d back through fear, made great havoc among the ranks of
the velites, tho not without receiving many wounds themselves; for
when the velites, retiring to the companies, had made way for the
elephants, that they might not be trampled down, they discharged their
darts at the beasts, exposed as they were to wounds on both sides,
those in the van also keeping up a continual discharge of javelins;
until, driven out of the Roman line by the weapons which fell upon
them from all quarters, these elephants also put to flight even the
cavalry of the Carthaginians posted in their right wing. Laelius, when
he saw the enemy in disorder, struck additional terror into them in
their confusion.

The Carthaginian line was deprived of the cavalry on both sides, when
the infantry, who were now not a match for the Romans in confidence or
strength, engaged. In addition to this there was one circumstance,
trifling in itself, but at the same time producing important
consequences in the action. On the part of the Romans the shout was
uniform, and on that account louder and more terrific; while the
voices of the enemy, consisting as they did of many nations of
different languages, were dissonant. The Romans used the stationary
kind of fight, pressing upon the enemy with their own weight and that
of their arms; but on the other side there was more of skirmishing and
rapid movement than force.

Accordingly, on the first charge, the Romans immediately drove back
the line of their opponents; then pushing them with their elbows and
the bosses of their shields, and pressing forward into the places from
which they had pushed them, they advanced a considerable space, as tho
there had been no one to resist them, those who formed the rear urging
forward those in front when they perceived the line of the enemy
giving way, which circumstance itself gave great additional force in
repelling them. On the side of the enemy, the second line, consisting
of the Africans and Carthaginians, were so far from supporting the
first line when giving ground, that, on the contrary, they even
retired, lest their enemy, by slaying those who made a firm
resistance, should penetrate to themselves also. Accordingly, the
auxiliaries suddenly turned their backs, and facing about upon their
own party, fled some of them into the second line, while others slew
those who did not receive them into their ranks, since before they did
not support them, and now refused to receive them.