Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 28
Frank Gardener Moore, Professor Emeritus in Columbia University, Ed.

36. Just as Mago, who had despaired of success in Spain —a hope to which first the mutiny of the soldiers and then the rebellion of Indibilis had raised his spirits —was preparing to cross over to Africa, word reached him from Carthage that the senate commanded him to take the fleet which he had at Gades over to Italy. [2] There he was ordered to hire the greatest possible number of young Gauls and Ligurians, to join Hannibal and not permit a war that had been begun with the greatest vigour and even greater good fortune to decline now. [3] For that purpose money was brought to Mago from Carthage, and in addition he himself exacted all that he could from the citizens of Gades by plundering not merely their treasury but also the temples,¹ and by compelling all private owners to contribute gold and silver to the public funds.

[4] As he was sailing along the coast of Spain he landed soldiers not far from New Carthage and laid waste the nearest farms; then he brought his fleet up to the city. [5] There after keeping the soldiers on shipboard during the day, he landed them on the shore by night and led them to that part of the wall where (New) Carthage had been stormed by the Romans.² For he thought the city was not held by a garrison of sufficient strength, also that with the [p. 147]prospect of changing sides many of the townspeople³ would take an active part. [6] But messengers coming in alarm from the country had brought news at the same time of lands laid waste and farmers fleeing and the enemy approaching. [7] By day the fleet also had been seen, and it was evident that an anchorage before the city had not been chosen without reason. [8] Accordingly the men were kept drawn up under arms inside the gate which faced the lagoon and the sea.⁴ [9] When the enemy pouring out of the ships —a mob of sailors mingling with the soldiers —approached the walls with an uproar out of proportion to their power the Romans suddenly opened the gate and burst out with a shout, [10??] threw the enemy into confusion, routed them at the first charge and the first volley of their missiles and pursued them down to the shore with great slaughter. [11] And if the ships moored to the shore had not received them in their alarm not a man would have survived the flight and the battle. [12] Even on the ships also there was confusion while, to prevent the enemy from dashing on board along with their own men, they were drawing in the ladders⁵ and cutting hawsers⁶