to compleat the misfortune, a third army of Romans more confiderable than the two former, was foon after entirely defeated. Scaurus, who commanded it, was made prifoner, and afterwards put to death; his two fons were flain, and more than four- fcore thoufand of the Romans and their allies were left dead in the field. Laft of all, two other generals, the conful Man- lius, and the proconful Caepio, to whom had been intrufted a fourth army already half vanquished with fear, and who were difunited and jealous of each other, were attacked near the Rhone, each of them in his camp, and entirely defeated.
Such repeated losses filled Rome with grief and terror; and many began to def- pair even of the fafety of the ſtate. In this melancholy conjuncture, minds lefs firm than thofe of thefe fpirited Repub- licans, would doubtlefs, have fuggefted the imprudent meaſure of granting to the con- querors conditions capable of foftening them: they would have given them at once the lands they had required, or perhaps have purchafed their friendship with a fum of money. This dangerous policy would probably have ruined Rome in this exi- gence, as it did fome ages after. The Gauls, the Germans, and the Scythians, poor and greedy nations, who gasped after
