on the left wing of the Romans; on the right, Fabius
had at first protracted the time, as we mentioned above,
in slow operations, then, as soon as he perceived
that neither the shout, nor the efforts of the enemy,
nor the weapons which they threw, retained their former
force, having ordered the commanders of the cavalry
to lead round their squadrons to the flank of the Samnites,
so that, on receiving the signal, they should charge
them in flank, with all possible violence, he commanded,
at the same time, his infantry to advance leisurely,
and drive the enemy from their ground. When he
saw that they were unable to make resistance, and
that their exhaustion was certain, drawing together
all his reserves, whom he had kept fresh for that
occasion, he made a brisk push with the legions, and
gave the cavalry the signal to charge. The Samnites
could not support the shock, but fled precipitately
to their camp, passing by the line of the Gauls, and
leaving their allies to fight by themselves. These
stood in close order under cover of their shields.
Fabius, therefore, having heard of the death of his
colleague, ordered the squadron of Campanian cavalry,
in number about five hundred, to fall back from the
ranks, and riding round, to attack the rear of the
Gallic line, then the chief strength of the third
legion to follow, with directions that wherever they
should see the enemy’s troops disordered by the
charge, to follow the blow, and cut them to pieces,
when in a state of consternation. After vowing
a temple and the spoils of the enemy to Jupiter the
Victorious, he proceeded to the camp of the Samnites,
whither all their forces were hurrying in confusion.
The gates not affording entrance to such very great
numbers, those who were necessarily excluded, attempted
resistance just at the foot of the rampart, and here
fell Gellius Egnatius, the Samnite general. These,
however, were soon driven within the rampart; the camp
was taken after a slight resistance; and at the same
time the Gauls were attacked on the rear, and overpowered.
There were slain of the enemy on that day twenty-five
thousand: eight thousand were taken prisoners.
Nor was the victory an unbloody one; for, of the army
of Publius Decius, the killed amounted to seven thousand;
of the army of Fabius, to one thousand two hundred.
Fabius, after sending persons to search for the body
of his colleague, had the spoils of the enemy collected
into a heap, and burned them as an offering to Jupiter
the Victorious. The consul’s body could
not be found that day, being hid under a heap of slaughtered
Gauls: on the following, it was discovered and
brought to the camp, amidst abundance of tears shed
by the soldiers. Fabius, discarding all concern
about any other business, solemnized the obsequies
of his colleague in the most honourable manner, passing
on him the high encomiums which he had justly merited.