§27.18.1proximus Carthaginiensium exercitus Hasdrubalis prope urbem Baeculam erat.
The nearest Carthaginian army, that of Hasdrubal, was near the city of Baecula.
pro castris equitum stationes habebant.
In front of the camp they had outposts of cavalry.
§27.18.2in eas velites antesignanique et qui primi agminis erant, advenientes ex itinere, priusquam castris locum caperent, adeo contemptim impetum fecerunt, ut facile appareret, quid utrique parti animorum esset.
Upon these, the light-armed troops, the vanguard, and those who were at the head of the column, arriving from their march before they chose a site for their camp, made an attack so contemptuously that it was easily apparent what the state of mind of each party was.
§27.18.3in castra trepida fuga conpulsi equites sunt, signaque Romana portis prope ipsis inlata.
The cavalry were driven into the camp in disorderly flight, and the Roman standards were carried almost up to the very gates.
§27.18.4atque illo quidem die inritatis tantum ad certamen animis castra Romani posuerunt.
And on that day indeed, with their minds merely provoked for combat, the Romans pitched their camp.
§27.18.5nocte Hasdrubal in tumulum copias recipit plano campo in summo patentem; fluvius ab tergo, ante circaque velut ripa praeceps oram eius omnem cingebat.
During the night, Hasdrubal withdrew his forces onto a hill that was open with a flat plain at the summit; a river was behind it, and in front and around, a steep, bank-like cliff girdled its entire edge.
§27.18.6suberat et altera inferior summissa fastigio planities; eam quoque altera crepido haud faciliori ascensu ambibat.
Below there was also another lower plain, descending from the height; this too another ledge, with an ascent by no means easier, surrounded.
§27.18.7in hunc inferiorem campum postero die Hasdrubal, postquam stantem pro castris hostium aciem vidit, equites Numidas leviumque armorum Baliares et Afros demisit.
Onto this lower plain on the following day, after Hasdrubal saw the enemy's battle line standing in front of their camp, he sent down the Numidian cavalry and the light-armed Balearic and African troops.
§27.18.8Scipio circumvectus ordines signaque ostendebat hostem, praedamnata spe aequo dimicandi campo captantem tumulos, loci fiducia, non virtutis aut armorum stare in conspectu; sed altiora moenia habuisse Carthaginem, quae transcendisset miles Romanus:
Scipio, riding around the ranks, pointed out the enemy to his men, showing that they, having already given up the hope of fighting on a level field, were clinging to the hills, standing in sight through trust in the terrain, not through courage or arms; but Carthage had had higher walls, which the Roman soldier had scaled.
§27.18.9nec tumulos nec arcem, ne mare quidem armis obstitisse suis.
Neither hills nor citadel, nor even the sea, had stood in the way of their arms.
ad id fore altitudines, quas cepissent, hostibus, ut per praecipitia et praerupta salientes fugerent; eam quoque se illis fugam clausurum.
The heights which the enemy had taken would serve only for them to flee by leaping down through precipices and steep places; and he would close that escape also to them.
§27.18.10cohortesque duas alteram tenere fauces vallis, per quam deferretur amnis, iubet, alteram viam insidere, quae ab urbe per tumuli obliqua in agros ferret.
And he ordered two cohorts, one to hold the mouth of the valley through which the river flowed down, the other to block the road which led from the city through the slopes of the hill into the fields.
ipse expedites, qui pridie stationes hostium pepulerant, ad levem armaturam infimo stantem supercilio ducit.
He himself led the light troops, who the day before had driven back the enemy's outposts, against the light-armed enemy standing on the lowest edge of the slope.
§27.18.11per aspreta primum, nihil aliud quam via impediti, iere.
At first they went through rough places, impeded by nothing other than the path.
deinde, ut sub ictum venerunt, telorum primo omnis generis vis ingens effusa in eos est, §27.18.12ipsi contra saxa, quae locus strata passim, omnia ferme missilia, praebet, ingerere, non milites solum sed etiam turba calonum inmixta armatis.
Then, as they came within range, first a huge force of missiles of every kind was poured upon them, they in turn hurled stones, which the terrain, strewn everywhere, provided—almost all of them suitable as missiles—not only the soldiers but also a crowd of camp followers mingled with the armed men.
§27.18.13ceterum quamquam ascensus difficilis erat, et prope obruebantur telis saxisque, adsuetudine tamen succedendi muros et pertinacia animi subierunt primi.
Nevertheless, although the ascent was difficult and they were almost overwhelmed by missiles and stones, yet through their habit of scaling walls and their stubbornness of mind, the first of them made their way up.
§27.18.14qui simul cepere aliquid aequi loci, ubi firmo consisterent gradu, levem et concursatorem hostem atque intervallo tutum, cum procul missilibus pugna eluditur, instabilem eundem ad comminus conserendas manus, expulerunt loco et cum caede magna in aciem altiori superstantem tumulo impegere.
As soon as they gained some level ground where they could stand with a firm step, they drove from the position the enemy, who, being light and skirmishing and safe at a distance when the fight is eluded by missiles from afar, was yet unstable for joining hands in close combat; and with great slaughter they drove them back into the battle line standing on the higher hill.
§27.18.15inde Scipio iussis adversus mediam evadere aciem victoribus ceteras copias cum Laelio dividit, atque eum parte dextra tumuli circumire, donec mollioris ascensus viam inveniret, iubet; ipse ab laeva circumitu haud magno in transversos hostes incurrit.
Then Scipio, having ordered the victors to advance against the center of the enemy's line, divided the rest of the forces with Laelius, and ordered him to go around the right part of the hill until he found a path of gentler ascent; he himself, by a not very large detour on the left, charged into the flank of the enemy.
§27.18.16inde primo turbata acies est, dum ad circumsonantem undique clamorem flectere cornua et obvertere ordines volunt.
At this, the battle line was at first thrown into confusion, while they wished to wheel their wings and face their ranks toward the shouting that resounded from all sides.
§27.18.17hoc tumultu et Laelius submit, et, dum pedem referunt, ne ab tergo vulnerarentur, laxata prima acies locusque ad evadendum et mediis datus est §27.18.18qui per tam iniquum locum stantibus integris ordinibus elephantisque ante signa locatis numquam evasissent.
During this confusion Laelius also came up, and, while they retreated lest they should be wounded from behind, the front line was loosened, and room to ascend was given also to those in the center, who would never have made their way up through so unfavorable a terrain if the ranks had stood unbroken and the elephants had been stationed in front of the standards.
§27.18.19cum ab omni parte caedes fieret, Scipio, qui laevo cornu in dextrum incucurrerat maxime in nuda latera hostium pugnabat.
While slaughter was being made on every side, Scipio, who had charged with his left wing against the enemy's right, was fighting especially against the unprotected flanks of the enemy.
§27.18.20et iam ne fugae quidem patebat locus; nam et stationes utrimque Romanae dextra laevaque insederant vias, et porta castrorum ducis principumque fuga clausa erat, addita trepidatione elephantorum, quos territos aeque atque hostes timebant.
And now not even a way for flight lay open; for both Roman outposts on the right and left had occupied the roads, and the gate of the camp was blocked by the flight of the general and the leading officers, with the panic of the elephants added, whom, when terrified, they feared as much as the enemy.
caesa igitur ad octo milia hominum.
Therefore, about eight thousand men were slain.