Book 2
34
Between the two lines there was, as explained above, a valley, not very large, but with a difficult and steep ascent. Each commander was waiting to see whether the enemy’s forces would attempt to cross this, in order that he might join battle on more level ground. At the same time on the left wing the whole cavalry force of P. Attius and a number of light-armed troops placed among them were seen as they were descending into the valley. Against them Curio sends his cavalry and two cohorts of the Marrucini. Their first charge the enemy’s horse failed to withstand, but fled back at a gallop to their comrades. The light-armed men who had advanced with them, being abandoned by them, were surrounded and slain by our men. The whole of Varus’ array turned and saw their men being cut down in flight. Then Rebilus, Caesar’s legate, whom Curio had brought with him from Sicily, knowing him to be possessed of great experience in warfare, said: You see the enemy panic-stricken, Curio: why do you hesitate to use the opportunity of the moment? Curio, merely exclaiming that the troops should bear in mind the assurances that they had given him the day before, bids them follow him and hurries ahead of them all. Now the valley was so difficult that the front men could not easily win their way up unless assisted by their comrades. But the minds of the Attian soldiers, preoccupied by their fear and the flight and slaughter of their comrades, never gave a thought to resistance, and they all imagined that they were being already surrounded by cavalry. And so before a weapon could be cast or our men could approach nearer, the whole of Varus’ line turned to flight and withdrew to the camp.
