In this same year, being the three hundred and sixty and fourth from the
building of the City, came ambassadors from Clusium asking help of the
Romans against the Gauls. Now some men say that these Gauls crossed the
Alps and took to themselves the lands which the Etrurians had before
possessed, being drawn by the delightsomeness of the things grown
therein, especially of wine, a pleasure before unknown to them. And they
say also that wine was brought into Gaul by one Aruns of Clusium for the
sake of avenging himself upon a certain Lucumo who had taken from him
his wife, this Lucumo being a prince in his country, whom there was no
hope that he could punish unless he should get help in some such way
from foreigners. However this may be, it is certain that the Gauls
crossed the Alps before this time by many years, and that they fought
many battles with the Etrurians. First, in the days of King Tarquinius
the Elder, one Ambigatus that was king of the Celts, who inhabited the
third part of Gaul, sent his sister's sons to seek out for themselves
new kingdoms, of whom one was directed by the oracle to go towards
Germany, and the other by a far more pleasant way to Italy. These then
having come to the Alps wondered how they might pass them, the top of
them seeming to be joined to the sky. And while they doubted there came
tidings how certain others, strangers like to themselves, and that had
come seeking lands wherein to dwell, were attacked by the natives of the
Salyi. (These strangers were the inhabitants of Phocaea, that had fled
from their town when it was besieged by Cyrus king of Persia.) Having
helped the Phocæans to build a city, they themselves climbed over the
Alps, and, descending on the other side, put to flight the Etrurians
near the river Ticinus, and formed a city called Mediolanum.
After these came many companies of Gauls by the same way into Italy,
those that were now fighting against Clusium being the nations of the
Senones. And the men of Clusium, seeing how great was the multitude of
this people, and what manner of men they were, being unlike to any that
they had seen before, and of very great stature, and also what arms
they carried, were in great fear. Knowing also that the armies of the
Etrurians had often been put to flight by them, they determined to send
ambassadors to Rome, asking help from the Senate, though, indeed, they
had no claim either for friendship or alliance' sake, save only that
they had not given succour to their kinsmen of Veii. Help the Senate was
not willing to give; but they sent three ambassadors, brothers and sons
of Fabius Ambustus, who should say to the Gauls, "In the name of the
Senate and Commons of Rome we bid you do no harm to them who are allies
and friends of the Roman people, and from whom ye have suffered no
wrong. For them, if occasion demand, we must support even by force of
arms. Nevertheless it will please us well to be friends rather than
enemies of the Gauls, of whom we have now for the first time knowledge."
The message, indeed, was sufficiently gentle, but it was entrusted to
men of too fierce a temper, that were, indeed, like to Gauls rather than
to Romans. When the Fabii had set forth the commission in an assembly
of the Gauls, there was made to them this answer: "We have not, indeed,
before heard the name of the Romans, but we believe you to be brave men,
seeing that the men of Clusium have sought to you for help. Seeing that
ye would stand between us and your allies, and would deal by persuasion
rather than by force of arms, we accept your conditions; only let the
men of Clusium, seeing that they possess more land than they need, give
up that which is over and above to the Gauls. On these terms only will
we give peace. Let them answer now in your presence. And if they will
not give the land, let them fight with us also in your presence, that
ye may tell your countrymen how far we excel all other men in valour."
"Nay," said the Romans, "by what right do ye ask land from them that
possess it, and threaten war to them that refuse? And what concern have
ye, being Gauls, with the men of Etruria?" To this the Gauls made reply
in haughty words: "Our right we carry on the points of our swords, for
to the brave all things belong."
Thus there was great anger stirred up on both sides; and they made ready
for battle. And now (for so the destiny of the city of Rome would have
it) the ambassadors, setting the law of nations at nought, went into the
battle. Nor was this hidden from the Gauls, for not only were the three
conspicuous for strength and courage, but one of them, Quintus by name,
spurring out before the line, slew a chieftain of the Gauls that had
fallen upon the standards of the Etrurians, running him through with
his spear. And the Gauls knew him for one of the ambassadors, while he
spoiled the body of the arms. Straightway the report of this thing was
spread through the whole army, and the signal was given to retreat, for
they thought no more of the Clusines, but would have vengeance on the
Romans. Some indeed would have had the host march straightway; but the
elders prevailed, advising that ambassadors should be sent complaining
of the wrong done, and demanding that the Fabii should be given up to
them for punishment. So ambassadors were sent, and when these had set
forth the matter, the Senate was much displeased with the Fabii, and
confessed that the Gauls demanded only that which was within their
right. Nevertheless, because the Fabii were men of high degree, favour
prevailed against justice. But lest they should be blamed if any
misfortune followed, the Senators referred the decision of the matter to
an assembly of the people; in which assembly favour and wealth availed
so much that the Fabii were not only let go unpunished, but were even
chosen with three others to be tribunes of the soldiers for the year to
come. When the ambassadors of the Gauls knew what had been done, they
were greatly wroth, and returned to their countrymen, having first
proclaimed war against Rome. And now, though so great a peril was at
hand, none at Rome thought or cared. And indeed it is always thus that
they that are doomed to perish have their eyes blinded against that
which is coming upon them. For though the Romans had been wont to
use all means of help against enemies near at hand, and to appoint a
dictator in times of need, yet now, having to deal with an enemy of whom
they had had before no experience or knowledge, they neglected all these
things. They whose rashness had brought about the war, having the charge
of the thing committed to them, used no more diligence in the levying of
an army than if they were dealing with one of the nations round about,
but made light of the matter. In the meanwhile the Gauls, when they
heard that the very men that had set at nought the law of nations had
been promoted to great honour, were filled with fury, and forthwith
snatching up their standards, marched towards Rome with all speed. And
when the inhabitants of the country were terrified at their coming,
the dwellers in the cities running to arms, and the countryfolk leaving
their homes, the Gauls cried out to them that they were bound for Rome.
Nevertheless the report of their coming went before them, messengers
from Clusium and from other states hastening to Rome, from whose
reports, as also from the great speed of the enemy, there arose great
fear among the Romans. These levied an army with all haste and marched
forth, meeting the Gauls at the river Allia, where, flowing down from
the mountains of Crustumeria in a very deep channel, it is joined to the
Tiber, about eleven miles from Rome. There they found the whole country,
both in front and on either side, occupied by great multitudes of Gauls,
and in an uproar with the loud singing and shouting with which this
nation is wont to terrify its enemies.
And now the tribunes of the soldiers, having neither pitched a camp nor
made a rampart to be a defence if they should be driven back, nor taken
any account of omens, nor offered sacrifice (for they were careless
alike of gods and of men), drew up their army in array, extending their
line lest they should be surrounded by the multitude of the enemy. But
even then, though they so weakened the middle part that their ranks
scarce held together, they could not make their front equal to the front
of the enemy. There was a little hill on the right hand, and this they
occupied with a reserve. Against this reserve Brennus, the king of the
Gauls, made his first attack; for seeing that the Romans were few in
number, he judged that they must excel in skill, and that the hill had
been thus occupied to the end that the Gauls might be assailed from
behind while they were fighting with the legions in front. He judged,
therefore, that if he could thrust down them that were on this hill his
army might easily deal with the Romans on the plain, seeing that
they far exceeded them in number. So true is it that on this day the
barbarians were superior not in fortune only but also in judgment and
skill. As for the Romans, neither the captains nor the soldiers were
in anywise worthy of their name. Their souls were wholly possessed with
terror, so that, forgetting everything, they fled to Veii, that had
belonged to their enemies, and this though the Tiber was in their way,
rather than to Rome, to their wives and children. The reserves were
defended for a while by the ground whereon they stood, but the rest of
the army turned their backs forthwith and fled so soon as they heard
the battle shout of the Gauls. For they sought not to come to blows with
them, nor even set up a shout in answer; but without making trial of the
enemy, nor so much as daring to look at him, fled with all haste. In the
battle, indeed, none were slain; but there was great slaughter among the
rereward when these were crowded together in such haste and confusion
that they hindered one another. Many also were slain on the bank of the
Tiber, whither the whole of the left wing of the host had fled, first
throwing away their arms; and many also were swallowed up by the
river, either not knowing how to swim or from lack of strength, being
overburdened by the weight of their coats of mail and other armour.
Nevertheless the greater part of the men escaped safe to Veii; but none
went from this place to the help of Rome, nor did they so much as send
tidings of the battle. As for them that had been set on the right
wing, these all went to Rome; and when they were come thither, delayed
not even to shut the gate of the city, but fled straightway into the
citadel. This battle was fought on the eighteenth day of the month
Quintilis; nor was it ever lawful in Rome thereafter to do any public
business on that day.
The Gauls were beyond measure astonished that they had vanquished their
enemy so easily and in so short a space of time. At the first they stood
still in fear, not knowing what had taken place; afterwards they began
to fear some stratagem; at last they buried the dead bodies of the
slain, and piled together the arms in heaps according to their custom.
And now, not perceiving in any place the sign of an enemy, they began
to march forward, and came to Rome a little before sunset. But when
the horsemen whom they had sent on before brought back tidings that
the gates were open, with none to defend them and no soldiers upon the
walls, they were not less astonished than before, and came to a halt,
fearing lest, in the darkness of the night and in a place whereof they
knew nothing, they might fall into some peril. They took up a station,
therefore, between Rome and the river Anio, sending scouts about the
walls and the gates of the city who should learn what the enemy purposed
to do in the great extremity whereunto they had been brought.