The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: from Marathon to WaterlooCreasy, Edward Shepherd, Sir
History
The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: from Marathon to Waterloo
Creasy, Edward Shepherd, Sir
Battles
halted; and when day dawned on them, Hasdrubal found that great numbers
of his men, in their fatigue and impatience, had lost all discipline and
subordination, and that many of his Gallic auxiliaries had got drunk,
and were lying helpless in their quarters. The Roman cavalry was soon
seen coming up in pursuit, followed at no great distance by the legions,
which marched in readiness for an instant engagement. It was hopeless
for Hasdrubal, to think of continuing his retreat before them. The
prospect of immediate battle might recall the disordered part of his
troops to a sense of duty, and revive the instinct of discipline. He
therefore ordered his men to prepare for action instantly, and made the
best arrangement of them that the nature of the ground would permit.
Heeren has well described the general appearance of a Carthaginian army.
He says: "It was an assemblage of the most opposite races of the human
species, from the farthest parts of the globe. Hordes of half-naked
Gauls were ranged next to companies of white clothed Iberians, and
savage Ligurians next to the far-travelled Nasamones and Lotophagi.
Carthaginians and Phoenici-Africans formed the centre; while innumerable
troops of Numidian horse-men, taken from all the tribes of the Desert,
swarmed about on unsaddled horses, and formed the wings; the van was
composed of Balearic slingers; and a line of colossal elephants, with
their Ethiopian guides, formed, as it were, a chain of moving fortresses
before the whole army. Such were the usual materials and arrangements of
the hosts that fought for Carthage; but the troops under Hasdrubal were
not in all respects thus constituted or thus stationed. He seems to have
been especially deficient in cavalry, and he had few African troops,
though some Carthaginians of high rank were with him. His veteran
Spanish infantry, armed with helmets and shields, and short
cut-and-thrust swords, were the best part of his army. These, and his
few Africans, he drew up on his right wing, under his own personal
command. In the centre, he placed his Ligurian infantry, and on the left
wing he placed or retained the Gauls, who were armed with long javelins
and with huge broadswords and targets. The rugged nature of the ground
in front and on the flank of this part of his line, made him hope that
the Roman right wing would be unable to come to close quarters with
these unserviceable barbarians, before he could make some impression
with his Spanish veterans on the Roman left. This was the only chance
that he had of victory or safety, and he seems to have done everything
that good generalship could do to secure it. He placed his elephants in
advance of his centre and right wing. He had caused the driver of each
of them to be provided with a sharp iron spike and a mallet; and had
given orders that every beast that became unmanageable, and ran back
upon his own ranks, should be instantly killed, by driving the spike
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