Spring 206 BC, dawn
The order reversed
On the chosen day Scipio has his men fed and armed before dawn. At first light he sends his cavalry and velites against the Carthaginian outposts and advances with the whole army. The Carthaginians rush out without breakfast and form up in their usual order.
The Guadalquivir at the weir of Alcalá del Río, near the site of ancient IlipaWikimedia Commons, Jorge Iglesias (Hispa), CC BY 2.0 (Alcala de rio 001.jpg)
Scipio has changed his. The legions now stand on the wings, opposite the Carthaginian Iberians, and his own Iberian allies in the centre, opposite the Africans. The velites and cavalry stand at the outer ends of the line, ready for the elephants. He advances the wings quickly and holds the centre back, so that his Iberians never close with the Africans.
Sources
- Polybius, Histories, book 11, 22 to 23.
- Livy, History of Rome, book 28, 14 to 15.
- Adrian Goldsworthy, The Fall of Carthage (2006).
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