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having been left behind, trusting in their spears alone they advanced with a reckless charge, and being in the midst of the struggle they reaped the fruits of their own 8.32.9 folly. For charging into the midst of the enemy, they found themselves unexpectedly in the middle of the eight thousand infantrymen, and being struck by arrows from them on both sides they immediately gave up, since the archers gradually turned both wings of the front into a crescent shape, 8.32.10 as I have said before. The Goths, therefore, lost many men and many horses in this struggle, not yet having engaged with the enemy, and having experienced many incurable evils, late and with difficulty they reached the enemy's 8.32.11 battle line. At this point I am not able to admire any of the Romans or of their barbarian allies more than the others. 8.32.12 For the eagerness and valour and contention of all was one, and each of them, as the enemy advanced upon them, receiving the charge as steadfastly as possible, pushed them back. 8.32.13 And it was now about towards evening and both armies were suddenly set in motion, the Goths to 8.32.14 retreat, and the Romans to pursuit. For as they charged upon them, the Goths did not withstand the enemy, but gave way as they advanced and turned in headlong flight, astounded at both their numbers and 8.32.15 their good order. And in no way did they look to their own defense, as if fearing phantoms that had fallen upon them or being warred against from heaven. 8.32.16 And shortly after, when they reached their own infantry, the disaster was increased much more 8.32.17 and went further. For they did not come to them having made their retreat in an orderly fashion, so as to catch their breath and fight again with them, as is customary, or to push back the pursuers by a combined thrust or to attempt a counter-pursuit or any other form of war, but in such disorder that it even happened that some of them were destroyed by the cavalry 8.32.18 falling upon them. Therefore the infantry did not receive them by opening their ranks nor did they stand to save them, but all fled with them in a rout, where indeed 8.32.19 they even destroyed one another as in a night battle. And the Roman army, taking advantage of their panic, with no mercy kept killing those in their path, who were neither defending themselves nor daring to look back, but offering themselves to the enemy to do with them as they wished; so did terrors settle upon them and 8.32.20 fear prevailed. And six thousand of them died in this action, and many surrendered themselves to the enemy. Who indeed took them prisoner for the present, but not much later killed them. And not only Goths were slain, but also very many of the former Roman soldiers, who had previously renounced the Roman army and had deserted, as was told by me in the previous narrative, to Totila 8.32.21 and the Goths. But as many of the Gothic army whose lot it was neither to perish nor to fall into the hands of the enemy, these were able to escape notice and to flee, as each of them had strength of horse or foot or fortune, or succeeded in this as opportunity or place allowed. 8.32.22 So this battle ended at this point and it had already grown completely dark. And as Totila was fleeing in the dark with no more than five men, of whom Scipuar happened to be one, some of the Romans were pursuing him, not knowing that it was Totila; and among them 8.32.23 happened to be Asbad the Gepid. Who, when he got very close to Totila, advanced as if to strike him in the 8.32.24 back with his spear. But a certain Gothic youth from Totila's household, following his fleeing master and scorning the present fortune, shouted loudly, "What is this, dog, you are charging to strike your own master?" Asbad, therefore, thrust his spear at Totila with all his might, but he himself, being struck in the 8.32.25 foot by Scipuar, remained there. And Scipuar himself, being struck by one of the pursuers, also stopped, and those who had been making the pursuit with Asbad, being four in number, in order to save him, pursued no longer, but with him 8.32.26

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ἀπολελειμμένων ὀπίσω, μόνοις θαρσοῦντες τοῖς δόρασιν ὁρμῇ ἀνεπισκέπτῳ ἐπῄεσαν, ἔν τε τῷ πόνῳ γενόμενοι τῆς σφετέρας ἀβου8.32.9 λίας ἀπώναντο. ἐπὶ μέσους γὰρ τοὺς πολεμίους ὁρμήσαντες ἔλαθον σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐν μέσῳ πεζῶν τῶν ὀκτακισχιλίων γενόμενοι, τοῖς τε τοξεύμασι πρὸς αὐτῶν βαλλόμενοι ἑκατέρωθεν ἀπεῖπον εὐθὺς, ἐπεὶ οἱ τοξόται ἄμφω τοῦ μετώπου τὰ κέρα ἐπὶ τὸ μηνοειδὲς κατὰ 8.32.10 βραχὺ ἔτρεπον, ᾗπέρ μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται. πολλοὺς μὲν οὖν ἄνδρας, πολλοὺς δὲ ἵππους ἐν τῷ πόνῳ τούτῳ Γότθοι ἀπέβαλον, οὔπω τοῖς ἐναντίοις ξυμμίξαντες, πολλῶν τε ἀνηκέστων κακῶν ἐς πεῖραν ἐλθόντες ὀψέ τε καὶ μόλις ἐς τῶν πολεμίων ἀφίκοντο τὴν 8.32.11 παράταξιν. ἐνταῦθα τῶν Ῥωμαίων τινὰς ἢ τῶν σφίσι ξυμμάχων βαρβάρων μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων θαυμάζειν 8.32.12 οὐκ ἔχω. μία γὰρ ἁπάντων προθυμία τε καὶ ἀρετὴ καὶ ἐναγώνισις ἦν, ἕκαστοί τε τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπιόντων σφίσιν ὡς καρτερώτατα δεξάμενοι τὴν ἐπιδρομὴν ἀπεώ8.32.13 σαντο. ἤδη δὲ ἀμφὶ τὰ πρὸς ἑσπέραν ἦν καὶ τὰ στρατόπεδα ἐξαπιναίως ἐκινήθη ἑκάτερα, Γότθων μὲν ἐς 8.32.14 ὑπαγωγὴν, Ῥωμαίων δὲ ἐς τὴν δίωξιν. ὡρμημένοις γὰρ ἐς αὐτοὺς Γότθοι οὐκ ἀντεῖχον τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἀλλ' ἐνεδίδοσαν ἐπιόντων αὐτῶν καὶ προτροπάδην ἀνέστρεφον, καταπεπληγμένοι αὐτῶν τῷ τε ὁμίλῳ καὶ 8.32.15 τῇ εὐκοσμίᾳ. ἐς ἀλκήν τε οὐδαμῆ ἔβλεπον, ὥσπερ φάσματα ἐπιπεσόντα σφίσι δειμαίνοντες ἢ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ 8.32.16 πολεμούμενοι. δι' ὀλίγου δὲ εἰς πεζοὺς αὐτοῖς τοὺς σφετέρους ἀφικομένοις πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον τὸ κακὸν 8.32.17 ᾔρετο καὶ πρόσω ἐχώρει. οὐ γὰρ ἐν κόσμῳ τὴν ἀναχώρησιν ποιησάμενοι ἐς αὐτοὺς ἦλθον, ὡς ἀναπνεύσοντές τε καὶ ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἀναμαχούμενοι, ᾗπερ εἴθισται, ἢ ὠθισμῷ τοὺς διώκοντας ἀπωσόμενοι ἢ παλίωξιν ἐγχειρίσοντες ἢ ἄλλην τινὰ πολέμου ἰδέαν, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἀτάκτως ὥστε αὐτῶν τισι καὶ διεφθάρθαι τῆς ἵππου 8.32.18 ἐπιπεσούσης ξυνέπεσε. διόπερ αὐτοὺς οἱ πεζοὶ οὔτε διαστάντες ἐδέξαντο οὔτε διασωσόμενοι ἔστησαν, ἀλλὰ ξὺν αὐτοῖς προτροπάδην ἅπαντες ἔφευγον, ἔνθα δὴ 8.32.19 καὶ ἀλλήλους ὥσπερ ἐν νυκτομαχίᾳ διέφθειρον. ὅ τε τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς, τῆς ἐκείνων ἀπολαύοντες ὀρρωδίας, φειδοῖ οὐδεμιᾷ τοὺς ἐν ποσὶν ἀεὶ ἔκτεινον, οὔτε ἀμυνομένους οὔτε ἀντιβλέπειν τολμῶντας, ἀλλὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τοῖς πολεμίοις παρεχομένους ὅ τι βούλοιντο χρῆσθαι· οὕτω δὴ αὐτοῖς τά τε δείματα ἐπεκάθιζε καὶ 8.32.20 ὁ φόβος ἐκράτει. καὶ αὐτῶν ἑξακισχίλιοι μὲν ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τούτῳ ἀπέθανον, πολλοὶ δὲ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐνεχείρισαν τοῖς ἐναντίοις. οἳ δὴ αὐτοὺς ἐν μὲν τῷ παρόντι ἐζώγρησαν, οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ὕστερον ἔκτειναν. οὐ μόνον δὲ Γότθοι ἀνῄρηντο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πάλαι Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν πλεῖστοι, τῶν τὸ πρότερον ἀποταξαμένων μὲν τῇ Ῥωμαίων στρατιᾷ, ἀπηυτομοληκότων δὲ, ᾗπέρ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, παρὰ Τουτίλαν 8.32.21 τε καὶ Γότθους. ὅσοις δὲ δὴ τοῦ Γότθων στρατοῦ μήτε ἀπολωλέναι μήτε ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων ταῖς χερσὶ ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι, οὗτοι διαλαθεῖν τε καὶ φυγεῖν ἴσχυσαν, ὡς αὐτῶν ἕκαστος ἵππου ἢ ποδῶν ἢ τύχης ἔσχεν ἢ καιροῦ ἢ χώρου φέροντος ἐς τοῦτο ἐπιτυχεῖν. 8.32.22 Ἥδε μὲν οὖν ἡ μάχη ἐς τοῦτο ἐτελεύτα καὶ ξυνεσκόταζε παντάπασιν ἤδη. Τουτίλαν δὲ φεύγοντα ἐν σκότῳ σὺν ἀνδράσιν οὐ πλέον ἢ πέντε οὖσιν, ὧνπερ ὁ Σκιποῦαρ εἷς ἐτύγχανεν ὢν, τῶν τινες Ῥωμαίων ἐδίωκον, οὐκ εἰδότες ὡς Τουτίλας εἴη· ἐν τοῖς καὶ 8.32.23 Ἄσβαδον τὸν Γήπαιδα ξυνέβαινεν εἶναι. ὅσπερ ἐπεὶ Τουτίλα ἀγχοτάτω ἐγένετο, ὡς τῷ δόρατι αὐτὸν κατὰ 8.32.24 τῶν νώτων παίσων ἐπῄει. Γοτθικὸν δέ τι μειράκιον ἐκ τῆς Τουτίλα οἰκίας φεύγοντι τῷ δεσπότῃ ἑπόμενον, τύχην τε ἀπαξιοῦν τὴν τότε παροῦσαν, ἀνέκραγε μέγα «Τί τοῦτο, ὦ κύων, τὸν δεσπότην τὸν σαυτοῦ πλήξων «ὥρμηκας;» ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἄσβαδος ἐπὶ Τουτίλαν τὸ δόρυ σθένει παντὶ ὦσεν, αὐτὸς δὲ πρὸς τοῦ Σκιποῦαρ τὸν 8.32.25 πόδα πληγεὶς αὐτοῦ ἔμεινε. καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ Σκιποῦαρ πρός του τῶν διωκόντων πληγεὶς ἔστη, οἵ τε ξὺν Ἀσβάδῳ πεποιημένοι τὴν δίωξιν, τέτταρες ὄντες, ὅπως αὐτὸν διασώσοιντο, οὐκέτι ἐδίωκον, ἀλλὰ ξὺν αὐτῷ 8.32.26