The army's composition prompts a warning about excessive dependence on mercenaries. The comparison turns to the defeat of Scipio's father's army, which is described as too heavily dominated by hired troops. That experience is then used to explain Scipio's dislike of relying on mercenaries. The passage ties a campaign recruitment choice to a specific Roman lesson from the Punic Wars.
Notable Point · 1:29:24-1:29:42
The risks of a mercenary-heavy Carthaginian army
The campaign's reliance on hired troops leads to a brief historical comparison with Roman distrust of mercenary-dominated armies.