Liv. 22.44.1Cōnsulēs satis explōrātīs itineribus sequentēs Poenum, ut ventum ad Cannās est et in cōnspectū Poenum habēbant, bīna castra commūniunt eōdem ferme intervallō, quō ad Gereonium, sīcut ante cōpiīs dīvīsīs.The consuls, having reconnoitred the routes well enough as they followed the Carthaginian, when they reached Cannae and had the Carthaginian in sight, fortify two camps at about the same distance apart as at Gereonium, dividing their forces as before. Liv. 22.44.2Aufidus amnis utrīsque castrīs adfluēns aditum aquātōribus ex suā cuiusque opportūnitāte haud sine certāmine dabat;The river Aufidus, flowing past both camps, gave access to the water-carriers as suited each side, though not without fighting; Liv. 22.44.3ex minōribus tamen castrīs, quae posita trāns Aufidum erant, līberius aquābantur Rōmānī, quia rīpa ulterior nūllum habēbat hostium praesidium.from the smaller camp, however, which had been placed across the Aufidus, the Romans fetched water more freely, because the farther bank had no enemy guard. Liv. 22.44.4Hannibal spem nanctus locīs nātīs ad equestrem pugnam, quā parte vīrium invictus erat, factūrōs cōpiam pugnandī cōnsulēs, dērigit aciem lacessitque Numidārum prōcursātiōne hostīs.Hannibal, having gained hope that the consuls would give him the chance of a fight on ground made for a cavalry battle, the part of his strength in which he was unbeaten, draws up his line and provokes the enemy with sallies of the Numidians.
Liv. 22.44.5Inde rūrsus sollicitārī sēditiōne mīlitārī ac discordiā cōnsulum Rōmāna castra, cum Paulus Semprōniīque et Flāminī temeritātem Varrōnī, Varrō Paulō speciōsum timidīs ac segnibus ducibus exemplum Fabium obiceret, testārēturque deōs hominēsque hīc, nūllam penes sē culpam esse, quod Hannibal iam velut ūsū cēpisset Ītaliam: sē cōnstrictum ā collēgā tenērī;Then the Roman camp began again to be troubled by mutiny among the soldiers and by the discord of the consuls, since Paulus cast up at Varro the rashness of Sempronius and Flaminius, and Varro held up Fabius to Paulus as a fine-sounding model for timid and sluggish generals, and called gods and men to witness, he for his part, that no blame lay with him that Hannibal had now, as it were, acquired Italy by long possession: he was held bound by his colleague; Liv. 22.44.6ferrum atque arma īrātīs et pugnāre cupientibus adimī mīlitibus;sword and arms were being taken from soldiers who were angry and eager to fight; Liv. 22.44.7ille, sī quid prōiectīs ac prōditīs ad incōnsultam atque inprōvidam pugnam legiōnibus accideret, sē omnis culpae exsortem, omnis ēventūs participem fore dīceret: vidēret, ut, quibus lingua prompta ac temerāria, aequē in pugnā vigērent manūs.the other said that if anything happened to the legions, flung out and betrayed into an ill-considered and improvident battle, he would be free of all blame but would share in every outcome: let Varro see to it that those whose tongues were ready and reckless had hands equally vigorous in battle.