38.26
The
consul spent two days in making a close inspection of the natural features of
the mountain that he might be familiar with every detail. The next day, after
taking the auspices and offering the sacrifices, he led out his army. It was
formed into four divisions; two of these he intended to take up the middle of
the mountain, the two others were to ascend the sides and take the Gauls in
both flanks. The dispositions of the enemy were as follows: the Tectosagi
and the Trocmi, who formed his main strength, numbering 50,000 men, held
the centre; the cavalry, 10,000 strong, were dismounted as horses were
useless on that broken ground, and formed the right wing; the Cappadocians
under Ariarathes and the Morzian auxiliaries, in all about 4000, were posted
on the left. The consul placed his light infantry in the first line as he had done
in the battle on Olympus, and took care that they should have an equally
ample supply of weapons at hand. When they approached the enemy all the
features of the former battle were reproduced except that the courage of the
one side was raised by their recent victory and that of the other side
depressed, for the enemy though not yet themselves defeated, looked upon
the defeat of their fellow-countrymen as tantamount to their own. As the
battle began, so it ended in the same way. A perfect cloud of missiles
overwhelmed the Gauls. None durst run forward from his entrenchments lest
he should expose his naked body to the certainty of being hit from all sides,
and whilst they remained standing within their lines in close formation, they
received more wounds the more densely they were packed, as though each
man was specially aimed at. The consul thought that the sight of the
standards of the legions would put the already demoralised Gauls to instant
flight, and accordingly he retired the light infantry and other skirmishers
within the ranks of the legions and ordered an advance.
