The Roman army, still not having been completely replenished since their original victories at Adys and Atiqa, deployed in the typical Roman manipular formation:
Meanwhile, the Karthadastim General Xanthippos deployed his militia-heavy center at the front of his army with more experienced mercenary troops on either flanks. However, at the very front of his lines were the feared elephants whose presence alone seemed to tip the scales of the battle in his favor.
The elephants quickly attacked the front of the Roman lines and tied the Romani up in a hard fought fight which allowed for the Karthadastim to line up their men and prepare to outflank the Roman lines:
The Karthadastim soldiers approached the Roman lines from almost all sides and quickly began to skirmish with the Roman leves and akontistai. However, the Roman skirmishers were far too busy ridding themselves of the Karthadastim elephants to properly engage the Karthadastim skirmishers until they were already at a large disadvantage:
The Roman skirmishers reorganized themselves into their usual formation, but by the time they turned to face their opponents, they noticed that they were being charged headlong by the Karthadastim infantry:
The Roman skirmishers quickly retreated behind the Roman infantry and socii alae, but the battle seemed to be rapidly slipping away from the Roman consvl and his army.
The Romani managed to hold the center against the weak militia of the Karthadastim, but another problem was making its way towards the Roman lines. The Roman cavalry, already depleted and outnumbered 8 to 1, were routed from the field within minutes as the Roman flanks began to collapse.
The sheer speed in which both Roman flanks crumbled led to consvl Marcvs Atilivs Regvlvs being stuck in the middle of the fighting with the remainder of his men:
While the Roman infantry were inspired by having their consvl and commander so close to the front lines fighting alongside them, they also knew that having him this close meant that something had gone horribly awry. Indeed it had, because not long after the Roman lines began to break through the front of the Karthadastim infantry...
...they were met by an even larger force attacking from the rear. The Roman triarii now formed the front line for the Romani, but were still little match for the sheer outmaneuvering force of the Karthadastim:
Roman soldiers began to flee from the carnage at the front (and now back) of the fighting. This left their consvl in a horrible position to try and escape from.
And indeed he would not. Consvl Marcvs Atilivs Regvlvs was captured by the Karthadastim and the battle was now completely lost...
The remnants of the Roman army were either left dying on the field, or fled to the approaching Roman navy to be transported back to Sicily.