assus trusted most to them, and with them indeed he did wonderful
feats; for the Gauls, laying hold of the long spears, and closing with
the Parthians, pushed them from their horses, the men, owing to the
weight of their armour, being unable to stir themselves; and many of
the Gauls, quitting their own horses, and slipping under those of the
enemy, wounded them in the belly, and the horses springing up through
pain, and, at the same time, trampling on their riders and the enemy,
fell dead. The Gauls were most oppressed by the heat and thirst, being
unaccustomed to both, and they had lost most of their horses by
driving them against the long spears. They were, therefore, compelled
to retreat to the legionary soldiers, taking with them Publius, who
was badly wounded. Seeing a sandy eminence near, they retreated to it,
and fastened their horses in the middle, and closing in their front by
close-locking their shields, they thought they could thus more easily
repel the enemy: but it turned out just the other way; for, while they
were on the level ground, the front ranks did, in some sort, give
relief to those who were behind; but on this spot, which raised the
men one above another, by reason of the inequality of the ground, and
placed every one who was in the rear above the man in front of him,
there was no one who could escape, and they were all alike exposed to
the missiles, lamenting their inglorious and unresisting death. There
were with Publius two Greeks, who belonged to the dwellers in those
parts in Carrhae,[79] Hieronymus and Nikomachus, both of whom attempted
to persuade Publius to retire with them, and to make his escape to
Ichnae[80] a city which had taken the side of the Romans, and was not
far off. But he replied that no death was so dreadful as to make
Publius, through fear of it, desert those who were losing their lives
for his sake, and bade them save themselves, and taking leave of them,
he allowed them to go: himself being unable to use his hand
effectually, for it was pierced by an arrow, presented his side to his
shield-bearer[81] and ordered him to despatch him with his sword. They
say that Censorinus perished in the same way, and that Megabacchus
killed himself, and all the rest of the most distinguished men. The
Parthians, ascending the hill, transfixed with their spears the
survivors; and it is said that not more than five hundred were taken
prisoners. The Parthians, cutting off the head of Publius, i