Chapter 48

Meanwhile king Juba had been informed of Scipio’s cavalry battle and in response to a written summons from the latter he left behind his general, Saburra, with part of his army, to keep Sittius in cheek, and quitting his kingdom set off to join Scipio. With him he took three legions, eight hundred bridled cavalry, a numerous contingent of Numidians who rode without bridles, and of light-armed infantry troops, and thirty elephants. His purpose in so doing was to add a certain prestige to Scipio’s army by his personal appearance, and the more to intimidate Caesar’s. On reaching Scipio he pitched a separate royal camp with the forces I have mentioned, and took up a position not so far distant from Scipio. Now hitherto there had been considerable apprehension in Caesar’s camp: before Juba’s arrival the feeling of suspense was greater, and it was this which unsettled Caesar’s army as it was waiting for the royal forces but as soon as the king pitched his camp close to theirs, they held his forces in contempt and all their fears were laid aside. And so all the prestige with which his previous absence had endowed the king he forfeited now that he was on the spot. That the king’s arrival in this manner gave Scipio additional courage and confidence was a fact that anyone could readily appreciate: for on the following day he led out his own and the king’s entire forces, including sixty elephants, and set them in battle array with as much pomp and circumstance as possible, and then, after advancing somewhat farther than usual from his fortified positions and pausing there a little while, withdrew to camp.