my to battle; but though a few were
killed on either side, nothing worthy of note was done. But on the third
day both the armies came down into the plain ready to do battle,
and, while they stood, a hind that fled from a wolf ran down from the
mountains across the plain that lay between the two hosts, and the two
beasts went different ways, the hind among the Gauls and the wolf among
the Romans. The hind, indeed, the Gauls slew, but the Romans gave place
to the wolf to pass through their lines. Then a soldier that stood in
the front rank cried aloud, "Look ye, flight and slaughter go that way
where ye see the hind, a beast that is sacred to the goddess Diana,
lie dead; but to us the wolf of Mars, whom we have left unharmed, is a
pledge of victory, reminding us of him of whose race we come."

On the right wing of the enemy were the Gauls, and on the left the
Samnites, Quintus Fabius being set to fight against these, and Decius
Mus against the Gauls. At the first when the battle was begun the
strength on either side was so equal that, if only the Etrurians or the
men of Umbria had been there, the Romans had doubtless suffered some
great loss either in the field or in the camp. Nevertheless the fashion
of the battle was not the same in both wings. For Fabius and his legions
defended themselves rather than attacked; Fabius judging that the Gauls
and Samnites were most to be feared at their first charge, and that if
only this could be sustained the day would go well with the Romans; the
Samnites growing slack in valour, and the Gauls being unaccustomed to
endure toil and heat for a long space of time, so that at the first they
would fight with more than the strength of men, and at the last with
less than the strength of women. Wherefore he kept the best strength of
his soldiers till such time as the enemy were accustomed to be worsted.
But Decius, being vigorous in body and of a high spirit, used his whole
strength to the utmost in the very beginning of the battle. And because
the foot soldiers seemed to him to fight with a certain slackness, he
brought up the horsemen to their help. Then riding into the midst of one
of the squadrons in which were many youths of noble birth, he cried to
them, saying, "Follow me against the enemy. Ye shall win for yourselves
a double share of glory if the victory shall be first won on this side."
Twice did they put to flight the horsemen of the Gauls; but when they
charged now for a third time