part reluctantly, as if compelled by necessity
and religious dread, rather stood on their defence, than made an
attack. Nor would they, familiarized as they were to defeats, through
a course of so many years, have withstood the first shout and shock of
the Romans, had not another fear, operating still more powerfully in
their breasts, restrained them from flying. For they had before their
eyes the whole scene exhibited at the secret sacrifice, the armed
priests, the promiscuous carnage of men and cattle, the altars
besmeared with the blood of victims and of their murdered countrymen,
the dreadful curses, and the direful form of imprecation, drawn up for
calling down perdition on their family and race. Prevented by these
shackles from running away, they stood, more afraid of then countrymen
than of the enemy. The Romans pushed on both the wings, and in the
centre, and made great havoc among them, stupified as they were,
through their fears of the gods and of men. A faint resistance is now
made, as by men whom fear alone prevented from running away. The
slaughter had now almost reached to their standards, when, on one
side, appeared a cloud of dust, as if raised by the marching of a
numerous army: it was Spurius Nautius, (some say Octavius Metius,)
commander of the auxiliary cohorts: for these raised a greater
quantity of dust than was proportioned to the number of men, the
servants of the camp, mounted on the mules, trailing boughs of trees,
full of leaves, along the ground. Through the light thus obscured,
arms and standards were seen in front; behind, a higher and denser
cloud of dust presented the appearance of horsemen bringing up the
rear. This effectually deceived, not only the Samnites, but the Romans
themselves: and the consul confirmed the mistake, by calling out among
the foremost battalions, so that his voice reached also the enemy,
that "Cominium was taken, and that his victorious colleague was
approaching," bidding his men "now make haste to complete the defeat
of the enemy, before the glory should fall to the share of the other
army." This he said as he sat on horseback, and then ordered the
tribunes and centurions to open passages for the horse. He had given
previous directions to Trebonius and Caedicius, that, when they should
see him waving the point of his spear aloft, they should incite the
cavalry to charge the enemy with all possible violence. Every
particular, as previously concerted, was executed w