30.18
During
this summer P. Quintilius Varus the praetor and M. Cornelius the proconsul
fought a regular engagement with Mago. The praetor's legions formed the
fighting line; Cornelius kept his in reserve, but rode to the front and took
command of one wing, the praetor leading the other, and both of them
exhorted the soldiers to make a furious charge on the enemy. When they
failed to make any impression upon them, Quintilius said to Cornelius, "As
you see, the battle is progressing too slowly; the enemy finding themselves
offering an unhoped-for resistance have steeled themselves against fear,
there is danger of this fear passing into audacity. We must let loose a
hurricane of cavalry against them if we want to shake them and make them
give ground. Either, then, you must keep up the fighting at the front and I
will bring the cavalry into action, or I will remain here and direct the
operations of the first line while you launch the cavalry of the four legions
against the enemy." The proconsul left it to the praetor to decide what he
would do. Quintilius, accordingly, accompanied by his son Marcus, an
enterprising and energetic youth, rode off to the cavalry, ordered them to
mount and sent them at once against the enemy. The effect of their charge
was heightened by the battle-shout of the legions, and the hostile lines would
not have stood their ground, had not Mago, at the first movement of the
cavalry, promptly brought his elephants into action. The appearance of these
animals, their trumpeting and smell so terrified the horses as to render the
assistance of the cavalry futile. When engaged at close quarters and able to
use sword and lance the Roman cavalryman was the better fighter, but when
carried away by a frightened horse, he was a better target for the Numidian
darts. As for the infantry, the twelfth legion had lost a large proportion of
their men and were holding their ground more to avoid the disgrace of
retreat than from any hope of offering effectual resistance. Nor would they
have held it any longer if the thirteenth legion which was in reserve had not
been brought up and taken part in the doubtful conflict. To oppose this fresh
legion Mago brought up his reserves also. These were Gauls, and the hastati
of the eleventh legion had not much trouble in putting them to rout. They
then closed up and attacked the elephants who were creating confusion in
the Roman infantry ranks. Showering their darts upon them as they crowded
together, and hardly ever failing to hit, they drove them all back upon the
Carthaginian lines, after four had fallen, severely wounded.
At last the enemy began to give ground, and the whole of the
Roman infantry, when they saw the elephants turning against their own side,
rushed forward to increase the confusion and panic. As long as Mago kept
his station in front, his men retreated slowly and in good order, but when
they saw him fall, seriously wounded and carried almost fainting from the
field, there was a general flight. The losses of the enemy amounted to 5000
men, and 22 standards were taken. The victory was a far from bloodless one
for the Romans, they lost 2300 men in the praetor's army, mostly from the
twelfth legion, and amongst them two military tribunes, M. Cosconius and
M. Maevius. The thirteenth legion, the last to take part in the action, also
had its losses; C. Helvius, a military tribune, fell whilst restoring the battle,
and twenty-two members of the cavalry corps, belonging to distinguished
families, together with some of the centurions were trampled to death by the
elephants. The battle would have lasted longer had not Mago's wound given
the Romans the victory.