ith the utmost
exactness. The passages were opened between the ranks, the cavalry
darted through, and, with the points of their spears presented, rushed
into the midst of the enemy's battalions, breaking down the ranks
wherever they charged. Voluminius and Scipio seconded the blow, and
taking advantage of the enemy's disorder, made a terrible slaughter.
Thus attacked, the cohorts, called _linteatae_, regardless of all
restraints from either gods or men, quitted their posts in confusion,
the sworn and the unsworn all fled alike, no longer dreading aught but
the enemies. The body of their infantry which survived the battle,
were driven into the camp at Aquilonia. The nobility and cavalry
directed their flight to Bovianum. The horse were pursued by the Roman
horse, the infantry by their infantry, while the wings proceeded by
different roads; the right, to the camp of the Samnites; the left to
the city. Volumnius succeeded first in gaining possession of the camp.
At the city, Scipio met a stouter resistance; not because the
conquered troops there had gained courage, but because walls were a
better defence against armed men than a rampart. From these they
repelled the enemy with stones. Scipio, considering that unless the
business were effected during their first panic, and before they could
recover their spirits, the attack of so strong a town would be very
tedious, asked his soldiers "if they could endure, without shame, that
the other wing should already have taken the camp, and that they,
after all their success, should be repulsed from the gates of the
city?" Then, all of them loudly declaring their determination to the
contrary, he himself advanced, the foremost, to the gate, with his
shield raised over his head: the rest, following under the like cover
of their shields conjoined, burst into the city, and dispersing the
Samnites who were near the gate, took possession of the walls, but
they ventured not to push forward into the interior of the city in
consequence of the smallness of their number.

42. Of these transactions the consul was for some time ignorant; and
was busily employed in calling home his troops, for the sun was now
hastening to set, and the approach of night rendered every place
suspicious and dangerous, even to victorious troops. Having rode
forward a considerable way, he saw on the right the camp taken, and
heard on the left a shouting in the city, with a confused noise of
fighting, and cries of ter