 121. The Pompeians suffer a Second Reverse |
123. King Juba marches to the Relief of Varus  |
Quā in fugā Fabius Paelignus, mīles quīdam ex Cūriōnis exercitū, agmen fugientium cōnsecūtus, magnā vōce Vārum ita nōmine appellavit, ut ūnus esse ex eius mīlitibus et velle aliquid dicere vidērētur. Ubi autem Vārus saepius appellātus cōnstitit, et quis esset aut quid vellet quaesīvit, tum Fabius eius umerum apertum gladiō appetiit. Quod ille perīculum sublātō scūtō vītāvit; Fabius autem ā proximis mīlitibus circumventus interficitur.
Interim fugientium multitūdine portae castrōrum complētae sunt, atque iter erat ita impeditum, ut plūrēs in eō locō sine vulnere quam in proeliō aut fugā interīrent; nōnnūlli vērō erant adeō perterritī, ut prōtinus eōdem cursū per castra in oppidum ipsum contenderent. At Cūriōnis mīlitēs, ad proelium ēgressī, sēcum nūllam cōpiam portaverant eārum rērum, quae ad oppugnātiōnem castrōrum erant ūsuī. Itaque Cūriō exercitum turn in castra redūcit. Cuius discessu vulnerati e castris hostium in oppidum redūcuntur; quō quidem tempore multī praetereā per simulātiōnem vulnerum propter metum eōdem sese recipiunt. Quā rē animadversā exercitūsque timōre cōgnitō, Varus, būcinātōre tabernāculīsque paucīs in castrīs ad speciem relictīs, tertiā vigiliā reliquum quoque exercitum silentiō in oppidum redūcit.
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This illustration, taken from the carvings on the column of Trajan (see page 40), shows how Roman soldiers, by locking their shields (scuta), formed a solid roof over their heads as they came up under a wall from which the enemy were sending down a shower of missiles.