ompeius[41] received many setbacks and incurred great disgrace.
There was a river flowing through the country of the Numantini that he
wished to turn aside from its ancient channel and let in upon their
fields; and after tremendous exertions he did accomplish this. But he
lost many soldiers, and no advantage from turning it aside came to the
Romans, nor harm to the enemy.... (Valesius, ib.)

[Footnote 41: This is Q. Pompeius A. F. Nepos (consul B.C. 141).]

[Sidenote: FRAG. LXXVII] (Par.) Caepio[42] effected nothing worthy of
mention against the foe, but brought much serious harm to his own men,
so that he ran the risk of being killed by them. He treated them all,
but especially the cavalry, with such harshness and cruelty that a vast
number of most unseemly jokes and stories passed current about him
during the nights; and the more he grew vexed at it, the more jests
did they make and endeavor to infuriate him. When what was going on
became known and no one could be found guilty--though he suspected it
was the doing of the cavalry--as he could fix the responsibility upon
no one single man he became angry at all of them, and commanded them,
six hundred in number, accompanied only by their grooms, to cross the
river by which they were encamped and bring wood from the mountain on
which Viriathus was bivouacking. The danger was manifest to all, and
the tribunes and lieutenants begged him not to destroy them. The
cavalry waited for a little to see if he would listen to the others,
and when he would not yield, they deemed it unworthy to supplicate
him, as he was most eager for them to do, but choosing rather to
perish utterly than to speak a respectful word to him, they started on
the mission assigned. The horsemen of the allies and other volunteers
accompanied them. They crossed the river, cut the wood, and threw it
in all around the general's quarters, intending to burn them down. And
he would have perished in the flames, if he had not fled away in time.
(Valesius, p. 618.)

[Footnote 42: _Q. Servilius Caepio_ (consul B.C. 140).]

[Sidenote: FRAG. LXXVIII] [Sidenote: B.C. 139 (_a.u._ 615)] (Par.)
Popilius so terrified Viriathus that the latter sent to him about peace
immediately and before they had tried any battle at all, killed some
of the leaders of the rebels whose surrender had been demanded by the
Romans--among these his father-in-law, though commanding his own
force, was slaughtered--and delivered up the rest, all