Chapter 15

Caesar was now confronted with novel tactics and observed that his men’s formation was becoming disorganised as they ran forward to attack—the infantry in fact, exposing their flank as they advanced in pursuit of the cavalry too far from the standards, were suffering casualties from the javelins of the nearest Numidians: whereas the enemy cavalry easily eluded by their speed the heavy infantry javelin. Accordingly, he had the order passed down the ranks that no soldier should advance more than four feet from the standards. Meanwhile the cavalry of Labienus, relying on the large numbers on their own side, endeavoured to surround Caesar’s scanty force and the mere handful of Julian cavalry, worn out by the enemy hordes, their horses wounded, gave ground little by little, while the enemy pressed on them more and more. Thus in a moment all the legionaries were surrounded by the enemy cavalry, and Caesar’s forces were compressed into a circle; and so they were all compelled to fight penned behind bars as it were.