§28.14.1ubi satis temptatae per haec levia certamina vires sunt, prior Hasdrubal in aciem copias eduxit, deinde et Romani processere.
When their strength had been sufficiently tested through these light skirmishes, Hasdrubal was the first to lead his forces out into battle array, and then the Romans also advanced.
§28.14.2sed utraque acies pro vallo stetit instructa, et cum ab neutris pugna coepta esset, iam die ad occasum inclinante a Poeno prius, deinde ab Romano in castra copiae reductae.
But both lines stood drawn up in front of their ramparts, and since the battle was not begun by either side, when the day was already declining towards sunset, the forces were led back into camp, first by the Carthaginian, and then by the Roman.
§28.14.3hoc idem per dies aliquot factum.
This same thing was done for several days.
prior semper Poenus copias castris educebat, prior fessis stando signum receptui dabat: ab neutra parte procursum telumve missum aut vox ulla orta.
The Carthaginian was always the first to lead his forces out of the camp, and the first to give the signal for retreat to those weary from standing; from neither side was there any charge made, nor any missile thrown, nor any shout raised.
§28.14.4mediam aciem hinc Romani illinc Carthaginienses mixti Afris, cornua socii tenebant — erant autem utrimque Hispani pro cornibus ante Punicam aciem elephanti castellorum procul speciem praebebant.
The Romans on this side, and the Carthaginians mixed with Africans on that, held the center of the line; the allies held the wings—for on both sides there were Spaniards on the wings—and in front of the Punic line, elephants at a distance presented the appearance of castles.
§28.14.5iam hoc in utrisque castris sermonis erat ita, ut instructi stetissent, pugnaturos, medias acies Romanum Poenumque, quos inter belli causa esset, pari robore animorum armorumque concursuros.
Already there was such talk in both camps that they would fight in the same order as they had stood drawn up, and that the center lines, the Roman and the Carthaginian, between whom was the cause of the war, would clash with equal strength of spirit and arms.
§28.14.6Scipio ubi haec obstinate credi animadvertit, omnia de industria in eum diem, quo pugnaturus erat, mutavit.
When Scipio noticed that this was obstinately believed, he intentionally changed everything for that day on which he was going to fight.
§28.14.7tesseram vesperi per castra dedit, ut ante lucem viri equique curati et pransi essent, armatus eques frenatos instratosque teneret equos.
In the evening, he gave the order through the camp that before dawn the men and horses should be cared for and fed, and that the armed cavalry should keep their horses bridled and saddled.
§28.14.8vixdum satis certa luce equitatum omnem cum levi armatura in stationes Punicas immisit; inde confestim ipse cum gravi agmine legionum procedit, §28.14.9praeter opinionem destinatam suorum hostiumque Romano milite cornibus firmatis, sociis in mediam aciem acceptis.
When the light of day was scarcely yet certain, he sent all the cavalry with the light-armed troops against the Punic outposts; then he himself immediately advanced with the heavy column of the legions, contrary to the fixed expectation of his own men and the enemy, having strengthened the wings with Roman soldiers and received the allies into the center of the line.
§28.14.10Hasdrubal clamore equitum excitatus ut ex tabernaculo prosiluit tumultumque ante vallum et trepidationem suorum et procul signa legionum fulgentia plenosque hostium campos vidit, equitatum omnem extemplo in equites emittit; §28.14.11ipse cum peditum agmine castris egreditur nec ex ordine solito quicquam acie instruenda mutat.
Hasdrubal, aroused by the shouting of the cavalry, as he leaped out of his tent and saw the tumult before the rampart, the panic of his men, the gleaming standards of the legions in the distance, and the plains full of enemies, immediately sent all his cavalry against the horsemen; he himself marched out of the camp with the column of infantry, and changed nothing of the usual order in drawing up his battle line.
§28.14.12equitum iam diu anceps pugna erat nec ipsa per se decerni poterat, quia pulsis, quod prope in vicem fiebat, in aciem peditum tutus receptus erat; §28.14.13sed ubi iam haud plus quingentos passus acies inter sese aberant, signo receptui dato Scipio patefactisque ordinibus equitatum omnem levemque armaturam, in medium acceptam divisamque in partes duas, in subsidiis post cornua locat.
The cavalry fight had already been undecided for a long time, nor could it be decided by itself, because for those who were repulsed, which happened almost in turn, there was a safe retreat into the line of infantry; but when the lines were now not more than five hundred paces apart, Scipio, having given the signal for retreat and opened the ranks, received all the cavalry and light-armed troops into the center, and dividing them into two parts, stationed them as reserves behind the wings.
§28.14.14inde, ubi incipiendae iam pugnae tempus erat, Hispanos — ea media acies fuit — presso gradu incedere iubet; §28.14.15ipse e dextro cornu — ibi namque praeerat — nuntium ad Silanum et Marcium mittit, ut cornu extenderent in sinistram partem, quem ad modum se tendentem ad dextram vidissent, §28.14.16et cum expeditis peditum equitumque prius pugnam consererent cum hoste, quam coire inter se mediae acies possent.
Then, when it was now time to begin the battle, he ordered the Spaniards—who formed the center of the line—to advance at a slow pace; he himself from the right wing—for he was in command there—sent a messenger to Silanus and Marcius to extend their wing to the left, just as they had seen him stretching to the right, and with the light-armed infantry and cavalry to join battle with the enemy before the center lines could come together.
§28.14.17ita diductis cornibus cum ternis peditum cohortibus ternisque equitum turmis, ad hoc velitibus, citato gradu in hostem ducebant, sequentibus in obliquum aliis.
Thus, having drawn apart the wings, with three cohorts of infantry and three squadrons of cavalry each, in addition to the velites, they led against the enemy at a rapid pace, while the others followed obliquely.
§28.14.18sinus in medio erat, qua segnius Hispanorum signa incedebant.
There was a curve in the center, where the standards of the Spaniards were advancing more slowly.
§28.14.19et iam conflixerant cornua, cum, quod roboris in hostium acie erat, Poeni veterani Afrique nondum ad teli coniectum venissent neque in cornua, ut adiuvarent pugnantes, discurrere auderent, ne aperirent mediam aciem venienti ex adverso hosti.
And already the wings had clashed, while the Carthaginian veterans and Africans, who were the strength of the enemy's line, had not yet come within range of missile throw, nor did they dare to run to the wings to help those who were fighting, lest they should open the center of the line to the enemy coming from the opposite direction.
§28.14.20cornua ancipiti proelio urgebantur: eques levisque armatura ac velites, circumductis alis in latera incurrebant, cohortes a fronte urgebant, ut abrumperent cornua a cetera acie.
The wings were hard pressed by a two-fold battle: the cavalry, light-armed troops, and velites, wheeling their wings, were charging into their flanks, while the cohorts were pressing them from the front, so as to cut off the wings from the rest of the army.