30.6
In the
Carthaginian camp the first to see the glowing flames were the watch, then
others wakened by the tumult observed them, and all fell into the same
mistake of supposing that it was an accidental outbreak. They took the cries
proceeding from wounded combatants as due to the nocturnal alarm, and so
were unable to realise what had actually happened. Not in the least
suspecting the presence of an enemy, they rushed out, each through the gate
nearest to him, without any weapons carrying out what might help to
extinguish the flames, and so came right on the Roman army. They were all
cut down, for the enemy gave no quarter, that none might escape and give
the alarm. In the confusion the gates were left unguarded, and Scipio at once
seized them and fire was flung upon the nearest huts. The flames broke out
at first in different places but, creeping from hut to hut, in a very few
moments wrapped the whole camp in one vast conflagration. Men and
animals alike scorched with the heat blocked the passages to the gates and
fell crushed by each other. Those whom the fire did not overtake perished by
the sword and the two camps were involved in one common destruction.
Both the generals, however, saved themselves, and out of all those
thousands only 2000 infantry and 500 cavalry made good their escape, the
majority being wounded or suffering from the fire. Forty thousand men
perished either from the fire or the enemy, over 5000 were taken alive,
including many Carthaginian nobles of whom eleven were senators; 174
standards were captured, 2700 horses and 6 elephants, 8 others having been
killed or burnt to death. An enormous quantity of arms was secured, these
the general devoted to Vulcan, and they were all burnt.
