The historie of tvvo the moste noble capitaines of the worlde, Anniball and Scipio of theyr dyuers battailes and victories, excedyng profitable to reade, gathered and translated into Englishe, out of Titus Liuius, and other authoures, by Antonye Cope esquier.

¶Of the victory of the Scipions in Spayne. Cap. xxx. (Book 30)

VVhyles these thinges were done and prepa∣red in Italy, the Romayne capytaynes in Spayne were not ydell, but as than had the vpperhande of their ennemies. P. Scipio and C. Scipio his brother parted their ar∣my betwixt theym, so that Cneius shoulde haue the lande, and Publius the sea, There was great warre in Spayn betwene the Scipions and Has∣druball: but whan it was knowen in Spayne, that Hasdruball shuld go with his host into Italy: a great numbre of them tur¦ned theyr hartes to the Romans. Wherfore Hasdrubal sente letters to Carthage, certifieng the Senate, howe dangerous

his departyng out of Spayne shuld be: And how that before he were passed the ryuer of Iherus, the more part of Spain wold tourne to the Romans. Whiche letters although at the fyrst they moued the senate moche, not withstandyng bycause theyr hole myndes were gyuen toward the charge & busines of the affaires of Italy, they chāged not their purpose, confer¦ryng the sendyng of Hasdruball into Italye: but in his place they sent Himilco with an hoste fournysshed to kepe the seas and the lande, and also the countrey of Spayne: who whan he had all thynge necessary prouyded for hym, with as great spede as myght be, passed the countrey of Spayne, vntyll he came to Hasdruball. And as soone as he had shewed hym the commaundement of the senate, and that Hasdruball had like∣wyse informed hym, howe he shulde demeane hym selfe in the warres of Spayne: he retourned agayne to his tentes with spede. But Hasdrubal, er euer he remoued his campe, caused taxes of money to be raysed of all cuntreys that were vnder his obeysance: knowyng well, that Anniball had bought cer∣tayne passages of the Frenchemen, and that withoute theyr helpe, the entre into the Alpes or hyghe mountaynes, was harde to be optained. Whan he had gathered greate summes of money, he went downe with spede to the riuer of Iberus.

¶ And whan the purpose of the Carthaginenses, and Hasdru¦bals iourney was knowen and shewed to the Scipions, they settyng all other busynes aparte, with bothe theyr hostes to∣gyther, set forwarde to mete hym, and prepared to lette his enterpryse: supposynge, that yf Hasdruball, being a capitayn and that great newe hoste of the Carthaginenses, were ioy∣ned to Anniball (whom alone Italy was scarsely able to with∣stande) that than the empyre of Rome shoulde soone be at an ende. Thus they beinge troubled with care of this busynes, brought theyr hooste to Iberus. And whan they had passed the ryuer, consultynge longe, whether they shoulde pytche theyr campe neere to theyr ennemies, or elles ouerrunne and subdue some of the Carthaginenses frendes, therby to staye and prolonge theyr ennemies purposed iourney. At last they determyned to besiege the citie, called Ibera (of the water, whiche was nere it) the rychest of the countrey at that tyme. Whiche thyng whan Hasdruball knewe, in stede of bryngyng succour to his frendes, he wente to besiege a Citie, that was

lately yelded to the Romans: so than the Romans left their liege, and turned the battayle wholly to Hasdruball. There was betwixt the two hostes, for the space of certayn dayes, the space of fyue myles, duryng whiche tyme they were not without small skyrmyshyng. At length, as it were pretended of bothe partes, at one tyme bothe the hole hostes discended into the playne, redy to gyue battaile. The Roman host was diuided into thre partes, part of the footemen were sette be∣fore the standerdes, and part behynd the horsemen, kept the sydes or wynges. On the other part Hasdruball sette in the myddell battayle the Spaniardes, and in the right wyng the Carthaginenses, and in the left winge the Affricans, with the hyred straunge sowldiours: And he put the Numidians to the footemen of Carthage, the residue of the Affricanes he sette before the wynges: nother dyd he sette all the Numy∣dians in the ryght wyng, but those, whose qualities were su∣che in lyghtnes and nymblenes, that rydyng vpon one horse, and leadyng a spare horse in theyr handes, whan the one was wery, they wold among the thickest of their enemyes leape armed on the other freshe horse, theyr agilitie and quycknes was so great, and the horses of kind so gentil and wel taught. Thus stode they in aray, and litel difference there was, other in the numbre or kyndes of souldiours of eyther hoste. Not withstandyng the souldiours hartes were not like. The Ro∣mane capitayns, although they fought farre from home, yet myght they easyly persuade their souldiours, that they shuld fyght for theyr cuntrey, and for the citie of Rome. Wherfore by that doubtfull battaile they purposed, other to ouercome, or to dye, trusting therby to haue short returne home to their cuntrey. The other hooste hadde not so sterne valiaunt and hardy men. for the more parte of theym were Spanyardes, whiche had rather be ouercome in Spayne, than wynnynge the victory, be conducted into Italy. Therfore at the fyrste metynge, whan the dartes were scarsly throwen, the middell warde fledde, and gaue place to the Romanes: who came v∣pon them with great violence, not withstanding the battailes were nothynge lesse in the wynges, for on the one syde the Carthaginenses, and on the other syde the Affricans came on them boldly, and fought egerly. but whan the Romane hoste had gotten in to the myddell togyther, they were stronge y∣nough

to put away the wynges of theyr ennemies. Where∣fore being in numbre and strength best, they shortly put the o∣ther to the worse. There was a great numbre of men slayne, and vnlesse the Spaniardes had fledde away, so thicke before the battayle was begunne, there hadde scarsely any of theym remayned vnslayne. There was no bataile betwene the horse men. for as soone as the Mauritaynes and Numidians sawe the myddell warde ouercome and putte to flyghte, they dry∣uynge the elephantes before theym, sodaynly departed and fledde: leauynge bothe the wynges bare. Hasdruball remai∣nyng tyll the last ende of the battaile, fledde with a fewe with hym. That battayle caused the hartes of the Spanyardes, whiche doubted before in the frendshyp of the Romanes, to be wholly gyuen to them. And it dyd not only take the hope from Hasdrubal of leading his hoste into Italy: but also that there was scarse tarieng for hym in Spayne. Which thinges after they were certified to the senate at Rome by the Sci∣pions letters, they were not so gladde of the victory, as that Hasdrubal and his host were prohibited the entre into Italy.