themselves. Many thus fell, and the survivors also were unable to
fight; for, when Publius encouraged them to attack the mailed
horsemen, they showed him that their hands were nailed to their
shields, and their feet fastened right through to the ground, so that
they were unable either to fly or to defend themselves. However,
Publius cheering the cavalry, made a vigorous attack with them, and
closed with the enemy; but the Romans were under a disadvantage, both
as to attack and defence, striking with small and feeble spears
against breastplates of raw hide and iron, and receiving the blows of
long spears on the lightly-equipped and bare bodies of the Gauls, for
Crassus trusted most to them, and with them indeed he did wonderful
feats; for the Gauls, laying hold of the long spears, and closing with
the Parthians, pushed them from their horses, the men, owing to the
weight of their armour, being unable to stir themselves; and many of
the Gauls, quitting their own horses, and slipping under those of the
enemy, wounded them in the belly, and the horses springing up through
pain, and, at the same time, trampling on their riders and the enemy,
fell dead. The Gauls were most oppressed by the heat and thirst, being
unaccustomed to both, and they had lost most of their horses by
driving them against the long spears. They were, therefore, compelled
to retreat to the legionary soldiers, taking with them Publius, who
was badly wounded. Seeing a sandy eminence near, they retreated to it,
and fastened their horses in the middle, and closing in their front by
close-locking their shields, they thought they could thus more easily
repel the enemy: but it turned out just the other way; for, while they
were on the level ground, the front ranks did, in some sort, give
relief to those who were behind; but on this spot, which raised the
men one above another, by reason of the inequality of the ground, and
placed every one who was in the rear above the man in front of him,
there was no one who could escape, and they were all alike exposed to