21 pensarent vires = they estimated (weighed) their strength.
The Battle of Zama. ‘Here, too, the elephants proved disastrous to their own side. Some ran down the spaces between the Roman maniples (see [C 39, B. note]), and were of no further use; while others, driven aside by the Roman skirmishers, threw H.’s Carthaginian cavalry into such disorder that they were unable to resist the attack of Scipio’s horse. The first Roman line threw H.’s mercenaries back upon their reserves of the second line, and in the confusion that ensued Scipio advanced with his second and third lines. The combat raged long and fiercely until Scipio’s Roman and Numidian cavalry, returning from their pursuit of H.’s horse, fell upon the enemy’s rear and decided the battle.’—Ihne.
SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.
Zama, 202 B.C. (2)
The Order of Battle.
[A.] Hannibal adversus Scipionem, post elephantos lxxx, qui in prima fronte positi hostium turbarent aciem, auxiliares Gallos et Ligures et Baliares Maurosque posuit, ut neque fugere possent Poenis a tergo stantibus et hostem oppositi, si non infestarent, 5 at certe fatigarent: tum suis et Macedonibus, qui iam fessos Romanos integri exciperent, in secunda acie collocatis, novissimos Italicos constituit, quorum et timebat fidem et segnitiam verebatur, quoniam plerosque eorum ab Italia invitos extraxerat. 10
Hannibal’s Army. It consisted broadly of five classes:
1. His veteran army of Italy, on which he could thoroughly rely, partly Carthaginian, partly Italian (mostly Bruttians).
These he placed in his third line.
2. A newly raised force of Carthaginian and Libyan militia.