forehand.
Nor even at this time would they come into closer conflict with the
invaders, but took refuge in the swamps and in the forests, hoping to
exhaust their opponents in some other way, so that the latter as in
the days of Julius Caesar would sail back empty-handed. [-20-] Plautius
accordingly had considerable trouble in searching for them.--They were
not free and independent but were parceled out among various kings.--When
at last he did find them, he conquered first Caratacus and next
Togodumnus, children of Cynobelinus, who was dead. After the flight of
those kings he attached by treaty a portion of the Bodunni, ruled by a
nation of the Catuellani. Leaving a garrison there he advanced farther.
On reaching a certain river, which the barbarians thought the Romans
would not be able to cross without a bridge,--a conviction which led them
to encamp in rather careless fashion on the opposite bank,--he sent ahead
Celtae who were accustomed to swim easily in full armor across the most
turbulent streams. These fell unexpectedly upon the enemy, but instead
of shooting at any of the men confined themselves to wounding the horses
that drew their chariots and consequently in the confusion not even the
mounted warriors could save themselves. Plautius sent across also Fiavius
Vespasian, who afterward obtained the imperial office, and his brother
Sabinus, a lieutenant of his. So they likewise got over the river in some
way and killed numbers of the foe, who were not aware of their approach.
The survivors, however, did not take to flight, and on the next day
joined issue with them again. The two forces were rather evenly matched
until Gnaeus Hosidius Geta, at the risk of being captured, managed to
conquer the barbarians in such a way that he received triumphal honors
without having ever been consul.

Thence the Britons retired to the river Thames at a point near where it
empties into the ocean and the latter's flood-tide forms a lake. This
they crossed easily because they knew where the firm ground in this
locality and the easy passages were; but the Romans in following them up
came to grief at this spot. However, when the Celtae swam across again and
some others had traversed a bridge a little way up stream, they assailed
the barbarians from many sides at once and cut down large numbers of
them. In pursuing the remainder incautiously they got into swamps from
which it was not easy to make one's way out, and in this way lost many