o spot to which our ranks could fall
back to deploy, while they were so closely packed that it was impossible
to escape by forcing a way through them, our men at last began to
despise death, and again took to their swords and slew all they
encountered, while with mutual blows of battle-axes, helmets and
breastplates were dashed in pieces.

4. Then you might see the barbarian towering in his fierceness, hissing
or shouting, fall with his legs pierced through, or his right hand cut
off, sword and all, or his side transfixed, and still, in the last gasp
of life, casting round him defiant glances. The plain was covered with
carcases, strewing the mutual ruin of the combatants; while the groans
of the dying, or of men fearfully wounded, were intense, and caused
great dismay all around.

5. Amidst all this great tumult and confusion, our infantry were
exhausted by toil and danger, till at last they had neither strength
left to fight, nor spirits to plan anything; their spears were broken by
the frequent collisions, so that they were forced to content themselves
with their drawn swords, which they thrust into the dense battalions of
the enemy, disregarding their own safety, and seeing that every
possibility of escape was cut off from them.

6. The ground, covered with streams of blood, made their feet slip, so
that all that they endeavoured to do was to sell their lives as dearly
as possible; and with such vehemence did they resist their enemies who
pressed on them, that some were even killed by their own weapons. At
last one black pool of blood disfigured everything, and wherever the eye
turned, it could see nothing but piled-up heaps of dead, and lifeless
corpses trampled on without mercy.

7. The sun being now high in the heavens, having traversed the sign of
Leo, and reached the abode of the heavenly Virgo, scorched the Romans,
who were emaciated by hunger, worn out with toil, and scarcely able to
support even the weight of their armour. At last our columns were
entirely beaten back by the overpowering weight of the barbarians, and
so they took to disorderly flight, which is the only resource in
extremity, each man trying to save himself as well as he could.

8. While they were all flying and scattering themselves over roads with
which they were unacquainted, the emperor, bewildered with terrible
fear, made his way over heaps of dead, and fled to the battalions of the
Lancearii and the Mattiarii, who, till the superio