Both Sides Prepare For Battle
When the people of Carthage saw the cities in their
territory being sacked, they sent a message to Hannibal begging him to act without delay, to come to close quarters with
the enemy, and bring the matter to the decision of battle.
He bade the messengers in answer "to confine their attention
to other matters, and to leave such things to him, for he
would choose the time for fighting himself." Some days
afterwards he broke up his quarters at Adrumetum, and
pitched his camp near ZAMA, a town about five
days' march to the west of Carthage.
From
that place he sent spies to ascertain the place,
nature, and strength of the Roman general's encampment.
These spies were caught and brought to Scipio, who, so far
from inflicting upon them the usual punishment of spies,
appointed a tribune to show them everything in the camp
thoroughly and without reserve; and when this had been done,
he asked the men whether the appointed officer had been careful to point out everything to them. Upon their replying that
he had, he gave them provisions and an escort, and despatched
them with injunctions to be careful to tell Hannibal everything they had seen. On their return to his camp, Hannibal
was so much struck with the magnanimity and high courage
of Scipio, that he conceived a lively desire for a personal interview with him. With this purpose he sent a herald to say
that he was desirous of a parley to discuss the matters at issue.
When the herald had delivered his message, Scipio at once
expressed his consent, and said that he would himself send
him a message when it suited him to meet, naming the time
and place. The herald returned to Hannibal with this answer.
Next day Massanissa arrived with six thousand
infantry and about four thousand cavalry.
Scipio
received him with cordiality, and congratulated
him on having added to his sway all those who had previously
been subject to Syphax. Thus reinforced, he removed his
camp to Naragara: selecting it as a place which, among
other advantages, enabled him to get water within a javelin's
throw.
