elves into a circle and defended themselves for a long time,
their horses standing still, were all slain to a man. Nor did one
person, horse or foot, survive of those who were engaged in the
valley. The third part, which stood upon the hill rather to view the
contest in security than to take any part of it upon themselves, had
both time and space to fly; among whom the princes themselves also
fled, having escaped during the confusion, before the army was
entirely surrounded.

34. The same day, besides other booty, the camp of the Spaniards was
taken, together with about three thousand men. Of the Romans and their
allies as many as one thousand two hundred fell in that battle; more
than three thousand were wounded. The victory would have been less
bloody had the battle taken place in a plain more extended, and
affording facilities for flight. Indibilis, renouncing his purpose
of carrying on war, and considering that his safest reliance in his
present distress was on the tried honour and clemency of Scipio, sent
his brother Mandonius to him; who, falling prostrate before his knees,
ascribed his conduct to the fatal frenzy of those times, when, as it
were from the effects of some pestilential contagion, not only the
Ilergetians and Lacetanians, but even the Roman camp had been infected
with madness. He said that his own condition, and that of his brother
and the rest of his countrymen, was such, that either, if it seemed
good, they would give back their lives to him from whom they had
received them, or if preserved a second time, they would in return for
that favour devote their lives for ever to the service of him to whom
alone they were indebted for them. They before placed their reliance
on their cause, when they had not yet had experience of his clemency,
but now, on the contrary, placing no reliance on their cause, all
their hopes were centred in the mercy of the conqueror. It was a
custom with the Romans, observed from ancient times, not to exercise
any authority over others, as subject to them, in cases where they did
not enter into friendship with them by a league and on equal terms,
until they had surrendered all they possessed, sacred and profane;
until they had received hostages, taken their arms from them, and
placed garrisons in their cities. In the present instance, however,
Scipio, after inveighing at great length against Mandonius, who stood
before him, and Indibilis, who was absent, said "that they had jus