[B. July 18th, a Dies Nefastus.]
Pharsalia tanti
Causa mali. Cedant feralia nomina Cannae,
Et damnata diu Romanis Allia fastis.
Lucan, Phars. vii. 407-9.
407 Pharsalia, Battle of, 48 B.C. Caesar signally defeated Pompey.
408 feralia = fatal (= funesta).
409 fastis, i.e. Fasti consulares, the registers of the higher magistrates. Cf. the Saxon Chronicle.
The Battle. ‘The defeat of the Allia was never forgotten by the Romans. The panic (due to the strange appearance of the barbarians and their unwonted method of fighting) which alone had caused the defeat, struck so deep into their minds that for centuries afterwards the name and the sight of Gauls inspired them with terror.’—Ihne.