's rampart, cross the river in haste, and by skirmishing, draw out the enemy, wishing to catch them before breakfast and unprepared for what was to come. He also gathered the remaining officers, likewise exhorted them for the battle, and ordered everyone to take breakfast and to attend to their weapons and horses.