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gallop。



Hamilcar　had；　in　fact；　ordered　the　phalanx　to　break　its　sections；　and

the　elephants；　light　troops；　and　cavalry　to　pass　through　the　intervals

so　as　to　bring　themselves　speedily　upon　the　wings；　and　so　well　had　he

calculated　the　distance　from　the　Barbarians；　that　at　the　moment　when

they　reached　him；　the　entire　Carthaginian　army　formed　one　long

straight　line。



In　the　centre　bristled　the　phalanx；　formed　of　syntagmata　or　full

squares　having　sixteen　men　on　each　side。　All　the　leaders　of　all　the

files　appeared　amid　long；　sharp　lanceheads；　which　jutted　out　unevenly

around　them；　for　the　first　six　ranks　crossed　their　sarissae；　holding

them　in　the　middle；　and　the　ten　lower　ranks　rested　them　upon　the

shoulders　of　their　companions　in　succession　before　them。　Their　faces

were　all　half　hidden　beneath　the　visors　of　their　helmets；　their　right

legs　were　all　covered　with　bronze　knemids；　broad　cylindrical　shields

reached　down　to　their　knees；　and　the　horrible　quadrangular　mass　moved

in　a　single　body；　and　seemed　to　live　like　an　animal　and　work　like　a

machine。　Two　cohorts　of　elephants　flanked　it　in　regular　array；

quivering；　they　shook　off　the　splinters　of　the　arrows　that　clung　to

their　black　skins。　The　Indians；　squatting　on　their　withers　among　the

tufts　of　white　feathers；　restrained　them　with　their　spoon…headed

harpoons；　while　the　men　in　the　towers；　who　were　hidden　up　to　their

shoulders；　moved　about　iron　distaffs　furnished　with　lighted　tow　on　the

edges　of　their　large　bended　bows。　Right　and　left　of　the　elephants

hovered　the　slingers；　each　with　a　sling　around　his　loins；　a　second　on

his　head；　and　a　third　in　his　right　hand。　Then　came　the　Clinabarians；

each　flanked　by　a　Negro；　and　pointing　their　lances　between　the　ears　of

their　horses；　which；　like　themselves；　were　completely　covered　with

gold。　Afterwards；　at　intervals；　came　the　light　armed　soldiers　with

shields　of　lynx　skin；　beyond　which　projected　the　points　of　the

javelins　which　they　held　in　their　left　hands；　while　the　Tarentines；

each　having　two　coupled　horses；　relieved　this　wall　of　soldiers　at　its

two　extremities。



The　army　of　the　Barbarians；　on　the　contrary；　had　not　been　able　to

preserve　its　line。　Undulations　and　blanks　were　to　be　found　through　its

extravagant　length；　all　were　panting　and　out　of　breath　with　their

running。



The　phalanx　moved　heavily　along　with　thrusts　from　all　its　sarissae；

and　the　too　slender　line　of　the　Mercenaries　soon　yielded　in　the　centre

beneath　the　enormous　weight。



Then　the　Carthaginian　wings　expanded　in　order　to　fall　upon　them；　the

elephants　following。　The　phalanx；　with　obliquely　pointed　lances；　cut

through　the　Barbarians；　there　were　two　enormous；　struggling　bodies；

and　the　wings　with　slings　and　arrows　beat　them　back　upon　the

phalangites。　There　was　no　cavalry　to　get　rid　of　them；　except　two

hundred　Numidians　operating　against　the　right　squadron　of　the

Clinabarians。　All　the　rest　were　hemmed　in；　and　unable　to　extricate

themselves　from　the　lines。　The　peril　was　imminent；　and　the　need　of

coming　to　some　resolution　urgent。



Spendius　ordered　attacks　to　be　made　simultaneously　on　both　flanks　of

the　phalanx　so　as　to　pass　clean　through　it。　But　the　narrower　ranks

glided　below　the　longer　ones　and　recovered　their　position；　and　the

phalanx　turned　upon　the　Barbarians　as　terrible　in　flank　as　it　had　just

been　in　front。



They　struck　at　the　staves　of　the　sarissae；　but　the　cavalry　in　the　rear

embarrassed　their　attack；　and　the　phalanx；　supported　by　the　elephants；

lengthened　and　contracted；　presenting　itself　in　the　form　of　a　square；

a　cone；　a　rhombus；　a　trapezium；　a　pyramid。　A　twofold　internal　movement

went　on　continually　from　its　head　to　its　rear；　for　those　who　were　at

the　lowest　part　of　the　files　hastened　up　to　the　first　ranks；　while　the

latter；　from　fatigue；　or　on　account　of　the　wounded；　fell　further　back。

The　Barbarians　found　themselves　thronged　upon　the　phalanx。　It　was

impossible　for　it　to　advance；　there　was；　as　it　were；　an　ocean　wherein

leaped　red　crests　and　scales　of　brass；　while　the　bright　shields　rolled

like　silver　foam。　Sometimes　broad　currents　would　descend　from　one

extremity　to　the　other；　and　then　go　up　again；　while　a　heavy　mass

remained　motionless　in　the　centre。　The　lances　dipped　and　rose

alternately。　Elsewhere　there　was　so　quick　a　play　of　naked　swords　that

only　the　points　were　visible；　while　turmae　of　cavalry　formed　wide

circles　which　closed　again　like　whirlwinds　behind　them。



Above　the　voices　of　the　captains；　the　ringing　of　clarions　and　the

grating　of　tyres；　bullets　of　lead　and　almonds　of　clay　whistled　through

the　air；　dashing　the　sword　from　the　hand　or　the　brain　out　of　the

skull。　The　wounded；　sheltering　themselves　with　one　arm　beneath　their

shields；　pointed　their　swords　by　resting　the　pommels　on　the　ground；

while　others；　lying　in　pools　of　blood；　would　turn　and　bite　the　heels

of　those　above　them。　The　multitude　was　so　compact；　the　dust　so　thick；

and　the　tumult　so　great　that　it　was　impossible　to　distinguish

anything；　the　cowards　who　offered　to　surrender　were　not　even　heard。

Those　whose　hands　were　empty　clasped　one　another　close；　breasts

cracked　against　cuirasses；　and　corpses　hung　with　head　thrown　back

between　a　pair　of　contracted　arms。　There　was　a　company　of　sixty

Umbrians　who；　firm　on　their　hams；　their　pikes　before　their　eyes；

immovable　and　grinding　their　teeth；　forced　two　syntagmata　to　recoil

simultaneously。　Some　Epirote　shepherds　ran　upon　the　left　squadron　of

the　Clinabarians；　and　whirling　their　staves；　seized　the　horses　by　the

man；　the　animals　threw　their　riders　and　fled　across　the　plain。　The

Punic　slingers　scattered　here　and　there　stood　gaping。　The　phalanx

began　to　waver；　the　captains　ran　to　and　fro　in　distraction；　the

rearmost　in　the　files　were　pressing　upon　the　soldiers；　and　the

Barbarians　had　re…formed；　they　were　recovering；　the　victory　was

theirs。



But　a　cry；　a　terrible　cry　broke　forth；　a　roar　of　pain　and　wrath：　it

came　from　the　seventy…two　elephants　which　were　rushing　on　in　double

line；　Hamilcar　having　waited　until　the　Mercenaries　were　massed

together　in　one　spot　to　let　them　loose　against　them；　the　Indians　had

goaded　them　so　vigorously　that　blood　was　trickling　down　their　broad

ears。　Their　trunks；　which　were　smeared　with　mimium；　were　stretched

straight　out　in　the　air　like　red　serpents；　their　breasts　were

furnished　with　spears　and　their　backs　with　cuirasses；　their　tusks　were

lengthened　with　steel　blades　curved　like　sabres；and　to　make　them

more　ferocious　they　had　been　intoxicated　with　a　mixture　of　pepper；

wine；　and　incense。　They　shook　their　necklaces　of　bells；　and　shrieked；

and　the　elephantarchs　bent　their　heads　beneath　the　stream　of

phalaricas　which　was　beginning　to　fly　from　the　tops　of　the　towers。



In　order　to　resist　them　the　better　the　Barbarians　rushed　forward　in　a

compact　crowd；　the　elephants　flung　themselves　impetuously　upon　the

centre　of　it。　The　spurs　on　their　breasts；　like　ships'　prows；　clove

through　the　cohorts；　which　flowed　surging　back。　They　stifled　the　men

with　their　trunks；　or　else　snatching　them　up　from　the　ground　delivered

them　over　their　heads　to　the　soldiers　in　the　towers；　with　their　tusks

they　disembowelled　them；　and　hurled　them　into　the　air；　and　long

entrails　hung　from　their　ivory　fangs　like　bundles　of　rope　from　a　mast。

The　Barbarians　strove　to　blind　them；　to　hamstring　them；　others　would

slip　beneath　their　bodies；　bury　a　sword　in　them　up　to　the　hilt；　and

perish　crushed　to　death；　the　most　intrepid　clung　to　their　straps；　they

would　go　on　sawing　the　leather　amid　flames；　bullets；　and　arrows；　and

the　wicker　tower　would　fall　like　a　tower　of　stone。　Fourteen　of　the

animals　on　the　extreme　right；　irritated　by　their　wounds；　turned　upon

the　second　rank；　the　Indians　seized　mallet　and　chisel；　applied　the

latter　to　a　joint　in　the　head；　and　with　all　their　might　struck　a　great

blow。



Down　fell　the　huge　beasts；　falling　one　above　another。　It　was　like　a

mountain；　and　upon　the　heap　of　dea