e Parthians. But the Parthians, who
were manoeuvring about Crassus, either because they fell in with some
marshes,[76] as some say, or because it was their design to attack
Crassus when they had drawn him as far as they could from his father,
turned round and fled. On this Crassus, calling out that the Parthians
did not stand their ground, advanced with Censorinus and
Megabacchus,[77] of whom Megabacchus was distinguished for courage and
strength, and Censorinus[78] was a senator and a powerful speaker,
both of them companions of Crassus, and about the same age. The
cavalry pursued the enemy, nor did the infantry allow themselves to be
left behind, being full of alacrity and hope of victory; for they
thought that they were victorious and in pursuit: but they had not
gone far before they perceived the stratagem; for the Parthians, who
were supposed to be flying, began to face about, and others, in
greater numbers, joined them. Upon this the Romans halted, thinking
that the enemy would come to close quarters with them, as they were
only few in number. But the Parthians placing their mailed horsemen in
the front, to oppose the Romans, rode about them with the rest of the
cavalry dispersed, and, by trampling the ground, they raised from the
bottom heaps of sand, which threw up such an immense cloud of dust
that the Romans could neither see clearly nor speak; and, being driven
into a narrow compass, and falling one on another, they were wounded
and died no easy nor yet a speedy death, for tortured with violent
convulsions and pain, and writhing with the arrows in them, they
broke them in the wounds, and, by trying to pull out by force the
barbed points, which had pierced through their veins and nerves, they
increased the evil by breaking the arrows, and thus injured
themselves. Many thus fell, and the survivors also were unable to
fight; for, when Publius encouraged them to attack the mailed
horsemen, they showed him that their hands were nailed to their
shields, and their feet fastened right through to the ground, so that
they were unable either to fly or to defend themselves. However,
Publius cheering the cavalry, made a vigorous attack with them, and
closed with the enemy; but the Romans were under a disadvantage, both
as to attack and defence, striking with small and feeble spears
against breastplates of raw hide and iron, and receiving the blows of
long spears on the lightly-equipped and bare bodies of the Gauls, for
Cr