When the Gauls drew near, about the river Anio, dragging a heavy
camp after them, and loaded with infinite spoil, Camillus drew
forth his forces, and planted himself upon a hill of easy ascent,
and which had many dips in it, with the object that the greatest
part of his army might lie concealed, and those who appeared might
be thought to have betaken themselves, through fear, to those
upper grounds. And the more to increase this opinion in them, he
suffered them, without any disturbance, to spoil and pillage even
to his very trenches, keeping himself quiet within his works,
which were well fortified; till, at last, perceiving that part of
the enemy were scattered about the country foraging, and that
those that were in the camp did nothing day and night but drink
and revel, in the night time he drew up his lightest-armed men,
and sent them out before to impede the enemy while forming into
order, and to harass them when they should first issue out of the
their camp; and early in the morning brought down his main body,
and set them in battle array in the lower round, numerous and
courageous army, not, as the barbarians had supposed, an
inconsiderable and fearful division. The first thing that shook
the courage of the Gauls was, that their enemies had, contrary to
their expectation, the honor of being aggressors.
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