Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 30
Frank Gardener Moore, Professor Emeritus in Columbia University, Ed.

33. However, he did not form cohorts¹ in close contact, each in advance of its standards, but rather maniples at a considerable distance from each other, so that there should be an interval where the enemy's elephants might be driven through without breaking up the ranks. [2] Laelius, whom he had previously had in his service as lieutenant, but in the present year as quaestor, assigned not by lot but by decree of the senate,² was posted with the Italic cavalry on the left wing, Masinissa and the Numidians on the right. [3] The open passages between the maniples of the front line troops Scipio filled with velites,³ the light-armed of that day, under orders that, upon the charge of the elephants, they should either flee behind the ranks in the line, or else dashing to right and left and closing up to the maniles in the van, should give the beasts an opening through which they might rush among missiles hurled from both sides.

[4] Hannibal in order to create a panic drew up his elephants in front, and there were eighty of them, a number he had never before had in any battle. [5] Next in order he placed the Ligurian and Gallic [p. 491]auxiliaries in combination with Balearic and Mauretanian⁴ troops; in the second line Carthaginians and Africans and the legion of Macedonians.⁵ [6] Then, leaving a moderate interval,⁶ he drew up a reserve line of Italic soldiers, most of these Bruttians, more of whom [7??] had followed him under compulsion and of necessity than of their own consent as he retired from Italy. [8] As for the cavalry, he also placed them on the wings; the Carthaginians held the right wing, the Numidians the left.

In an army made up of so many men who had no language, no custom, no law, no arms, no clothing and general appearance in common,⁷ nor the same reason for serving, exhortation took various forms. [9] To the auxiliaries was offered pay in cash and greatly increased by a share in the booty. The Gauls had their own inbred hatred of the Romans fanned into flame. [10] Ligurians were offered as an incentive to victory the rich plains of Italy, once they were brought down from their rugged mountains. [11] Mauretanians and Numidians were frightened by Hannibal with the prospect of Masinissa's tyrannical rule. To different nations different hopes and fears were displayed. The Carthaginians' attention was called to the walls of their city, to household gods, tombs of ancestors, children and parents and terror-stricken wives, to destruction and servitude on the one hand, on the other to rule over the world, to the absence of any ground between the extremes of fear and hope.

[12] Just as the general was thus speaking among the Carthaginians, and the national leaders among their countrymen, mainly through interpreters, since foreigners were intermingled, trumpets [13??] and horns [p. 493]sounded on the Roman side, and such shouts were⁸ raised that the elephants turned against their own men, especially against the left wing, the Mauretanians and Numidians.⁹ Masinissa easily increased their panic and stripped that end of the line of its cavalry support. [14] A few of the beasts, however, being fearlessly driven into the enemy, caused great losses among the ranks of the light-armed, though suffering many wounds themselves. [15] For springing back to the maniples the light-armed made way for the elephants, to avoid being trampled down, and then would hurl their lances from both sides against the beasts doubly exposed to missiles. Nor was there any slackening in the javelins of the men in the front lines until these elephants also, driven out of the Roman line and into their own men by missiles showered upon them from all sides, put the right wing, even the Carthaginian cavalry, to flight. [16] Laelius, on seeing the enemy in confusion, increased their panic.