intrusted to Spurius Postumius Albus, as lieutenant-general.
Publius Sulpicius, the other lieutenant-general, was placed at the
head of the cavalry. The infantry on the right wing fought with
distinguished valour, while the Volscians offered a stout resistance.
Publius Sulpicius with his cavalry broke through the centre of the
enemy's line; and, though he might have returned thence in the same
way to his own party, before the enemy restored their broken ranks,
it seemed more advisable to attack them in the rear, and in a moment,
charging the line in the rear, he would have dispersed the enemy by
the double attack, had not the cavalry of the Volscians and AEquans
kept him for some time engaged by a mode of fighting like his own.
Then indeed Sulpicius declared that there was no time for delay,
crying out that they were surrounded and would be cut off from their
own friends, unless they united all their efforts and despatched the
engagement with the cavalry. Nor was it enough to rout the enemy
without disabling them; they must slay horses and men, that none might
return to the fight or renew the battle; that these could not resist
them, before whom a compact body of infantry had given way. His orders
were addressed to no deaf ears; by a single charge they routed the
entire cavalry, dismounted great numbers, and killed with their
javelins both the riders and the horses. Thus ended the cavalry
engagement. Then, having attacked the enemy's infantry, they sent an
account to the consuls of what had been done, where the enemy's line
was already giving way. The news both gave fresh courage to the
Romans who were now gaining the day, and dismayed the AEquans who were
beginning to give way. They first began to be beaten in the centre,
where the furious charge of the cavalry had broken their ranks. Then
the left wing began to lose ground before the consul Quinctius; the
contest was most obstinate on the right. Then Agrippa, in the vigour
of his youth and strength, seeing matters going more favourably in
every part of the battle than in his own quarter, snatched some of the
standards from the standard-bearers and carried them on himself, some
even he began to throw into the thick of the enemy.[71]

The soldiers, urged on by the fear of this disgrace, attacked the
enemy; thus the victory was equalized in every quarter. News then came
from Quinctius that he, being now victorious, was about to attack
the enemy's camp; that he was unwil