40.
The camp-followers run forward to the nearest rising ground; being speedily
driven from this they throw themselves among the standards and companies: they
thus so much the more alarm the soldiers already affrighted. Some propose that,
forming a wedge, they suddenly break through, since the camp was so near; and if
any part should be surrounded and slain, they fully trust that at least the rest
may be saved; others, that they take their stand on an eminence, and all undergo
the same destiny. The veteran soldiers whom we stated to have set out together
[with the others] under a standard, do not approve of this. Therefore
encouraging each other, under the conduct of Caius Trebonius, a
Roman knight, who had been appointed over them,
they break through the midst of the enemy, and arrive in the camp safe to a man.
The camp attendants and the horse following close upon them with the same
impetuosity, are saved by the courage of the soldiers. But those who had taken
their stand upon the eminence having even now acquired no experience of military
matters, neither could persevere in that resolution which they approved of,
namely, to defend themselves from their higher position, nor imitate that vigor
and speed which they had observed to have availed others; but, attempting to
reach the camp, had descended into an unfavorable situation. The centurions,
some of whom had been promoted for their valor from the lower ranks of other
legions to higher ranks in this legion, in order that they might not forfeit
their glory for military exploits previously acquired, fell together fighting
most valiantly. The enemy having been dislodged by their valor, a part of the
soldiers arrived safe in camp contrary to their expectations; a part perished,
surrounded by the barbarians.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.