When the news reached the Roman camp, Scipio at once prepared to advance against them, and after giving the necessary orders to the land and sea forces besieging Utica, he set out on his march, his whole force being in light marching order.
On the fifth day he reached the Great Plain, and on approaching the enemy encamped for the first day on a hill at a distance of thirty stades from them,
but on the next day came down from the hill, and placing his cavalry in front drew up his army at a distance of seven stades from the Carthaginians.
After remaining where they were for the two subsequent days and making trial of their strength by some slight skirmishing, on the fourth day both generals deliberately advanced their forces and arrayed them for battle.
Scipio simply followed the usual Roman practice of placing the maniples of hastati in front, behind them the principes, and hindmost of all the triarii.
He stationed his Italian cavalry on his right and the Numidians with Massanissa on the left.
<a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syphax&groupId=993&placeId=1751">Syphax</a> and Hasdrubal placed the Celtiberians in the centre opposite the Roman maniples, the Numidians on the left, and the Carthaginians on the right.
At the first encounter the Numidians gave way before the Italian horse and the Carthaginians before Massanissa, their courage having been broken by previous defeats, but the Celtiberians fought bravely holding out against the Romans.
For they neither had any hope of safety in flight owing to their ignorance of the country, nor could they expect to be spared if made prisoners, owing to their treachery to Scipio in thus coming to fight in the service of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> against the Romans in spite of his never having been guilty of any acts of hostility to them during his Spanish campaigns.
But when the wings gave way they were soon surrounded by the principes and triarii and cut to pieces where they stood except quite a few.
Thus perished the Celtiberians after proving of the greatest service to the Carthaginians not only in the battle but in the flight.
For if the Romans had not met with this obstacle, but had directly pursued the fugitives, very few of the enemy would have escaped.
But as it was, owing to this stand made by the Celtiberians, <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syphax&groupId=993&placeId=1751">Syphax</a> with his cavalry made his way safely back home and Hasdrubal also with the survivors of his force reached <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a>.
Walbank Commentary