1The consul, while all were stricken, himself fairly undaunted, considering the alarming situation, draws up the disordered ranks, though they kept turning towards the discordant shouts, as well as time and place allow, and wherever he can go and be heard, encourages them and orders them to stand and fight: for it was not by vows or by imploring the gods that they must escape from there, but by force and courage; 2a way was made by the sword through the midst of the enemy lines, and the less fear there was, generally the less danger. 3But because of the din and the confusion neither advice nor command could be heard, and so far were they from recognising their own standards and ranks and place that they scarcely had the presence of mind to take up their arms and fit them for battle, and some were overwhelmed while weighed down rather than protected by them.
3And in such thick fog there was more use for ears than for eyes. 4Towards the groans of the wounded and the blows on bodies or armour and the mingled cries of those terrifying and those terrified they kept turning their faces and eyes. 5Some, as they fled, ran into a knot of men fighting and were stuck fast; others, returning to the fight, were turned back by a column of fugitives. 6Then, when charges had been attempted in every direction in vain, and the mountains and lake hemmed them in on the flanks, the enemy's lines in front and behind, and it became clear that there was no hope of safety except in the right hand and the sword, then each man became his own leader and encourager to action, and a new battle arose afresh, not the battle ordered by principes, hastati and triarii, nor such that the antesignani fought in front of the standards and another line behind them, nor such that each soldier was in his own legion or cohort or maniple: chance massed them together, and each man's own courage gave him his place for fighting, in front or behind; 8and so great was the ardour of their spirits, so intent was their mind on the fight, that none of the combatants felt the earthquake which threw down large parts of many cities of Italy, turned swift rivers from their courses, carried the sea into the rivers, and brought down mountains in huge landslides.