§22.28.1duplex inde Hannibali gaudium fuit — neque enim quicquam eorum, quae apud hostes agerentur, eum fallebat et perfugis multa indicantibus et per suos explorantem — §22.28.2: nam et liberam Minuci temeritatem se suo modo captaturum et sollertiae Fabii dimidium virium decessisse. §22.28.3tumulus erat inter castra Minucii et Poenorum, quem qui occupasset, haud dubie iniquiorem erat hosti locum facturus. §22.28.4eum non tam capere sine certamine volebat Hannibal, quamquam id operae pretium erat, quam causam certaminis cum Minucio, quem procursurum ad obsistendum satis sciebat, contrahere. §22.28.5ager omnis medius erat prima specie inutilis insidiatori, quia non modo silvestre quicquam sed ne vepribus quidem vestitum habebat, §22.28.6re ipsa natus tegendis insidiis eo magis, quod in nuda valle nulla talis fraus timeri poterat; et erant in anfractibus cavae rupes, ut quaedam earum ducenos armatos possent capere. §22.28.7in has latebras, quot quemque locum apte insidere poterant, quinque milia conduntur peditum equitumque. §22.28.8necubi tamen aut motus alicuius temere egressi aut fulgor armorum fraudem in valle tam aperta detegeret, missis paucis prima luce ad; capiendum quem ante diximus tumulum avertit oculos hostium. §22.28.9primo statim conspectu contempta paucitas, ac sibi quisque deposcere pellendos inde hostis ac locum capiendum; dux ipse inter stolidissimos ferocissimosque ad arma vocat et vanis minis increpat hostem. §22.28.10principio levem armaturam dimittit, deinde conferto agmine mittit equites; postremo, cum hostibus quoque subsidia mitti videret, instructis legionibus procedit. §22.28.11et Hannibal laborantibus suis alia atque alia crescente certamine mittens auxilia peditum equitumque iam iustam expleverat aciem, ac totis utrimque viribus certatur.
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.
prima levis armatura Romanorum, praeoccupatum ex inferiore loco succedens tumulum, §22.28.12pulsa detrusaque terrorem in succedentem intulit equitem et ad signa legionum refugit. §22.28.13peditum acies inter perculsos inpavida sola erat videbaturque, si iusta ac recta pugna esset, haudquaquam inpar futura: tantum animorum fecerat prospere ante paucos dies res gesta; §22.28.14sed exorti repente insidiatores eum tumultum terroremque in latera utrimque ab tergoque incursantes fecerunt, ut nec animus ad pugnam neque ad fugam spes cuiquam superesset.
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.