that they should slay
horses and men, lest any might return to the fight or renew the battle;
that they could not resist them, before whom a compact body of infantry
had given way." His orders were addressed to by no means deaf ears; by
one charge they routed the entire cavalry, dismounted great numbers, and
killed with their javelins both the men and the horses. This put a
termination to the battle with the cavalry. Then attacking the enemy's
line, they send an account to the consuls of what they had done, where
the enemy's line was now giving way. The news both gave new spirits to
the Romans who were now conquering, and dismayed the AEquans as they were
beginning to give way. They first began to be beaten in the centre,
where the charge of the cavalry had broken their ranks. Then the left
wing began to lose ground before the consul Quintius; there was most
difficulty on the right. Then Agrippa, buoyed up by youth and vigour, on
seeing matters going more favourably in every part of the battle than in
his own quarter, took some of the standards from the standard-bearers
and carried them on himself, some even he began to throw into the thick
of the enemy. The soldiers, urged on by the fear of this disgrace,
attacked the enemy; thus the victory was equalized in every quarter.
News then came from Quintius that he, being now victorious, was about to
attack the enemy's camp; that he was unwilling to break into it before
he learned that they were beaten in the left wing also. If he had routed
the enemy, that he should now join him, that all the army together might
take possession of the booty. Agrippa being victorious came with mutual
congratulations to his victorious colleague and to the enemy's camp.
There being but few to defend it, and these being routed in a moment,
they break into the fortifications without a struggle; and they march
back the army after it obtained a large share of spoil, having recovered
also their own effects, which had been lost by the devastation of the
lands. I have not ascertained that either they themselves demanded a
triumph, nor that such was conferred on them by the senate; nor is any
cause assigned for the honour being either overlooked or not hoped for.
As far as I can conjecture at so great a distance of time, when a
triumph had been refused to the consuls Horatius and Valerius, who, in
addition to the AEquans and Volscians, had gained the glory of finishing
the Sabine war, the consuls were