this conversation, which held out no hopes of reconciliation, the two generals parted from each other.
On the following morning at daybreak they led out their armies and opened the battle, the Carthaginians fighting for their own safety and the dominion of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a>, and the Romans for the empire of the world.
Is there anyone who can remain unmoved in reading the narrative of such an encounter?
For it would be impossible to find more valiant soldiers, or generals who had been more successful and were more thoroughly exercised in the art of war, nor indeed had Fortune ever offered to contending armies a more splendid prize of victory, since the conquerors would not be masters of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a> and Europe alone, but of all those parts of the world which now hold a place in history; as indeed they very shortly were.
Scipio drew up his army in the following fashion.
In front he placed the hastati with certain intervals between the maniples and behind them the principes, not placing their maniples, as is the usual Roman custom, opposite to the intervals separating those of the first line, but directly behind these latter at a certain distance owing to the large number of the enemy's elephants.
Last of all he placed the triarii. On his left wing he posted Gaius Laelius with the Italian horse, and on the right wing Massanissa with the whole of his Numidians.
The intervals of the first maniples he filled up with the cohorts of velites, ordering them to open the action,
and if they were forced back by the charge of the elephants to retire, those who had time to do so by the straight passages as far as the rear of the whole army, and those who were overtaken to right or left along the intervals between the lines.
Walbank Commentary