e. Not a few children and women and a large body of servants were
following them,--another reason for their advancing in scattered groups.
Meanwhile a great rain and wind came up that separated them still
farther, while the ground, being slippery where there were roots and
logs, made walking very difficult for them, and the top branches of
trees, which kept breaking off and falling down, caused confusion. While
the Romans were in such perplexity as this the barbarians suddenly
encompassed them from all sides at once, coming through the thickest part
of the underbrush, since they were acquainted with the paths. At first
they hurled from a distance; then as no one defended himself but many
were wounded, they approached closer to them. The Romans were in no order
but going along helter-skelter among the wagons and the unarmed, and so,
not being able to form readily in a body, and being fewer at every point
than their assailants, they suffered greatly and offered no resistance
at all. [-21-] Accordingly, they encamped on the spot, after securing
a suitable place so far as that was possible on a wooded mountain, and
afterward they either burned or abandoned the majority of their wagons
and everything else that was not absolutely necessary for them. The next
day they advanced in better order, with the aim of reaching open country;
but they did not gain it without loss. From there they went forward and
plunged into the woods again, defending themselves against the attacks,
but endured no inconsiderable reverses in this very operation. For
whereas they were marshaled in a narrow place in order that cavalry
and heavy-armed men in a mass might run down their foes, they had many
collisions with one another and with the trees. Dawn of the fourth day
broke as they were advancing and again a violent downpour and mighty wind
attacked them, which would not allow them to go forward or even to stand
securely, and actually deprived them of the use of their weapons. They
could not manage successfully their arrows or their javelins or, indeed,
their shields (which were soaked through). The enemy, however, being for
the most part lightly equipped and with power to approach and retire
freely, suffered less from the effects of the storm. _Their_ numbers,
moreover, increased, as numbers of those who had at first wavered joined
them particularly for the sake of plunder, and so they could more easily
encircle and strike down the Romans, who were alr