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.
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