Decius' forces initially defeated their opponents in the front line, but made the fatal mistake of pursuing their fleeing enemy into the swamp, where they were ambushed and completely routed under a barrage of Gothic missiles. The immense slaughter that ensued marked one of the most catastrophic defeats in the history of the Roman Empire.Potter 2004, p.246 Decius died in the midst of the chaos and slaughter, buried under the mud. The bodies of Decius and Herennius were never found.
