88 APPIAN'S HISTORY [Bk. VI, Ch. XII B.C.
614 renewal of open hostilities against Viriathus. When war 140
was publicly declared Caepio took the town of Arsa, which
Viriathus abandoned, and followed Viriathus himself (who
fled and destroyed everything in his path) as far as Car-
petania, the Roman forces being much stronger than his.
Viriathus deeming it unwise to engage in battle, on account
of the smallness of his army, ordered the greater part of
it to retreat through a hidden defile, while he drew up the
remainder on a hill as though he intended to fight. When
he judged that those who had been sent before had reached
a place of safety, he darted after them with such disregard
of the enemy and such swiftness that his pursuers did not
know whither he had gone. Caepio turned against the
Vettones and the Callaici and wasted their fields.
616 71. Emulating the example of Viriathus many other gue- 138
rilla bands made incursions into Lusitania and ravaged it.
Sextus Junius Brutus, who was sent against them, despaired
of following them through the extensive country bounded
by the navigable rivers Tagus, Lethe, Durius, and Bsetis,
because he considered it extremely difficult to overtake
them while flying from place to place after the manner of
robbers, and yet disgraceful not to do so, and a task not
very glorious even if he should conquer them. He there-
fore turned against their towns, thinking that thus he should
take vengeance on them, and at the same time secure a
quantity of plunder for his army, and that the robbers would
scatter, each to his own place, when their homes were
threatened. With this design he began destroying every-
thing that came in his way.
Here he found the women
fighting and perishing in company with the men with such
bravery that they uttered no cry even in the midst of
slaughter. Some of the inhabitants fled to the mountains
with what they could carry, and to these, when they asked
pardon, Brutus granted it, taking their goods as a fine.
617 72. He then crossed the river Durius, carrying war far ,37
and wide and taking hostages from those who surrendered,
until he came to the river Lethe, being the first of the
Romans to think of crossing that stream. Passing over this
he advanced to another river called the Nimis, where he
attacked the Bracari because they had plundered his pro-
vision train.
They were a very warlike people, the women
THE WARS IN SPAIN 89
V.R. B.C.
617 bearing arms with the men, who fought never turning, never 137
showing their backs, or uttering a cry. Of the women who
were captured some killed themselves, others slew their
children with their own hands, considering death preferable
to captivity. There were some towns that surrendered to
Brutus and soon afterwards revolted. These he reduced to
subjection again.