25.32
For
two years nothing very remarkable had happened in Spain; the contest was
carried on by diplomacy more than by arms. This summer the Roman
commanders on leaving their winter quarters united their forces. A council of
war was called and they came to a unanimous decision that as up to that time
all they had done was to keep Hasdrubal from marching to Italy, it was now
high time to make an effort to finish the war. During the winter they had
raised a force of 20,000 Celtiberians, and with this reinforcement they
considered themselves strong enough for the task. The enemies' force
consisted of three armies. Hasdrubal, the son of Gisgo, had united his army
with Mago, and their joint camp was about a five days' march from the
Romans. Somewhat nearer to them was Hasdrubal, the son of Hamilcar, an
old commander in Spain, who was in camp at a city called Amtorgis. The
Roman commanders wanted to dispose of him first, and they believed that
they had more than enough strength for the purpose; the only doubt in their
minds was whether, after his defeat, the other Hasdrubal and Mago would
not retreat into the trackless forest and mountains and keep up a guerilla
warfare. The best plan, they thought, would be to form their force into two
armies and finish the war in Spain at one stroke. They arranged accordingly
that P. Cornelius was to advance against Mago and Hasdrubal with
two-thirds of the army of Romans and allied troops, and Cn. Cornelius with
the remaining third of the old army and the recently raised Celtiberians was
to oppose the Barcine Hasdrubal. Both generals with their armies advanced
together as far as the town of Amtorgis where they encamped in full view of
the enemy with the river between them. Here Cn. Scipio took his stand with
the force above mentioned, while Publius Scipio went on to execute his
share of the operations.
