advance guard of the Roman army, which
numbered thirty thousand men. Overcome by panic, the Romans fled and
disbanded at the first encounter. They were closely followed from
valley to valley, and slain in such numbers that scarcely one third of
them reached the walls of Aurelian in safety. The local memories of
the battle still survive, after a lapse of eight centuries; the valley
which leads from the villa of Q. Voconius Pollio (Sassone) to Marino
being still called by the peasantry "la valle dei morti."

On the following day an embassy was sent to Archbishop Christian and
Count Raynone begging leave to bury the dead. The permission was
granted, with the humiliating clause that the number of dead and
missing should be reported at Tusculum. The legend says that the
number ascertained was fifteen thousand, which is an exaggeration.
Contemporary historians speak of only two thousand dead and three
thousand prisoners, who were sent to Viterbo. The chronicle of
Sikkardt adds that the Romans were encamped near Monte Porzio; that
the battle lasted only two hours, and that the dead were buried in the
church of S. Stefano, at the second milestone of the Via Latina, with
the following inscription:--

MILLE DECEM DECIES ET SEX DECIES QVOQVE
SENI,--

which, if genuine, proves that the number of killed in battle was only
eleven hundred and sixty-six, that is, 1,000+100+60+6.

The connection of the Mausoleum of Augustus with this mediaeval battle
of Cannae is easily explained. The mausoleum had been selected by the
Colonnas for their stronghold in the Campus Martius, and it was for
their interest to keep it in good repair. As happens in cases of
crushing defeats, when the succumbing party must find an excuse and an
opportunity for revenge, the powerful Colonnas were accused of high
treason, namely, of having led the advance-guard of the Romans into an
ambush. Consequently they were banished from the city, and their
castle on the Campus Martius was destroyed. Thus perished the
Mausoleum of Augustus.

The history of its ruins, however, does not end with the events just
described. Most important of all, they are associated with the fate of
Cola di Rienzo. His biographer, in Book III. ch. xxiv., says that the
body of the Tribune was allowed to remain unburied, for two days and
one night, on some steps near S. Marcello. Giugurta and Sciarretta
Colonna, leaders of the aristocratic faction, ordered the body to be
dra