Note 337 — Chapter IV
Reading edition
The author of Murray’s “Handbook” makes the Spaniards such dastardly foes, as to fly from the Romans, before they come in sight, and he quotes authorities too. “The very aspect,” says Seneca, himself a Spaniard, “of a Roman Legion, was enough, 'Hispani antequam legio visetur cedunt.’”—Handbook, p. 312.
What Seneca says is, that the Spaniards slaughtered the Germans before the Roman Legion came even in sight.
“Germanis quid est animosius, quid ad incursum acrius? Hos tamen Hispani Gallique et Asiæ Syriæque molles bello viri, antequam legio visatur cœdunt, ob nullam rem aliam opportunos quàm ob iracundiam.”—De Ira, lib. i. c. 11.