All at once it fell beneath him, and before he could rise, Witichis stood over him. Springing from his saddle, Witichis now silently pushed the sword of the fallen man, which had dropped from the latter's hand, towards him. Then Calpurnius took courage--the courage of despair. He rose to his feet, took up his sword, and sprang at the Goth with a leap like that of a tiger. But in the middle of his leap he fell prone to the ground; the sword of Witichis had split his forehead open. The King set his foot upon the breast of the corpse, and looked into the distorted face. He sighed deeply. "Revenge is sweet, but it will not bring back my child!" With deep ire Belisarius had witnessed this unhappy commencement of the battle. But his confidence and composure did not abandon him, even when he saw the Armenians swept away, and the horsemen of Calpurnius overthrown and scattered. He was now convinced of the strength and superiority of the enemy. But he determined to advance upon his whole line, leaving a gap in which to receive his fugitive horsemen. But this the Goths were quick to perceive; and, Witichis foremost, they followed Totila and Hildebrand--who had annihilated the surrounded Huns--and pressed forward so furiously that they threatened to reach and break through the lines of Belisarius at the same moment with the fugitives. This could not be permitted. Belisarius himself filled the gap with his bodyguard on foot, and shouted to the fugitive horsemen to halt and turn. But it seemed as if the terror which had possessed their cowardly and fallen leader had entered their hearts. They dreaded the sword of the Gothic King behind them even more than their thundering chief before them, and without pause or stay they rushed on at a gallop, as if they intended to ride down their own comrades. For one moment a fearful shock--a thousand-voiced cry of fear and rage--a confused turmoil of mingled horse and foot--among them slaughtering Goths--and suddenly a dispersal to all sides, amid shrill cries of victory from the enemy. The body-guard of Belisarius was ridden down; his main line of battle broken. He ordered the retreat to the camp. But it was no longer a retreat, it was a rout. The footmen of Hildebad, Guntharis, and Teja had now arrived upon the field of battle. The Byzantines saw their order of attack broken, they despaired of further resistance and fled in great confusion to the camp. Notwithstanding, they would still have been able to reach it a long time before their pursuers, had not an unforeseen occurrence stopped the way. Belisarius had set forth with such certainty of victory, that he had ordered all the carriages and baggage of the army, and even the herds of cattle--which, according to the custom of the time, were driven after--to follow the troops upon the high-roads. The retreating masses now encountered this slowly advancing body, difficult to move and difficult to disperse, and indescribable confusion ensued.