. A great many, when there
remained no more space to run, advancing into the water through the
first shallows of the lake, plunge in, as far as they could stand
above it with their heads and shoulders. Some there were whom
inconsiderate fear induced to try to escape even by swimming; but as
that attempt was inordinate and hopeless, they were either overwhelmed
in the deep water, their courage failing, or, wearied to no purpose,
made their way back, with extreme difficulty, to the shallows; and
there were cut up on all hands by the cavalry of the enemy, which had
entered the water. Near upon six thousand of the foremost body having
gallantly forced their way through the opposing enemy, entirely
unacquainted with what was occurring in their rear, escaped from the
defile; and having halted on a certain rising ground, and hearing only
the shouting and clashing of arms, they could not know nor discern, by
reason of the mist, what was the fortune of the battle. At length, the
affair being decided, when the mist, dispelled by the increasing heat
of the sun, had cleared the atmosphere, then, in the clear light, the
mountains and plains showed their ruin and the Roman army miserably
destroyed; and thus, lest, being descried at a distance, the cavalry
should be sent against them, hastily snatching up their standards,
they hurried away with all possible expedition. On the following day,
when in addition to their extreme sufferings in other respects, famine
also was at hand, Maharbal, who had followed them during the night
with the whole body of cavalry, pledging his honour that he would let
them depart with single garments, if they would deliver up their arms,
they surrendered themselves; which promise was kept by Hannibal with
Punic fidelity, and he threw them all into chains.

7. This is the celebrated battle at the Trasimenus, and recorded among
the few disasters of the Roman people. Fifteen thousand Romans were
slain in the battle. Ten thousand, who had been scattered in the
flight through all Etruria, returned to the city by different roads.
One thousand five hundred of the enemy perished in the battle; many on
both sides died afterwards of their wounds. The carnage on both sides
is related, by some authors, to have been many times greater. I,
besides that I would relate nothing drawn from a worthless source, to
which the minds of historians generally incline too much, have as my
chief authority Fabius, who was contemporary w