r the command of Publius Cornelius Scipio the elder. As noted in the last chapter, he had been sailing along the coast of Gaul with an army bound for Spain when he got word of Hannibal's army marching in the other direction. Landing his troops at Massalia, he had tried and failed to intercept Hannibal and force a battle. Subsequently he had placed his army under his brother Gnaeus and sent it on to Spain, while he himself returned to Italy, landing at Pisae, and crossed the Appenines to take command of the northern Roman army already in being.
According to Polybius, each general was surprised at the swift and sudden appearance of the other, and formed a correspondingly high opinion of the enemy's ability. Scipio would seem to have had better reason to be surprised; while his own fast action was impressive, he had doubled back to Italy with presumably only with a few attendents and bodyguards, while Hannibal had crossed the Alps with an army. However, Hannibal might well have supposed that Scipio had brought with him the army previously bound for Spain, rather than coming
...