ootnote: _P.
Cornelius Anullinus._] commanded the army of Severus, whereas Niger was
with his own ranks and marshaled them for war. This pass, the Cilician
"Gates", [Footnote: Compare Xenophon's _Anabasis_, I, 4, 4-5.] is so
named on account of its narrowness. On the one side rise precipitous
mountains, and on the other sheer cliffs descend to the sea. So Niger had
here made a camp on a strong hill, and he put in front heavy-armed
soldiers, next the javelin slingers and stone throwers, and behind all the
archers. His purpose was that the foremost might thrust back such as
assailed them in hand-to-hand conflict, while the others from a distance
might be able to bring their force into play over the heads of the others.
The detachment on the left and that on the right were defended by the
sea-crags and by the forest, which had no issue. This is the way in which
he arranged his army, and he stationed the beasts of burden close to it,
in order that none of them should be able to flee in case they should wish
it. Anullinus after making all this out placed in advance the heavier part
of his force and behind it his entire light-armed contingent, to the end
that the latter, though discharging their weapons from a distance might
still retard the progress of the enemy, while the solidity of the advance
guard rendered the upward passage safe for them. The cavalry he sent with
Valerianus, bidding him, so far as he could, go around the forest and
unexpectedly fall upon the troops of Niger from the rear. When they came
to close quarters, the soldiers of Sevents placed some of their shields in
front of them and held some above their heads, making a testudo, and in
this formation they approached the enemy. So the battle was a drawn one
for a long while, but eventually Niger's men got decidedly the advantage
both by their numbers and by the topography of the country. They would
have been entirely victorious, had not clouds gathered out of a clear sky
and a wind arisen from a perfect calm, while there were crashes of thunder
and sharp flashes of lightning and a violent rain beat in their faces.
This did not trouble Severus's troops because it was behind them, but
threw Niger's men into great confusion since it came right against them.
Most important of all, the opportune character of this occurrence infused
courage in the one side, which believed it was aided by Heaven, and fear
in the other, which felt that the supernatural was warring agai