Even the most laboured of jokes is a welcome distraction in desperate circumstances and the men roared with laughter. Vespasian made himself smile benignly even as he watched the enemy begin to advance up the hill again. In the distance the second column crawled closer, and was now no more than three or four miles away - but still too far for the legate to identify the tiny black figures at the front. A thin screen of cavalry trotted ahead of the column. Down below, Caratacus was watching the approaching column and pointing it out to his nobles but whether from anxiety or jubilation it was impossible for the legate to tell. He turned back to his men and called out an order.

‘Shields up!’

The last of the laughter and light-hearted chatter died away as the legionaries braced themselves for the second assault. This time the enemy came on in a more determined manner. There was no wild charge, but a steady approach in tight columns. When the Britons were halfway up the slope, the war horns began to sound, and slowly the enemy found their voice, shouts and war cries swelling up in their throats as they closed in on the Romans. As they reached the point where their first attack had been broken the last few javelins were hurled down from above, but this time they were simply swallowed up in the mass of the enemy and made no perceptible impact on the Britons. When they had advanced a short distance inside javelin range, the war horns gave a shrill blaring chorus to signal the charge and a roar of rage and excitement blasted the ears of the Romans as the warriors hurtled up the slope.

All around Cato there was the thud and crack of weapons striking the broad surfaces of Roman shields, and the sharper clang and clatter of blade on blade. The tight formation of the cohorts, and the advantage of being uphill of their attackers allowed the Romans to hold their ground. Where both sides were most tightly packed together there was little chance to fight, and Briton and Roman alike rammed their boots into the churned earth and heaved their weight behind their shields. In other places there was enough freedom of movement for intense duels to take place between individual legionaries and warriors; feinting and thrusting as each sought for the chance to deliver a lethal blow.

For half an hour the two sides struggled against each other, the Britons aiming for a breakthrough that would shatter the Roman line and turn the fight into an open mêlée where numbers counted for more than battle-drill and discipline. At length, under such relentless pressure, the Roman line began to buckle and bulge, and the ring of defenders turned into an ellipse, and then gradually into the shapelessness of a casually discarded belt lying on the floor.

When the enemy breakthrough came it was sudden and shocking.