em; and thank me also, for having reduced the Romans to a
necessity of coming to an engagement. After three great successive
victories, is not the remembrance of your own actions sufficient to
inspire you with courage? By the former battles, you are become masters of
the open country; but this will put you in possession of all the cities,
and, I presume to say it, of all the riches and power of the Romans. It is
not words that we want, but action. I trust in the gods, that you shall
soon see my promises verified."

The two armies were very unequal in number. That of the Romans, including
the allies, amounted to fourscore thousand foot, and a little above six
thousand horse; and that of the Carthaginians consisted but of forty
thousand foot, all well disciplined, and of ten thousand horse. AEmilius
commanded the right wing of the Romans, Varro the left, and Servilius, one
of the consuls of the last year, was posted in the centre. Hannibal, who
had the art of turning every incident to advantage, had posted himself, so
as that the wind Vulturnus,(768) which rises at certain stated times,
should blow directly in the faces of the Romans during the fight, and
cover them with dust; then keeping the river Aufidus on his left, and
posting his cavalry in the wings, he formed his main body of the Spanish
and Gaulish infantry, which he posted in the centre, with half the African
heavy-armed foot on their right, and half on their left, on the same line
with the cavalry. His army being thus drawn up, he put himself at the head
of the Spanish and Gaulish infantry; and having drawn them out of the
line, advanced to give battle, rounding his front as he drew nearer the
enemy; and extending his flanks in the shape of a half moon, in order that
he might leave no interval between his main body and the rest of the line,
which consisted of the heavy-armed infantry, who had not moved from their
posts.

The fight soon began, and the Roman legions that were in the wings, seeing
their centre warmly attacked, advanced to charge the enemy in flank.
Hannibal's main body, after a brave resistance, finding themselves
furiously attacked on all sides, gave way, being overpowered by numbers;
and retired through the interval they had left in the centre of the line.
The Romans having pursued them thither with eager confusion, the two wings
of the African infantry, which were fresh, well armed, and in good order,
wheeled about on a sudden towards that void