it belonged. At a certain day there
came forth a Gaul of exceeding great stature and stood upon the bridge,
crying with a loud voice, "Hear now, ye men of Rome, let the bravest
man that ye have among you come forth, and let him fight with me; and
according as I shall prevail over him, or he prevail over me, so shall
we know whether Gauls or Romans are the better in war."

For a long time there was silence among the Roman people, for they were
ashamed to refuse the battle, yet were loath to take the very first
place in this great peril. Then Titus Manlius, the son of Lucius, came
forth, and said to the Dictator, "I would never fight out of my due
place in the host without thy bidding, not even though I should see
victory clearly assured. But now, if thou wilt suffer me, I would gladly
show to that brute beast that shows himself so confidently before the
standards of the enemy that I am of the name of Manlius and of the
kindred of him that drave down the Gauls from the Capitol." To him the
Dictator made answer, "Thou doest well, Manlius, with thy valour and thy
piety, both towards thy country and thy father. Go thou and show, the
Gods helping thee, that a Roman cannot be conquered." Then his comrades
armed the youth, giving him the long shield of a foot soldier and a
Spanish sword, which, for its shortness, was well suited for fighting in
close combat. Then they led him forward against the Gaul; and even noted
how, for scorn of his enemy, the barbarian thrust out his tongue. So the
two stood together between the armies, being ill matched, if one would
judge by the appearance. The Gaul, indeed, was of exceedingly great
stature, and was clad in a garment of many colours, and his arms were
painted and inlaid with gold. As for the Roman, he was of the middle
stature, such as is commonly to be seen among soldiers, his bearing
being without pride, and his arms fitted for use rather than for show.
He used no song of defiance, nor leaping from the ground, nor idle
shaking of his arms; but kept his courage and wrath silent within his
heart, nor showed his fierceness till the combat itself should need
it. So they stood, and the two armies regarded them with hope and fear.
First the Gaul, being like to some great mass that was ready to crush
everything under it, thrusting forward his shield on his left arm, dealt
a great blow on the armour of Manlius with his sword, striking with the
edge (for the swords of the Gauls had no points),