ough Severus had previously not been present at any important battle.
Albinus excelled in rank and in education, but his adversary was superior
in warfare and was a skillful commander. It happened that in a former
battle Albinus had conquered Lupus, one of the generals of Severus, and
had destroyed many of the soldiers attending him. The present conflict
took many shapes and turns. The left wing of Albinus was beaten and sought
refuge behind the rampart, whereupon Severus 's soldiers in their pursuit
burst into the enclosure with them, slaughtered their opponents and
plundered their tents. Meantime the soldiers of Albinus arrayed on the
right wing, who had trenches hidden in front of them and pits in the earth
covered over only on the surface, approached as far as these snares and
hurled javelins from a distance. They did not go very far but turned back
as if frightened, with the purpose of drawing their foes into pursuit.
This actually took place. Severus's men, nettled by their brief charge and
despising them for their retreat after so short an advance, rushed upon
them without a thought that the whole intervening space could not be
easily traversed. When they reached the trenches they were involved in a
fearful catastrophe. The men in the front ranks as soon as the surface
covering broke through fell into the excavations and those immediately
behind stumbled over them, slipped, and likewise fell. The rest crowded
back in terror, their retreat being so sudden that they themselves lost
their footing, upset those in the rear, and pushed them into a deep
ravine. Of course there was a terrible slaughter of these soldiers as well
as of those who had fallen into the trenches, horses and men perishing in
one wild mass. In the midst of this tumult the warriors between the ravine
and the trenches were annihilated by showers of stones and arrows.

Severus seeing this came to their assistance with the Pretorians, but this
step proved of so little benefit that he came near causing the ruin of the
Pretorians and himself ran some risk through the loss of a horse. When he
saw all his men in flight, he tore off his riding cloak and drawing his
sword rushed among the fugitives, hoping either that they would be ashamed
and turn back or that he might himself perish with them. Some did stop
when they saw him in such an attitude, and turned back. Brought in this
way face to face with the men close behind them they cut down not a few of
them