§29.34.1Carthaginienses ala equitum cum praefecto amissa, alio equitatu per novum dilectum comparato, Hannonem Hamilcaris filium praeficiunt.
The Carthaginians, having lost their squadron of cavalry with its commander, and having procured another cavalry force through a new levy, placed Hanno, the son of Hamilcar, in command.
§29.34.2hasdrubalem subinde ac Syphacem per litteras nuntiosque, postremo etiam per legatos arcessunt; Hasdrubalem opem ferre prope circumsessae patriae iubent; Syphacem orant, ut Carthagini, ut universae Africae subveniat.
Immediately afterwards, they summoned Hasdrubal and Syphax by letters and messengers, and finally even by ambassadors; they ordered Hasdrubal to bring help to his almost besieged fatherland, and entreated Syphax to come to the aid of Carthage and of the whole of Africa.
§29.34.3ad Uticam tum castra Scipio, mille ferme passus ab urbe, habebat, tralata a mari, ubi paucos dies stativa coniuncta classi fuerant.
At that time, Scipio had his camp near Utica, about a thousand paces from the city, having moved it from the sea, where for a few days his permanent camp had been joined with the fleet.
§29.34.4Hanno nequaquam satis valido non modo ad lacessendum hostem sed ne ad tuendos quidem a populationibus agros equitatu accepto, id omnium primum egit, ut per conquisitionem numerum equitum augeret; §29.34.5nec aliarum gentium aspernatus, maxime tamen Numidas — id longe primum equitum in Africa est genus — conducit.
Hanno, having received a cavalry force by no means strong enough, not only for provoking the enemy but not even for protecting the fields from plundering, made this his very first concern, to increase the number of horsemen by recruitment; and not despising those of other nations, he hired especially the Numidians—which is by far the foremost kind of cavalry in Africa.
§29.34.6iam ad quattuor milia equitum habebat, cum Salaecam nomine urbem occupavit quindecim ferme milia ab Romanis castris.
He already had up to four thousand horsemen, when he occupied a town named Salaeca, about fifteen miles from the Roman camp.
§29.34.7quod ubi Scipioni relatum est, “aestiva sub tectis equitatus!” inquit: “sint vel plures, dum talem ducem habeant.
When this was reported to Scipio, he said, "Cavalry spending the summer under roofs!
” §29.34.8eo minus sibi cessandum ratus, quo illi segnius rem agerent, Masinissam cum equitatu praemissum portis obequitare atque hostem ad pugnam elicere iubet; ubi omnis multitudo se effudisset graviorque iam in certamine esset, quam ut facile sustineri posset, cederet paulatim; se in tempore pugnae obventurum.
Let there be even more of them, provided they have such a leader." Thinking that he must delay all the less, the more sluggishly they acted, he ordered Masinissa, sent ahead with his cavalry, to ride up to the gates and entice the enemy to battle; and when the whole multitude had poured out and was now more deeply engaged in the contest than could easily be withstood, he should yield gradually, promising that he himself would come up at the critical moment of the battle.
§29.34.9tantum moratus, quantum satis temporis praegresso visum ad eliciendos hostes, cum Romano equitatu secutus, tegentibus tumulis, qui peropportune circa viae flexus oppositi erant, occultus processit.
Having delayed only so long as seemed sufficient time for the one who had gone ahead to entice the enemy, he followed with the Roman cavalry, and advanced unseen, protected by the hills which were very opportunely situated around the turns of the road.
§29.34.10Masinissa ex composito nunc terrentis nunc timentis modo aut ipsis obequitabat portis aut cedendo, cum timoris simulatio audaciam hosti faceret, ad insequendum temere eliciebat.
Masinissa, by prearrangement, now in the manner of one terrifying, now of one fearing, either rode up to the gates themselves or, by yielding, since the pretense of fear gave confidence to the enemy, enticed them to pursue rashly.
§29.34.11nondum omnes egressi erant, varieque dux fatigabatur alios vino et somno graves arma capere et frenare equos cogendo, aliis, ne sparsi et inconditi sine ordine, sine signis omnibus portis excurrerent, obsistendo.
Not yet had all gone out, and the commander was hard pressed in various ways, by compelling some, heavy with wine and sleep, to take up arms and bridle their horses, and by resisting others, lest they should rush out of all the gates scattered and disordered without order, without standards.
§29.34.12primo incaute se invehentes Masinissa excipiebat; mox plures simul conferti porta effusi aequaverant certamen; postremo iam omnis equitatus proelio cum adesset, sustineri ultra nequiere.
At first, Masinissa received those charging incautiously; soon, more poured out of the gate, crowded together, and had made the battle equal; finally, since all the cavalry was now present at the battle, they could no longer hold out.
§29.34.13non tamen effusa fuga Masinissa, sed cedendo sensim impetus eorum excipiebat, donec ad tumulos tegentes Romanum equitatum pertraxit.
Masinissa, however, did not retreat in headlong flight, but by yielding gradually sustained their onset, until he drew them to the hills concealing the Roman cavalry.
§29.34.14inde exorti equites et ipsi integris viribus et recentibus equis Hannoni Afrisque pugnando ac sequendo fessis se circumfudere; et Masinissa flexis subito equis in pugnam rediit.
Rising up from there, the horsemen, themselves with unimpaired strength and fresh horses, surrounded Hanno and the Africans who were exhausted by fighting and pursuing; and Masinissa, suddenly turning his horses, returned to the battle.
§29.34.15mille ferme, qui primi agminis fuerant, quibus haud facilis receptus fuit, cum ipso duce Hannone interclusi atque interfecti sunt; §29.34.16ceteros, ducis praecipue territos caede, effuse fugientes per triginta milia passuum victores secuti ad duo praeterea milia equitum aut ceperunt aut occiderunt.
About a thousand, who had been of the vanguard and for whom retreat was by no means easy, were cut off and killed along with the commander Hanno himself; the others, terrified especially by the death of their leader, fleeing headlong, the victors pursued for thirty miles, and either captured or killed up to two thousand more horsemen.
§29.34.17inter eos satis constabat non minus ducentos Carthaginiensium equites fuisse, et divitiis quosdam et genere inlustres.
Among these it was well established that there had been no fewer than two hundred Carthaginian horsemen, some distinguished both by wealth and by noble birth.