ad come so
far in order to fight, and his soldiers were impatient to be led against
the enemy. They had gained confidence from the experience of the year
before--they were hungry as wolves for the honour of victory. They knew
that upon their valour depended the lives of their fellow-soldiers, who
had been fighting for well nigh four years against tremendous odds away
west in Strathearn. And when the Caledonians came on, Agricola promptly
advanced to meet them, having 8000 auxiliaries in his first line,
protected on the wings by 3000 cavalry. The legionaries were stationed
behind these--veteran Roman soldiers, upon whose steadiness he could rely
if there should come repulse and panic. The rampart at Meikleour was in
the rear of the reserve force--to serve as a last defence if the worst
happened. Agricola himself went to the front with the colours. As
usual, the battle began with a discharge of missiles from a distance.
The darts and stones flew thick, and all the while the Caledonians were
edging away to right and left in the hope of surrounding the Romans.
Agricola strained his thin line almost to breaking point, but his
opponents had the advantage of numbers, and still pressed him. The
danger of a gaping centre grew imminent. The crisis of the conflict
came. Three Batavian and two Tungrian cohorts charged sword in hand.
The issue was not long in doubt. The small shields and long swords of
the Caledonians were ill-fitted to encounter the straight home-thrust of
the finely-tempered blade, 19 inches in length, with which the Roman
soldiers were armed. They wavered, and then the end came quickly. The
whole line of the auxiliaries charged uphill and carried everything
before them, and although the war chariots, armed with scythe-blades,
were brought into action, they did more harm than good. The ground was
rough, and unsuitable for the effective use of these murderous weapons of
warfare. Their own men, now in hopeless confusion, were the chief
sufferers from them. And although the Caledonian reserve succeeded in
getting behind the Roman first line, they were promptly checked by a
cavalry attack. It was never necessary to bring the Roman reserves of
legionary soldiers into action. The fight was over, and the Caledonians
sought safety in headlong flight among the morasses which stretched
westward in the direction of the Grampian range.

Agricola did not push his advantage further. He was content with the
vi