29.2
.The
Roman commanders, L. Lentulus and L. Manlius Acidinus, were determined
not to let the war spread through any remissness on their part. They united
their forces and marched with their combined strength through the
Ausetanian territory, inflicting no injury on either the hostile or the peaceable
districts, until they came to where the enemy was encamped. They fixed their
own camp at a distance of three miles from that of the enemy, and sent
envoys to persuade him to lay down his arms. When, however, the Spanish
horse attacked a party of foragers, cavalry supports were at once hurried up
from the Roman outposts, and a skirmish took place without any special
advantage to either side. On the morrow the whole of the Spanish army
marched under arms and in battle formation to within a mile of the Roman
camp. The Ausetani formed the centre, the Ilergetes were on the right and
the left was made up of various nameless tribes. Between the wings and the
centre open spaces were left, wide enough to allow of the cavalry charging
through when the right moment arrived. The Roman line was formed in the
usual way, except that they so far copied the enemy as to leave spaces
between the legions for their cavalry also to pass through. Lentulus,
however, saw that this disposition would be of advantage to that side only
who were the first to send their cavalry through the wide gaps in the
opposing line. Accordingly he gave the military tribune, Servius Cornelius,
orders to send his cavalry at full speed through the openings. He himself,
finding that his infantry were making no progress, and that the twelfth
legion, who were on the left, opposed to the Ilergetes, were beginning to
give ground, brought up the thirteenth legion who were in reserve to their
support. As soon as the battle was restored in this quarter he rode up to L.
Manlius, who was at the front encouraging his men and bringing up
assistance wherever it was required, and pointed out to him that all was safe
on his left and that S. Cornelius, acting under his orders, would soon envelop
the enemy with a whirlwind of cavalry. He had hardly said this when the
Roman cavalry charging into the middle of the enemy threw his infantry into
confusion, and at the same time barred the passage for the Spanish horse.
These, finding themselves unable to act as cavalry, dismounted and fought
on foot. When the Roman commanders saw the enemy's ranks in disorder,
confusion and panic spreading and the standards swaying to and fro, they
appealed to their men to break up the enemy while thus shaken and not let
them re-form their line. The barbarians would not have withstood the furious
attack which followed had not Indibilis and his dismounted cavalry placed
themselves in front to screen the infantry. There was very violent fighting for
some time, neither side giving way. The king though half dead kept his
ground till he was pinned to the earth by a javelin, and then those who were
fighting round him were at last overwhelmed beneath showers of missiles. A
general flight began and the carnage was all the greater because the troopers
had no time to recover their horses, and the Romans never relaxed the
pursuit until they had stripped the enemy of his camp. 13,000 Spaniards were
killed on that day and about 1800 prisoners taken. Of the Romans and allies
a little more than 200 fell, mainly on the left wing. The Spaniards who had
been routed on the field or driven out of their camp, dispersed amongst the
fields, and finally returned to their respective communities.