7G 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period I. 



his enemy by surprise, and give to his own troops a 

 marked advantage. 



When the day arrived upon which Scipio had deter- 

 mined to risk the fate of a battle, he took every precau- 

 tion that a skilful soldier could devise. His troops wore 

 early in motion. Special orders had been issued to the 

 tribunes and officers to see that the men were all provided 

 with breakfast, and armed and equipped ready to march 

 before the day broke. The cavalry and light armed 

 troops moved out first, followed by the main body, whicli 

 was formed up on the plain in a new order, the Spaniards 

 forming the centre of the line, while the Roman legions 

 were equally divided upon the wings. The cavalry 

 advanced up to the enemy's camp and threatened an 

 attack. Asdrubal seeing the advance, and seeing in the 

 distance the Roman army, in the dull light of the dawn, 

 ranged upon the plain, sent out his light troops and 

 cavalry in all haste, hurriedly equipped, and without 

 food, to hold the Roman cavalry in check, while he him- 

 self with the remainder of his troops, also fasting, moved 

 out and formed up in the usual order, his elephants being 

 in front of the wings. 



By this time the sun had risen, and Scipio's light 

 troops retiring through the intervals formed up in rear 

 of the wings, and exposed to Asdrubal's view the Roman 

 army in its new and unaccustomed order. There was no 

 time for him then to make any change in his dispositions. 

 He saw that his Spanish allies would have to bear the 

 brunt of the attack of the choicest troops in the. ranks of 

 his foe, and that the fate of the day might be decided by 

 the result of that conflict.^ He had not much time to 

 think, however, for Scipio moved on him at once, and his 

 manoeuvres were certainly calculated to surprise him. 



Scipio advanced, as already mentioned, with the 

 Spanish allies in a species of phalanx formation in the 

 centre — the Roman troops on the wings were formed in 

 a close line, by placing the maniples of principes in the 

 intervals between the hastati. The triarii were formed 

 behind them as their rear ranks, so that each cohort was 



^ Polybius, xi. ch. 5. 



