Battle of the Great Plains The Battle of the Great plains ( also known as Battle of Campi Magni , Battle of Bagrades ) was a battle fought between Scipio Africanus of Rome and a combined Carthaginian and Numidian army late in the Second Punic War , designed as diversionary tactic by Rome to disrupt Hannibal ' s attack on Italy . By defeating the Carthaginians , Scipio Africanus caused Hannibal to leave Italy and return to Africa , where he was later defeated at the battle of Zama . Prelude . Hasdrubal and Syphax had both succeeded in escaping from their camps which the Roman general Scipio Africanus , and his Numidian allies Masinissa and Laelius had destroyed . Hasdrubal and Syphax fell back , with a few followers who had also escaped the massacre at the Carthaginian camps . The arrival of four thousand mercenaries from Southern Iberia made the Carthaginians determined to make one more effort to stop the armies of Scipio Africanus from advancing across North Africa . New levies were raised in Carthage and in Numidia , and soon Hasdrubal and Syphax found themselves at the head of an army of 30 , 000 men . In 203 BC Scipio , whose command had been extended until the end of the war , marched from his camp at Utica to meet Hasdrubal and Syphax at a place called the Great Plains . Battle . The battle was fought between a Roman army under the leadership of Scipio Africanus and a combined Carthaginian / Numidian army , supplemented by Spanish mercenaries ( Celtiberians ) , of which the Carthaginian part was led by Hasdrubal Gisco and the Numidian part by Syphax . Hasdrubal positioned the Spanish mercenaries in the center , subsequently flanked by the Carthaginian infantry and cavalry . The Roman infantry was drawn up in the triplex acies . That is to say , the hastati formed the first line , the principes the second , and the triarii formed the third line . The charge of the Roman cavalry made the Carthaginian infantry and cavalry flee from the field . Only the Spanish infantry remained standing . The Spanish infantry defended themselves fiercely . The number of Spanish mercenaries was about equal to the first line of the Romans , the hastati . Then Scipio ordered his principes and triarii to march from behind the hastati and attack the flanks of the Spanish mercenaries . The Spanish mercenaries were routed with only a handful managing to escape . Syphax fled back to his kingdom in Numidia , but was pursued by Masinissa and Laelius , who defeated him at the Battle of Cirta , as a result of which he was captured and brought back to the Roman camp as a prisoner . Masinissa was given command of Syphax ' s kingdom , the land from which he had originally been exiled . Aftermath . Following the battle , the Carthaginians had little choice but to sue for peace with Rome . Scipio proposed modest terms for the Carthaginians in a peace treaty , but while the Carthaginians were still considering the treaty , they suddenly decided to recall Hannibal , who had an army of elite veterans loyal to his command , from Italy , for one more stand against Rome . This encounter became the battle of Zama , which ended the second Punic war and completed the legend of Scipio Africanus , who had become one of Rome ' s greatest generals .