The barbarians were dismayed when they saw so great a host in battle array, and before they could form into their proper ranks the enemy was upon them.
Shouting their wild battle-cries, the Gauls then drew their swords and fought with fury. But their swords were soon twisted or broken, as they slid off the polished helmets worn by the Roman soldiers. To complete their discomfort, the javelins which Camillus now bade his soldiers throw at the enemy’s shields, stuck fast in them, until they grew too heavy to wield.
As their swords were useless, the Gauls sought to pull the javelins out of their shields, that they might use the Romans’ weapons against the enemy.
But Camillus saw what they meant to do, and ordered his men to advance swiftly, and cut the Gauls to pieces before they could carry out their plan. The foremost were speedily hewn down, while those who could fled over the plains, for the hills were already held by the Romans.
So sure of victory had the Gauls been, that they had left their camp unguarded, and it too was soon captured.
Thirteen years before, the defeat at Allia and the sack of Rome had filled the Romans with a superstitious fear of the fierce Gallic warriors.
The battle now won by the banks of the river Anio for ever put an end to their dread of the barbarians.
Camillus returned once more in triumph to Rome, to find yet another service he could do for the country he had served so loyally and loved so well.
Civil war was on the point of breaking out, for the people, acting according to one of the Licinian laws, had chosen Sextus, a plebeian, to be Consul.
The Senate and patricians were not at all ready to carry out this law. Indeed, it seemed that they would rather fight than let the people have their will. As the plebeians refused to give up their new-won privilege, the city was in an uproar.