Editing Battle of Zama (section)

===Initial charges===
[[File:Roman Consular Army.png|thumb|left|upright=1.2|alt=A diagram showing the usual deployment of a legionary maniple and how that fitted within a legion and a typical army|{{center|How a consular army would usually deploy, at Zama each maniple of {{lang|la|principes}} deployed slightly to the left, leaving nine broad avenues through each legion.{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|p=292}}}}]]

The armies advanced towards each other, the first clashes occurring on the Carthaginian left flank, the Roman right, between the 2,000 or more Carthaginian-supporting Numidian cavalry and the 4,000{{snd}}or possibly 4,600{{snd}}siding with the Romans. Each force sent detachments to hurl javelins at the other and then withdraw. Lazenby describes these skirmishes as "desultory". Hannibal then ordered a charge against the Roman infantry by his 80 elephants, with the whole of his first two lines moving forward in support.{{sfn|Carey|2007|pp=117–118}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1998|p=223}} The modern historian Jacob Edwards, in a study of Hannibal's use of elephants during the war, describes their deployment at Zama as "an ill-advised practice which departed from the successful tactics used previously". He suggests that they would have been better employed against the superior Roman cavalry on the flanks, rather than directly charging the Roman infantry.{{sfn|Edwards|2001|p=903}} It is possible that Hannibal believed the elephants would have brought an element of surprise, as their previous use in the war had been limited.{{sfn|Dorey|Dudley|1971|p=144}} Most modern accounts have the elephants in front of the Carthaginian infantry,{{sfn|Lazenby|1998|p=222}}{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|p=291}}{{sfn|Bahmanyar|2016|p=55}} but Lago has the Carthaginian light infantry in front of the whole Carthaginian army,{{sfn|Lago|2013|p=60}} skirmishing with their opposite numbers, as was usual before armies were formed up and ready to commence the battle proper.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=57}} Lago states that they stayed in front of and between the elephants, protecting them from the javelins of the Roman {{lang|la|velites}} until the elephants charged.{{sfn|Lago|2013|p=60}}

As the elephants advanced, the {{lang|la|velites}} moved forward into the gap between the armies, hurled javelins at the elephants, and fell back.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=304}} The Roman heavy infantry then sounded their bugles, and possibly rhythmically banged their weapons against their shields – swashbuckling.{{efn|Swashbuckling is to noisily strike{{snd}}"[[:wikt:swash|swash]]"{{snd}}a sword or spear against one's shield or "[[buckler]]".{{sfn|SOED|1962|p=1098}}|group=note}}{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|p=293}} This startled some of the elephants and several of those on the left turned and fled, past the end of the line of infantry behind them. Edwards expresses amazement that war elephants should be so easily panicked and again suggests that at least some of the animals were "young and inexperienced at battle" making them "a liability rather than an asset". These out-of-control elephants trampled their way through the Carthaginian-backing Numidian cavalry, thoroughly disordering them.{{sfn|Carey|2007|p=115}}{{sfn|Edwards|2001|p=903}} Masinissa took advantage of the situation by ordering a charge. This routed the disordered cavalry and they fled, pursued by Masinissa's force.{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|p=293}}

Most of the rest of the elephants charged into the Roman infantry, amid showers of javelins. Terrified by the swashbuckling infantry and their bugles the majority stampeded into the broad gaps the Romans had left between their maniples. Many of the {{lang|la|velites}} were killed as they ran back in front of the elephants and into the gaps between the ranks of the heavy infantry. From there they hurled javelins into the elephants' flanks. Those elephants, which emerged into the rear of the Roman army, were all wounded and now cut off. They were subsequently hunted down and killed. Some elephants did charge into the {{lang|la|hastati}} as planned, where they caused heavy casualties before being driven off. This causes Mir Bahmanyar to suggest that the elephants accomplished what Hannibal expected of them. Some elephants balked at charging the {{lang|la|hastati}} on the Roman left and attacked the cavalry alongside them, who also showered the elephants with javelins. Most of these elephants were badly wounded and had lost their crews by this point; those that could flee avoided the line of Carthaginian infantry, but not the Carthaginian cavalry on the right flank. This cavalry force became disorganised by the out-of-control elephants and like Masinissa, Laelius ordered his cavalry to take advantage of this and charge. The Carthaginian cavalry were swept from the field and the Roman cavalry closely pursued them.{{sfn|Carey|2007|pp=118, 122}}{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=304}}{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|p=293}}{{sfn|Koon|2015|p=84}}{{sfn|Bahmanyar|2016|p=67}}