40.30
A
serious war broke out this summer in Hither Spain. The Celtiberi had got
together as many as 35,000 men; hardly ever before had they raised so large
a force. Q. Fulvius Flaccus was in charge of the province. On hearing that
the Celtiberi were arming their fighting men, he had drawn from the friendly
tribes all the troops he could, but he was very inferior to the enemy in
numbers. In the first days of spring he led his army into Carpetania and fixed
his camp near the town of Aebura, a small detachment being sent to occupy
the town. A few days afterwards the Celtiberi encamped at the foot of a hill
about two miles distant. When the Roman praetor became aware of their
proximity, he sent his brother Marcus with two squadrons of native cavalry
to reconnoitre the enemy's camp. His instructions were to approach as
closely as possible to the rampart so as to get some idea of the size of the
camp, but if he saw the enemy's cavalry coming, he was to retire without
fighting. These instructions he carried out. For some days nothing took place
beyond the appearance of these two squadrons, and they were always
withdrawn after the enemy's cavalry had emerged from their camp. At last
the Celtiberi issued from their camp with the whole of their infantry and
cavalry, and formed up in line of battle midway between the two camps and
remained stationary. The ground was level and well adapted for a battle.
There the Spaniards stood in expectancy, whilst the Roman general kept his
men within their rampart. For four successive days the enemy took their
stand in battle-order on the same spot, but the Romans made no move. After
this the Celtiberi rested in their camp as they had no opportunity of fighting;
the cavalry alone rode out and took station as advanced pickets, in case of
any movement on the part of their enemy. Both sides went out to collect
fodder and wood in the rear of their camps, neither of them interfering with
the other.
