26.44
When
Mago, the Carthaginian commander, saw that an attack was being prepared
both by land and sea, he made the following disposition of his forces. Two
thousand townsmen were posted in the direction of the Roman camp; the
citadel was occupied by 500 soldiers; 500 more were stationed in the higher
part of the city, towards the east. The rest of the townsmen were ordered to
be in readiness to meet any sudden emergency and to hasten in whatever
direction the shouting of the enemy might summon them. Then the gate was
thrown open and those who had been drawn up in the street leading to their
enemy's camp were sent forward. The Romans, at the direction of their
general, retired a short distance in order to be nearer to the supports which
were to be sent up. At first the lines stood confronting each other in equal
strength; but as the successive reinforcements came up they not only turned
the enemy to flight, but pressed upon them so closely as they fled in disorder
that if the "retire" had not sounded they would in all probability have burst
into the city pell-mell with the fugitives. The confusion and terror of the
battlefield spread right through the city; many of the pickets fled from their
stations panic-struck; the defenders of the walls leaped down the shortest
way they could and deserted the fortifications. Scipio had taken his stand on
an eminence which they called Mercury's Hill, and from here he became
aware that the walls were in many places without defenders. He at once
called out the whole force in the camp to the attack, and ordered the scaling
ladders to be brought up. Covered by the shields of three powerful young
men -for missiles of every description were flying from the battlements -he
went up close to the walls, encouraging his men, giving the necessary orders,
and, what did most to stimulate their efforts, observing with his own eyes
each man's courage or cowardice. So they rushed on, regardless of missiles
and wounds, and neither the walls nor the men upon them could prevent
them from striving who should be the first to mount. At the same time the
ships commenced an attack upon that part of the city which faced the sea.
Here, however, there was too much noise and confusion to admit of a
regular assault, for what with bringing up the vessels and hauling out the
scaling ladders, and clambering ashore as quickly as they could, the men only
got in one another's way through their hurry and eagerness.
