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43Thereupon watchwords were going around—for the followers of Brutus it was “Liberty” and for the other side whatever the word was which was given out,—and then one trumpeter on each side sounded the first note, 2after which the rest joined in, first those who sounded the “at rest” and the “ready” signals on their trumpets while standing in a kind of circular space, and then the others who were to rouse the spirit of the soldiers and incite them to the onset. Then there was suddenly a great silence, and after waiting a little the leaders uttered a piercing shout and the lines on both sides joined in. Then the heavy-armed troops gave the war-cry, beat their shields with their spears and then hurled their spears, while the slingers and the archers discharged their stones and missiles. Then the two bodies of cavalry rode out against each other and the cuirassiers following behind them came to close quarters with each other.
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