in his front, strongly fortified a
position on each side of the river, to hinder the enemy from crossing
it; and he also threw a bridge over the river, in order that he might
be enabled to support those on the farther side, if the barbarians
should make their way through the passes and attack the forts. The
enemy had so much contempt for the Romans and such confidence, that,
with the view rather of displaying their strength and courage than
because it was necessary, they endured the snow-storms without any
covering, and made their way through the snow and ice to the summits
of the mountains, when, placing their broad shields under them, they
slid down the slippery precipices over the huge rocks. When they had
encamped near the river, and examined the ford, they began to dam up
the stream, and tearing up the neighbouring hills, like the giants of
old, they carried whole trees with their roots, fragments of rock, and
mounds of earth into the river, and stopped its course; they also let
heavy weights float down the stream, which drove against the piles
that supported the bridge and shook it by the violence of the blows;
all which so terrified the Romans, that most of them deserted the
large encampment and took to flight. Then Catulus, like a good and
perfect general, showed that he valued the reputation of his
countrymen more than his own. Not being able to induce his soldiers to
stand, and seeing that they were making off in alarm, he ordered the
eagle[93] to be moved, and running to those who were first in the
retreat, he put himself at their head, wishing the disgrace to fall on
himself and not on his country, and that the army should not appear to
be flying, but to be following their general in his retreat. The
barbarians attacked and took the fort on the farther side of the
Atiso, though the Roman soldiers defended it with the utmost bravery
and in a manner worthy of their country. Admiring their courage, the
barbarians let them go on conditions which were sworn to upon the
brazen bull, which was taken after the battle, and, it is said, was
conveyed to the house of Catulus as the first spoils of the victory.
The country being now undefended, the barbarians scoured it in every
direction and laid it waste.

XXIV. After this Marius was called to Rome. On his arrival it was
generally expected that he would celebrate his triumph, and the Senate
had without any hesitation voted him one; but he refused it, either
because he