§22.46.1Hannibal luce prima Baliaribus levique alia armatura praemissa transgressus flumen, §22.46.2ut quosque traduxerat, ita in acie locabat, Gallos Hispanosque equites prope ripam laevo in cornu adversus Romanum equitatum; §22.46.3dextrum cornu Numidis equitibus datum, media acie peditibus firmata, ita ut Afrorum utraque cornua essent, interponerentur his medii Galli atque Hispani.
Hannibal, having sent the Balearic islanders and the other light-armed troops ahead at daybreak, crossed the river, and as he had led each body across, so he stationed them in the battle line: the Gallic and Spanish cavalry near the bank on the left wing, opposite the Roman cavalry; the right wing was given to the Numidian cavalry, and the center of the line was strengthened with infantry, in such a way that both flanks of the center consisted of Africans, while the Gauls and Spaniards were interposed between them.
§22.46.4Afros Romanam crederes aciem: ita armati erant armis et ad Trebiam, ceterum magna ex parte ad Trasumennum captis.
You would have believed the Africans to be a Roman battle line; they were so armed with weapons captured at the Trebia, but for the most part at Trasumennus.
§22.46.5Gallis Hispanisque scuta eiusdem formae fere erant, dispares ac dissimiles gladii, Gallis praelongi ac sine mucronibus, Hispano, punctim magis quam caesim adsueto petere hostem, brevitate habiles et cum mucronibus.
The Gauls and Spaniards had shields of almost the same shape, but their swords were different and unlike: those of the Gauls were very long and without points; those of the Spaniard, accustomed to attack the enemy by thrusting rather than by slashing, were handy due to their shortness and had points.
ante alios habitus gentium harum cum magnitudine corporum tum specie terribilis erat: Galli super umbilicum erant nudi; §22.46.6Hispani linteis praetextis purpura tunicis candore miro fulgentibus constiterant.
Beyond others, the appearance of these nations was terrifying both for the size of their bodies and for their aspect; the Gauls were naked above the navel; the Spaniards had taken their stand in linen tunics bordered with purple, shining with wondrous whiteness.
numerus omnium peditum, qui tum stetere in acie, milium fuit quadraginta, decem equitum.
The number of all the infantry who then stood in the battle line was forty thousand, and of the cavalry, ten thousand.
§22.46.7duces cornibus praeerant sinistro Hasdrubal, dextro Maharbal; mediam aciem Hannibal ipse cum fratre Magone tenuit.
Generals commanded the wings: Hasdrubal on the left, Maharbal on the right; Hannibal himself with his brother Mago held the center of the line.
§22.46.8sol, seu de industria ita locatis seu quod forte ita stetere, peropportune utrique parti obliquus erat, Romanis in meridiem, Poenis in septentrionem versis; §22.46.9ventus — Volturnum regionis incolae vocant — adversus Romanis coortus multo pulvere in ipsa ora volvendo prospectum ademit.
The sun, whether because they were so placed on purpose or because they stood so by chance, was very opportunely oblique to both sides, since the Romans were turned to the south, and the Carthaginians to the north; a wind—which the inhabitants of the region call Volturnus—rising against the Romans, took away their sight by rolling a great deal of dust directly into their faces.