But whenthe barbarians, rushing on with their enormous ...

But when
the barbarians, rushing on with their enormous host, beat down our horses and
men, and left no spot to which our ranks could fall back to deploy, while they
were so closely packed that it was impossible to escape by forcing a way
through them, our men at last began to despise death, and again took to their
swords and slew all they encountered, while with mutual blows of battle-axes,
helmets and breastplates were dashed in pieces. Then you might see the
barbarian towering in his fierceness, hissing or shouting, fall with his legs
pierced through, or his right hand cut off, sword and all, or his side
transfixed, and still, in the last gasp of life, casting round him defiant
glances. The plain was covered with carcasses, strewing the mutual ruin of the
combatants; while the groans of the dying, or of men fearfully wounded, were
intense, and caused great dismay all around.

Amidst all this great tumult and confusion our
infantry were exhausted by toil and danger, until at last they had neither
strength left to fight, nor spirits to plan anything; their spears were broken
by the frequent collisions, so that they were forced to content themselves with
their drawn swords, which they thrust into the dense battalions of the enemy,
disregarding their own safety, and seeing that every possibility of escape was
cut off from them. The ground, covered with streams of blood, made their feet
slip, so that all they endeavored to do was to sell their lives as dearly as
possible; and with such vehemence did they resist their enemies who pressed on
them, that some were even killed by their own weapons. At last one black pool
of blood disfigured everything, and wherever the eye turned, it could see
nothing but piled up heaps of dead, and lifeless corpses trampled on without
mercy.

[...] So now, with rage flashing in their eyes, the barbarians pursued our men, who
were in a state of torpor, the warmth of their veins having deserted them. Many
were slain without knowing who smote them; some were overwhelmed by the mere
weight of the crowd which pressed upon them; and some were slain by wounds
inflicted by their own comrades. The barbarians spared neither those who
yielded nor those who resisted. Besides these, many half-slain lay blocking up
the roads, unable to endure the torture of their wounds; and heaps of dead
horses were piled up and filled the plain with their carcasses. At last a dark
moonless night put an end to the irremediable disaster which cost the Roman
state so dear.

Thucydides, from The Melian Dialogue