Ab urbe condita

At all events it was in this year that the Gauls formed their camp by the Salarian road, three miles from the City at the bridge across the Anio. In[*](Titus Manlius' Exploit.) face of this sudden and alarming inroad the Dictator proclaimed a suspension of all business, and made every man who was liable to serve take the military oath.

He marched out of the City with an immense army and fixed his camp on this side the Anio. Each side had left the bridge between them intact, as its destruction might have been thought due to fears of an attack.

There were frequent skirmishes for the possession of the bridge; as these were indecisive, the question was left unsettled. A Gaul of extraordinary stature strode forward on to the unoccupied bridge, and shouting as loudly as he could, cried: “Let the bravest man that Rome possesses come out and fight me, that we two may decide which people is the superior in war.”

A long silence followed. The best and bravest of the Romans made no sign;they felt ashamed of appearing to decline the challenge, and yet they were reluctant to expose themselves to such terrible danger.

Thereupon T. Manlius, the youth who had protected his father from the persecution of the tribune, left his post and went to the Dictator.“Without

your orders, General,” he said, “I will never leave my post to fight, no, not even if I saw that victory was certain ; but if you give me permission I want to show that monster as he stalks so proudly in front of their lines that I am a scion of that family which hurled the troop of Gauls from the Tarpeian rock.”

Then the Dictator: “Success to your courage, T. Manlius, and to your affection for your father and your fatherland . Go, and with the help of the gods show that the name of Rome is invincible.”

Then his comrades fastened on his armour; he took an infantry shield and a Spanish sword[*](This was a short pointed double-edged weapon, and was used like a large dagger.) as better adapted for close fighting; thus armed and equipped they led him forward against the Gaul, who was exulting in his brute strength, and even —the ancients thought this worth recording —putting his tongue out in derision.

They retired to their posts and the two armed champions were left alone in the midst, more after the manner of a scene on the stage than under the conditions of serious war, and to those who judged by appearances, by no means equally matched.

The one was a creature of enormous bulk, resplendent in a many-coloured coat and wearing painted and gilded armour; the other a man of average height, and his arms, useful rather than ornamental, gave him quite an ordinary appearance. There was no singing of war-songs, [*](Compare the action of Taillefer before the battle ofSenlac.) no prancing about, no silly brandishing of

weapons. With a breast full of courage and silent wrath Manlius reserved all his ferocity for the actual moment of

conflict. When they had taken their stand between the two armies, while so many hearts around them were in suspense between hope and fear, the Gaul, like a great overhanging mass, held out his shield on his left arm to meet his adversary's blows and aimed a tremendous cut downwards with his

sword. The Roman evaded the blow, and pushing aside the bottom of the Gaul's shield with his own, he slipped under it close up to the Gaul, too near for him to get at him with his sword. Then turning the point of his blade upwards, he gave two rapid thrusts in succession and stabbed the Gaul in the belly and the groin, laying his enemy prostrate over a large extent of

ground. He left the body of his fallen foe undespoiled with the exception of his chain, which though smeared with blood he placed round his own