Massinissa, a few days before, had brought Scipio a reinforcement of 6000 infantry and 4000 Numidian cavalry. The Roman force may therefore be considered as 30,000 infantry and 6700 cavalry.

The superiority in cavalry, which had always hitherto been in favour of Hannibal, was in this instance reversed; his African cavalry was equal in number to the legionary horse, but it was newly raised, and he had only 2000 Numidians: on the other hand he had eighty elephants, and, it is supposed, about 50,000 infantry.

The Roman heavy infantry was formed as usual in three lines; but the maniples of the second and third lines, instead of covering the intervals of the line in front, were placed one behind another, so that avenues were left between the maniples extending from front to The light troops were placed loosely in the intervals of the first line with orders to attack the elephants, and entice them down the passages to the rear of the Roman army. Massinissa with the Numidian cavalry, was posted on the right flank; Lælius with the legionary horse, on the left.

rear.

Hannibal placed his eighty elephants in front of the whole, and formed his infantry in three lines.

The first line consisted of the Ligurians, Gauls, &c., who formed the remnant of Mago's army, to the number of 12,000.

The second line, of the new levies of Africans and native Carthaginians, of nearly the same strength.

The third line, commanded by Hannibal himself, composed of his Italian veterans, numbering about 24,000 men, was kept in reserve at a sufficient distance

in rear of the other two lines to allow the fugitives from those lines, if defeated, to escape round the flanks.

The African cavalry was on the right, opposed to Lælius; the Numidians were opposite to Massinissa on the left.

The battle commenced by the advance of the elephants. Of these animals, some terrified by the Roman trumpets which purposely made a great noise, broke off to both flanks and threw Hannibal's cavalry into confusion, which was then charged and easily driven off the field by Massinissa on the one hand, and Lælius on the other.

The remainder of the elephants followed the Roman light troops down the avenues to the rear of the Roman army.

It is said that Scipio having got rid of the elephants, closed the maniples of his first line to the centre so as to leave no intervals, and then ordered it to chargethe second and third lines following slowly in their original formation, protected the flanks of the first.

Hannibal's first line fought with great courage, but the superiority of the Roman arms and discipline prevailed, and being unsupported by the African militia of the second line it was obliged to give way then these foreigners, believing themselves betrayed by the Carthaginians, fell on their own second line with great furyand the Romans charging at the same time, Hannibal's second line was overthrown.

But Scipio had now to encounter a more severe struggle. Hannibal still had a body of 24,000 infantry which had not been engaged; and that infantry con

sisted of the Italian veterans, Hannibal's old guard, whose habits of victory and unlimited confidence in their commander would have made them formidable to double their number of enemies. Scipio's infantry, originally 30,000, had suffered considerable loss, and was, to a certain extent, disordered by the struggle. The Roman commander might well look anxiously for some signs of his cavalry, which carried away by the ardour of pursuit, had followed the enemy too far from the field. Hannibal perceiving all the advantage of his position, advanced to attack the Roman infantry, hoping to defeat it before the cavalry should return. Scipio had barely time to prolong his first line, which consisted of only 9600 men, to both flanks, by calling up maniples from the second and third lines in order to oppose an equal front to Hannibal's reserve which consisted of 24,000 men, drawn up in the same order as the Romans, in ten ranks. The struggle was obstinate; it would in all probability have terminated in favour of Hannibal, but fortune had deserted him for a younger favourite, and Lælius and Massinissa with the Roman cavalry returned just at the right moment to charge the Carthaginians in rear, while they were engaged in front. Surrounded and overpowered, that veteran infantry, before which the Roman standards had so often receded, yet maintained its high reputation; most of them were cut down where they stood, and few escaped from the field, for the country was level and the Roman and Numidian horse were active in pursuit.

As soon as Hannibal saw that the battle was hopelessly lost, knowing that now his country would have

greater need of him than ever, he displayed a higher fortitude than his brother Hasdrubal, and escaped off the field to Adrumetum.

With the battle of Zama terminated all attempt at resistance to the power of Rome. Scipio dictated the following conditions on which alone he would grant them peace; viz. that the Carthaginians were to make amends for the injuries done to the Romans during the truce; to give up all their ships of war except ten, and all their elephants; to restore all Roman prisoners and deserters; to engage in no war out of Africa; and to engage in none in Africa without the consent of Rome; to restore to Massinissa the kingdom of which he had been deprived; to feed the Roman army for three months; to pay a contribution of 200 Euboic talents a year for fifty years; and to give 100 hostages between the ages of 14 and 30, to be selected by the Roman general.

These hard terms were perforce accepted by the Carthaginians; and their fulfilment left that unfortunate people no real power to resist the injustice and aggression of Rome, which at length resulted in the Third Punic War, and in the final destruction of their city and dominion.

Hannibal lived nineteen years after the battle of Zama. He devoted himself to the service and improvement of his countrymen; but his exposure and rectification of the gross abuses of the public service, raised up against him powerful enemies who drove him into exile in the year B.C. 196. He then repaired to the court of Antiochus, king of Syria, who was at that

But that

time engaged in a war against Rome. monarch had not the wisdom to follow the advice Hannibal gave him, and his defeat at Magnesia resulted in a treaty of peace, one of the terms of which was the delivery of the illustrious refugee into the hands of his most bitter enemies.

Hannibal, on being warned of the design against him, became again a wanderer. He repaired to the court of Prusias, King of Bithynia; but Rome could not be easy so long as her great enemy lived. And Hannibal eventually, it is said, died by his own act in the sixty-fourth in age, year of his of a demand made upon consequence

Prusias by the Romans for his delivery to them, which that monarch had neither the power nor the spirit to resist.