itiate the Romans and avoid
collisions with them, while the other party were very restless and
uneasy under the pressure of the Roman power upon them, and were
endeavoring continually to foment feelings of hostility against their
ancient enemies, as if they wished that war should break out again.
The latter party were not strong enough to bring the Carthaginian
state into an open rupture with Rome itself, but they succeeded at
last in getting their government involved in a dispute with Masinissa,
and in leading out an army to give him battle.

Fifty years had passed away, as has already been remarked, since the
close of Hannibal's war. During this time, Scipio--that is, the Scipio
who conquered Hannibal--had disappeared from the stage. Masinissa
himself was very far advanced in life, being over eighty years of age.
He, however, still retained the strength and energy which had
characterized him in his prime. He drew together an immense army, and
mounting, like his soldiers, bare-back upon his horse, he rode from
rank to rank, gave the necessary commands, and matured the
arrangements for battle.

The name of the Carthaginian general on this occasion was Hasdrubal.
This was a very common name at Carthage, especially among the friends
and family of Hannibal. The bearer of it, in this case, may possibly
have received it from his parents in commemoration of the brother of
Hannibal, who lost his head in descending into Italy from the Alps,
inasmuch as during the fifty years of peace which had elapsed, there
was ample time for a child born after that event to grow up to full
maturity. At any rate, the new Hasdrubal inherited the inveterate
hatred to Rome which characterized his namesake, and he and his party
had contrived to gain a temporary ascendency in Carthage, and they
availed themselves of their brief possession of power to renew,
indirectly at least, the contest with Rome. They sent the rival
leaders into banishment, raised an army, and Hasdrubal himself taking
the command of it, they went forth in great force to encounter
Masinissa.

It was in a way very similar to this that Hannibal had commenced his
war with Rome, by seeking first a quarrel with a Roman ally. Hannibal,
it is true, had commenced his aggressions at Saguntum, in Spain.
Hasdrubal begins in Numidia, in Africa, but, with the exception of the
difference of geographical locality, all seems the same, and Hasdrubal
very probably supposed that he was about t