The Battle of Oroscopa was fought between a Carthaginian army of more than 30,000 men commanded by the general Hasdrubal and a Numidian force of unknown size under its king, Masinissa.

Amid considerable fighting Masinissa lured the Carthaginians into an area of rough terrain with limited water sources, where foraging for food was difficult, and surrounded them.

In the mid-2nd century BC Rome was the dominant power in the Mediterranean region,[1] and Carthage was a large city-state in the north east of what is now modern Tunisia.

Many senior Carthaginians wanted to reject the treaty, but Hannibal spoke strongly in its favour and it was accepted in spring 201 BC.

[10] At the end of the Second Punic War Masinissa, an ally of Rome, emerged as by far the most powerful ruler among the Numidians, the indigenous population which controlled much of what is now Algeria and Tunisia.

Rome always backed Masinissa and refused to act or to give permission for Carthage to take military action to defend its territory.

[12] Masinissa's seizures of Carthaginian land and settlements became increasingly flagrant,[13] extending to major towns and important ports.

The Numidians deliberately lured the Carthaginians on, into an area of rough going where water sources were limited and foraging for food was difficult.

It is possible that the fighting largely consisted of cavalry charging and counter-charging while hurling javelins at each other, and that little hand-to-hand combat took place.

With no firewood to burn to make this diet more palatable, the Carthaginians burnt the wooden components of their shields and other equipment.

[18] During his long reign Masinissa had created a well-disciplined army with more efficient logistics than when the Carthaginians had last fought him, 50 years before.

[17] The casualties suffered by the Carthaginians are also unclear: Harris states that "very few returned home",[17] Nigel Bagnall writes of "few survivors"[13] and Adrian Goldsworthy that "many [were] cut down".

[20] The Numidians took over the Campi Magni (Great Plains) region and the town of Thusca (modern Sers) in what is now north western Tunisia.

[31] At the annual election of Roman magistrates in early 147 BC Scipio Aemilianus was appointed consul and commander in Africa.

[32] In the spring of 146 BC Scipio launched the Romans' final assault and over six days systematically destroyed the city and killed its inhabitants.