rst advanced to
Mount Olympus. He led his troops to attack the Gaulish position in three
columns; the principal column, under his own orders, was to advance on
the Gauls in front, the other two were to try and turn their position on
either flank. The column which he led first engaged.

"His _velites_ advanced in front of the standards, with the Cretan
archers of Attalus, the slingers, and the corps of Trulles and of
the Thracians. The infantry of the legions followed with slow
steps, as the steepness of the declivity rendered necessary,
sheltered beneath their bucklers, so as to avoid stones and arrows.
At a considerable distance the combat began with discharges of
arrows, and at first with equal success. The Gauls had the
advantage in position, the Romans in the number and variety of
their arms. The action continued, the equality no longer remained.
The narrow and flat bucklers of the Gauls protected them
insufficiently: soon having expended their darts and javelins, they
found themselves altogether disarmed: for at that distance their
sabres were useless. As they had made no selection of flints and
stones beforehand, they seized the first which chance threw in
their way, which were for the most part too large to be easily
wielded, or for inexperienced arms to throw with effect. The
Romans, meanwhile, poured down upon them a murderous hail of
arrows, javelins, and leaden balls, which wounded them, without
their having any possibility of avoiding the approach. * * * * A
great number had bit the dust, others adopted the course of rushing
right on the enemy, and they, at least, did not perish unavenged.
It was the corps of the Roman _velites_ who did them most harm.
These _velites_ carried on their left arm a buckler three feet in
size, in their right hand javelins, which they threw from afar, at
their girdle a Spanish sword; when it was necessary to engage in
close contact, they transferred their javelins to the left hand,
and drew their sword. Few Gauls now remained on foot: seeing then
the legions advance to the charge, they fled precipitately to their
camp, which the alarm of the multitude of women, children and old
men who were shut up within it, already filled with tumult and
confusion."--(I. 373-376.)

The other two columns had, from the difficult nature of the