Scipio had defeated the armies of Syphax and Hasdrubal at the Battle of the Great Plains and now Hannibal was recalled to defend his homeland against the Roman invader! Perhaps Livy best tells us how Hannibal must have felt when he left Italy. Having received the delegation demanding his return to Carthage, Livy states that Hannibal says, "for years they have been trying to force me back by refusing me reinforcements and money; but now they recall me no longer by indirect means, but in plain words.
Hannibal has been conquered not by the Roman people whom he defeated so many times in battle and put to flight, but by the envy and continual disparagement of the Carthaginian senate. At this unlovely and shameful return of mine, it will not be Scipio who will be wild with triumph and delight, but rather Hanno, whose only way of ruining me and my house has been by ruining Carthage."
Hannibal landed his army at Leptis and proceeded to mobilize additional troops that would be needed to fight Scipio. Aside from veterans that he brought from Italy, he obtained 2000 Numidians commanded by Tychaeus and 4000 pikemen from Philip of Macedonia. Added to this were numerous light troops and 80 Elephants. Overall, Hannibal is said to have commanded upwards of 40,000 men, plus the elephants.
Scipio on the other hand, is said to have commanded an army of approximately 23,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry. To his 17,000 Romans were added six thousand Numidian infantry of Masinissa and whose cavalry trippled the normally numerically weak Italian cavalry giving Scipio a most formidable force.
Hannibal had received reports of Scipio's strength and had sent word that he wished to discuss the war with him. One last attempt was to be made at peace and the two generals met at a place between the two camps that were about four miles from one another. The two commanders saluted each other and spoke through interpreters. No agreement could be reached and on the morrow, the fate of all would hinge in battle!
Scenario
The following scenario represents our best interpretation of the facts that history has left us on the Battle of Zama, 202 B.C. We have assembled the information and have attempted to give you a realistic portrayal of the battle and still remain playable. As always, we do not claim that this representation is indisputably the way it was, but do believe that it represents a fair and honest recreation of the events that took place in one of the great battles of antiquity.
This scenario is designed for use with ANCIENT EMPIRES and the HANNIBAL module. Enjoy.
The exact site of the battle of Zama is not known. The battlefield would appear to be relatively flat and unimpeded from the battle descriptions. The map below illustrates the set-up areas for each army. Players may opt for a free set- up if preferred and if decided upon, will entail normal set-up procedures as outlined in ANCIENT EMPIRES 1.44.
Battle of Zama Scipio vs. Hannibal
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