Summer 2000: Week 2

   iv. Poenus ubi, id quod petierat, clausum lacu ac montibus et circumfusum suis copiis habuit hostem, signum omnibus dat simul invadendi. Qui ubi qua cuique proximum fuit decucurrerunt, eo magis Romanis subita atque improvisa res fuit, quod orta ex lacu nebula campo quam montibus densior sederat, agminaque hostium ex pluribus collibus ipsa inter se satis conspecta eoque magis pariter decucurrerant. Romanus clamore prius undique orto quam satis cerneret, se circumventum esse sensit, et ante in frontem lateraque pugnari coeptum est quam satis instrueretur acies aut expediri arma stringique gladii possent.

   4. The Carthaginian, having now gained the point at which he aimed, the Roman being pent up between the mountains and the lake, and surrounded by his troops, immediately gave the signal for the whole to charge at once. They accordingly poured down, everyone by the shortest way they could find, and the surprise was the more sudden and alarming, because a mist, rising from the lake, lay thicker on the low grounds than on the mountains; while the parties of the enemy, seeing each other distinctly enough from the several eminences, were the better able to run down together. The Romans, before they could discover their foe, learned, from the shouts raised on all sides, that they were surrounded; and the attack began on their front and flank, before they could properly form a line, or get ready their arms, and draw their swords.

   v. Consul perculsis omnibus ipse satis ut in re trepida impavidus turbatos ordines-vertente se quoque ad dissonos clamores-instruit ut tempus locusque patitur, et, quacumque adire audirique potest, adhortatur ac stare ac pugnare iubet: nec enim inde votis aut imploratione deum sed vi ac virtute evadendum esse: per medias acies ferro viam fieri et, quo timoris minus sit, eo minus ferme periculi esse. Caeterum prae strepitu ac tumultu nec consilium nec imperium accipi poterat, tantumque aberat ut sua signa atque ordines et locum noscerent, ut vix ad arma capienda aptandaque pugnae competeret animus opprimerenturque quidam onerati magis his quam tecti. Et erat in tanta caligine maior usus aurium quam oculorum: ad gemitus vulnerum ictusque corporum aut armorum et mixtos strepentium paventiumque clamores circumferebant ora oculosque: alii fugientes pugnantium globo illati haerebant, alios redeuntes in pugnam avertebat fugientium agmen. Deinde, ubi in omnes partes nequicquam impetus capti, et ab lateribus montes ac lacus a fronte et ab tergo hostium acies claudebat, apparuitque nullam nisi in dextera ferroque salutis spem esse, tum sibi quisque dux adhortatorque factus ad rem gerendam et nova de integro exorta pugna est-non illa ordinata per principes hastatosque ac triarios, nec ut pro signis antesignani post signa alia pugnaret acies, nec ut in sua legione miles aut cohorte aut manipulo esset: fors conglobat et animus suus cuique ante aut post pugnandi ordinem dabat: tantusque fuit ardor armorum, adeo intentus pugnae animus, ut eum motum terrae, qui multarum urbium Italiae magnas partes prostravit avertitque cursu rapidos amnes, mare fluminibus invexit, montes lapsu ingenti proruit, nemo pugnantium senserit.

   5. In the midst of the general consternation, the consul, perilous as the conjuncture was, showed abundance of intrepidity; he restored, as well as the time and place would allow, the ranks, which were disordered by the men turning themselves about at all the various shouts, and wherever he could come or be heard, encouraged, and charged them to stand ready, and to fight; telling them, that "they must not expect to get clear of their present situation by vows and prayers to the gods, but by strength and courage. By the sword men opened a way through the midst of embattled foes; and, in general the less fear the less danger." But such was the noise and tumult, that neither his counsel or commands could be heard with distinctness; and so far were the soldiers from knowing each his own standard, his rank and post that scarcely had they sufficient presence of mind to take up their arms, and get ready for fighting, so that many, while they were rather encumbered than defended by them, were overpowered by the enemy. Besides, the darkness was so great, that they had more use of their ears than of their eyes. The groans of the wounded, the sound of blows on the men's bodies or armor, with the confused cries of threatening and terror, drew attention from one side to another. Some attempting to fly, were stopped by running against the party engaged in fight; others, returning to the fight, were driven back by a body of runaways. At length, after they had made many fruitless essays in every quarter, and enclosed, as they were, by the mountains and the lake on the sides, by the enemy's forces on the front and rear, they evidently perceived that there was no hope of safety but in their valor and weapons. Everyone's own thoughts then supplied the place of command and exhortation to exertion, and the action began anew, with fresh vigor; but the troops were not marshalled according to the distinct bodies of the different orders of soldiers, nor so disposed, that the vanguard should fight before the standards, and the rest of the troops behind them; or that each soldier was in his own legion, or cohort, or company: chance formed their bands, and every man's post in the battle, either before or behind the standards, was fixed by his own choice. So intense was the ardor of the engagement so eagerly was their attention occupied by the fight, that not one of the combatants perceived a great earthquake, which, at the time, overthrew large portions of many of the cities of Italy, turned rapid rivers out of their courses, carried up the sea into the rivers, and by the violence of the convulsion, levelled mountains.

   vi. Tres ferme horas pugnatum est et ubique atrociter. Circa consulem tamen acrior infestiorque pugna est: eum et robora virorum sequebantur, et ipse, quacumque in parte premi ac laborare senserat suos, impigre ferebat opem: insignemque armis et hostes summa vi petebant et tuebantur cives, donec Insuber eques-Ducario nomen erat-facie quoque noscitans consulem "En" inquit, "hic est" popularibus suis, "qui legiones nostras cecidit agrosque et urbem est depopulatus! Iam ego hanc victimam Manibus peremptorum foede civium dabo:" subditisque calcaribus equo per confertissimam hostium turbam impetum facit, obtruncatoque prius armigero, qui se infesto venienti obviam obiecerat, consulem lancea transfixit: spoliare cupientem triarii obiectis scutis arcuere. Magnae partis fuga inde primum coepit: et iam nec lacus nec montes pavori obstabant: per omnia arcta praeruptaque velut caeci evadunt, armaque et viri super alium alii praecipitantur. Pars magna, ubi locus fugae deest, per prima vada paludis in aquam progressi, quoad capitibus humerisque exstare possunt, sese immergunt: fuere, quos inconsultus pavor nando etiam capessere fugam impulerit, quae ubi immensa ac sine spe erat, aut deficientibus animis hauriebantur gurgitibus, aut nequicquam fessi vada retro aegerrime repetebant, atque ibi ab ingressis aquam hostium equitibus passim trucidabantur. Sex millia ferme primi agminis per adversos hostes eruptione impigre facta, ignari omnium quae post se agerentur, ex saltu evasere, et quum in tumulo quodam constitissent, clamorem modo ac sonum armorum audientes, quae fortuna pugnae esset, neque scire nec perspicere prae caligine poterant. Inclinata denique re quum incalescente sole dispulsa nebula aperuisset diem, tum liquida iam luce montes campique perditas res stratamque ostendere foede Romanam aciem. Itaque, ne in conspectos procul immitteretur eques, sublatis raptim signis quam citatissimo poterant agmine sese abripuerunt.

   6. They fought for near three hours, and furiously in every part: but round the consul the battle was particularly hot and bloody. The ablest of the men attended him, and he was himself surprisingly active in supporting his troops, wherever he saw them pressed, or in need of assistance; and, as he was distinguished above others by his armor, the enemy pointed their utmost efforts against him, while his own men defended him with equal vigor. At length, an Insubrian horseman, (his name Decario) knowing his face, called out to his countrymen, "Behold, this is the consul, who cut to pieces our legions, and depopulated our country and city. I will now offer this victim to the shades of my countrymen, who lost their lives in that miserable manner;" then, giving spurs to his horse, he darted through the thickest of the enemy; and, after first killing his armor-bearer, who threw himself in the way of the attack, ran the consul through with his lance. He then attempted to spoil him of his arms, but the veterans, covering the body with their shields, drove him back. This event first caused a great number of the troops to fly; and now, so great was their panic, that neither lake nor mountain stopped them; through every place, however narrow or steep, they ran with blind haste, and arms, and men were tumbled together to promiscuous disorder. Great numbers, finding no room for farther flight, pushed into the lake, and plunged themselves in such a manner, that only their heads and shoulders were above water. The violence of their fears impelled some to make the desperate attempt to escape by swimming; but this proving impracticable, on account of the great extent of the lake, they either exhausted their strength, and were drowned in the deep, or, after fatiguing themselves to no purpose, made their way back, with the utmost difficulty, to the shallows, and were there slain, wherever they appeared, by the enemy's horsemen wading into the same. About six thousand of the vanguard, bravely forcing their way through the opposite enemy, got clear of the defile, and knowing nothing of what was passing behind them, halting on a rising ground, where they could only hear the shouting, and the din of arms, but could not see, by reason of the darkness, nor judge, with any certainty, as to the fortune of the day. At length, after the victory was decided, the increasing heat of the sun dispelling the mist, the prospect was opened. The mountains and the plains showed the desperate condition of their affairs, and the shocking carnage of the Roman army: wherefore, lest on their being seen at a distance, the cavalry should be sent against them, they hastily raised their standards, and hurried away with all possible speed.