o thousand Persians and Thracians pressed up the
ascent.

"Bring hurling spears!" commanded their leader, Aniabedes. "No
hand-to-hand fight! Cast spears at the King until he fall. By order of
Narses!"

The soldiers willingly obeyed this order, which promised to spare their
blood. Presently such a fearful hail of darts rattled against the
narrow opening of the pass, that not a Goth was able to issue forth and
stand before the King.

And now Teja, filling the entrance with his body and his shield,
defended his people for some time--for a very considerable time--quite
alone. Procopius, following the report of eye-witnesses, has described
with admiration this, the last fight of King Teja:

"I have now to describe a very remarkable fight, and the heroism of a
man who is inferior to none of those we call heroes--of Teja. He stood,
visible to all, covered by his shield, and brandishing his spear, in
front of his own ranks. All the bravest Romans, whose number was great,
attacked him alone; for with his death, they thought, the battle would
be at an end. All hurled and thrust their lances at him alone; but he
received the darts upon his shield, and, repeatedly sallying forth,
killed numbers of his adversaries, one after the other. And when his
shield was stuck so full of darts that it was too heavy for him to
hold, he signed to his shield-bearer to bring him a fresh one. Thus he
stood; not turning, nor throwing his shield on his back and retreating,
but firm as a rock, dealing death to his foes with his right hand,
warding it off with his left, and ever calling to his weapon-bearers
for new shields and new spears."

It was Wachis and Adalgoth--heaps of shields and spears had been
brought to the spot from the royal treasure--who continually handed to
Teja fresh weapons.

At last the courage of the Romans, Persians, and Thracians sank as they
saw all their efforts wrecked against this living shield of the Goths,
and all their bravest men slain by the spears of the King. They
wavered--the Italians called anxiously upon Cethegus--they turned and
fled. Then Cethegus started up from his long stupor.

"Syphax, a fresh spear! Halt! Stand, Romans! Roma, Roma eterna!" And
raising himself with an effort, he advanced against Teja.

The Romans recognised his voice. "Roma, Roma eterna!" they shouted, as
they ceased their flight and halted. But Teja had also recognised the
voice. His shield bristled with twelve lances--he could hold