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and　now　that　Valens　was　coming　up；　fearful　that　all　the　distinctions



of　the　campaign　would　centre　in　that　general；　he　made　a　hasty



attempt　to　retrieve　his　credit；　but　with　more　impetuosity　than



prudence。　Twelve　miles　from　Cremona　（at　a　place　called　the　Castors）　he



posted　some　of　the　bravest　of　his　auxiliaries；　concealed　in　the



woods　that　there　overhang　the　road。　The　cavalry　were　ordered　to　move



forward；　and；　after　provoking　a　battle；　voluntarily　to　retreat；　and



draw　on　the　enemy　in　hasty　pursuit；　till　the　ambuscade　could　make　a



simultaneous　attack。　The　scheme　was　betrayed　to　the　Othonianist



generals；　and　Paullinus　assumed　the　command　of　the　infantry；　Celsus　of



the　cavalry。　The　veterans　of　the　13th　legion；　four　cohorts　of



auxiliaries；　and　500　cavalry；　were　drawn　up　on　the　left　side　of　the



road；　the　raised　causeway　was　occupied　by　three　Praetorian　cohorts；



ranged　in　deep　columns；　on　the　right　front　stood　the　first　legion　with



two　cohorts　of　auxiliaries　and　500　cavalry。　Besides　these；　a



thousand　cavalry；　belonging　to　the　Praetorian　guard　and　to　the



auxiliaries；　were　brought　up　to　complete　a　victory　or　to　retrieve　a



repulse。



　　Before　the　hostile　lines　engaged；　the　Vitellianists　began　to



retreat；　but　Celsus；　aware　of　the　stratagem；　kept　his　men　back。　The



Vitellianists　rashly　left　their　position；　and　seeing　Celsus



gradually　give　way；　followed　too　far　in　pursuit；　and　themselves　fell



into　an　ambuscade。　The　auxiliaries　assailed　them　on　either　flank；



the　legions　were　opposed　to　them　in　front；　and　the　cavalry；　by　a



sudden　movement；　had　surrounded　their　rear。　Suetonius　Paullinus　did



not　at　once　give　the　infantry　the　signal　to　engage。　He　was　a　man



naturally　tardy　in　action；　and　one　who　preferred　a　cautious　and



scientific　plan　of　operations　to　any　success　which　was　the　result　of



accident。　He　ordered　the　trenches　to　be　filled　up；　the　plain　to　be



cleared；　and　the　line　to　be　extended；　holding　that　it　would　be　time



enough　to　begin　his　victory　when　he　had　provided　against　being



vanquished。　This　delay　gave　the　Vitellianists　time　to　retreat　into



some　vineyards；　which　were　obstructed　by　the　interlacing　layers　of　the



vines；　and　close　to　which　was　a　small　wood。　From　this　place　they　again



ventured　to　emerge；　slaughtering　the　foremost　of　the　Praetorian



cavalry。　King　Epiphanes　was　wounded；　while　he　was　zealously　cheering



on　the　troops　for　Otho。



　　Then　the　Othonianist　infantry　charged。　The　enemy's　line　was



completely　crushed；　and　the　reinforcements　who　were　coming　up　to　their



aid　were　also　put　to　flight。　Caecina　indeed　had　not　brought　up　his



cohorts　in　a　body；　but　one　by　one；　as　this　was　done　during　the　battle；



it　increased　the　general　confusion；　because　the　troops　who　were　thus



divided；　not　being　strong　at　any　one　point；　were　borne　away　by　the



panic　of　the　fugitives。　Besides　this；　a　mutiny　broke　out　in　the　camp



because　the　whole　army　was　not　led　into　action。　Julius　Gratus；　prefect



of　the　camp；　was　put　in　irons；　on　a　suspicion　of　a　treacherous



understanding　with　his　brother　who　was　serving　with　Otho's　army；　at



the　very　time　that　the　Othonianists　had　done　the　same　thing　and　on　the



same　grounds　to　that　brother　Julius　Fronto；　a　tribune。　In　fact　such



was　the　panic　everywhere；　among　the　fugitives　and　among　the　troops



coming　up；　in　the　lines　and　in　front　of　the　entrenchments；　that　it　was



very　commonly　said　on　both　sides；　that　Caecina　and　his　whole　army



might　have　been　destroyed；　had　not　Suetonius　Paullinus　given　the



signal　of　recall。　Paullinus　alleged　that　he　feared　the　effects　of　so



much　additional　toil　and　so　long　a　march；　apprehending　that　the



Vitellianists　might　issue　fresh　from　their　camp；　and　attack　his



wearied　troops；　who；　once　thrown　into　confusion；　would　have　no



reserves　to　fall　back　upon。　A　few　approved　the　general's　policy；　but



it　was　unfavourably　canvassed　by　the　army　at　large。



　　The　effect　of　this　disaster　on　the　Vitellianists　was　not　so　much



to　drive　them　to　fear　as　to　draw　them　to　obedience。　Nor　was　this　the



case　only　among　the　troops　of　Caecina；　who　indeed　laid　all　the　blame



upon　his　soldiers；　more　ready；　as　he　said；　for　mutiny　than　for　battle。



The　forces　also　of　Fabius　Valens；　who　had　now　reached　Ticinum；　laid



aside　their　contempt　for　the　enemy；　and　anxious　to　retrieve　their



credit　began　to　yield　a　more　respectful　and　uniform　obedience　to　their



general。　A　serious　mutiny；　however；　had　raged　among　them；　of　which；　as



it　was　not　convenient　to　interrupt　the　orderly　narrative　of



Caecina's　operations；　I　shall　take　up　the　history　at　an　earlier



period。　I　have　already　described　how　the　Batavian　cohorts　who



separated　from　the　14th　legion　during　the　Neronian　war；　hearing　on



their　way　to　Britain　of　the　rising　of　Vitellius；　joined　Fabius



Valens　in　the　country　of　the　Lingones。　They　behaved　themselves



insolently；　boasting；　as　they　visited　the　quarters　of　the　several



legions；　that　they　had　mastered　the　men　of　the　14th；　that　they　had



taken　Italy　from　Nero；　that　the　whole　destiny　of　the　war　lay　in



their　hands。　Such　language　was　insulting　to　the　soldiers；　and



offensive　to　the　general。　The　discipline　of　the　army　was　relaxed　by



the　brawls　and　quarrels　which　ensued。　At　last　Valens　began　to



suspect　that　insolence　would　end　in　actual　treachery。



　　When；　therefore；　intelligence　reached　him　that　the　cavalry　of　the



Treveri　and　the　Tungrian　infantry　had　been　defeated　by　Otho's　fleet；



and　that　Gallia　Narbonensis　was　blockaded；　anxious　at　once　to



protect　a　friendly　population；　and；　like　a　skilful　soldier；　to



separate　cohorts　so　turbulent　and；　while　they　remained　united；　so



inconveniently　strong；　he　directed　a　detachment　of　the　Batavians　to



proceed　to　the　relief　of　the　province。　This　having　been　heard　and



become　generally　known；　the　allies　were　discontented　and　the　legions



murmured。　〃We　are　being　deprived；〃　they　said；　〃of　the　help　of　our



bravest　men。　Those　veteran　troops　victorious　in　so　many　campaigns；　now



that　the　enemy　is　in　sight；　are　withdrawn；　so　to　speak；　from　the



very　field　of　battle。　If　indeed　a　province　be　of　more　importance



than　the　capital　and　the　safety　of　the　Empire；　let　us　all　follow



them　thither；　but　if　the　reality；　the　support；　the　mainstay　of



success；　centre　in　Italy；　you　must　not　tear；　as　it　were；　from　a　body



its　very　strongest　limbs。〃



　　In　the　midst　of　these　fierce　exclamations；　Valens；　sending　his



lictors　into　the　crowd；　attempted　to　quell　the　mutiny。　On　this　they



attacked　the　general　himself；　hurled　stones　at　him；　and；　when　he　fled；



pursued　him。　Crying　out　that　he　was　concealing　the　spoil　of　Gaul；



the　gold　of　the　men　of　Vienna；　the　hire　of　their　own　toils；　they



ransacked　his　baggage；　and　probed　with　javelins　and　lances　the　walls



of　the　general's　tent　and　the　very　ground　beneath。　Valens；　disguised



in　the　garb　of　a　slave；　found　concealment　with　a　subaltern　officer



of　cavalry。　After　this；　Alfenius　Varus；　prefect　of　the　camp；　seeing



that　the　mutiny　was　gradually　subsiding；　promoted　the　reaction　by



the　following　device。　He　forbade　the　centurions　to　visit　the



sentinels；　and　discontinued　the　trumpet　calls　by　which　the　troops



are　summoned　to　their　usual　military　duties。　Thereupon　all　stood



paralysed；　and　gazed　at　each　other　in　amazement；　panic…stricken　by　the



very　fact　that　there　was　no　one　to　direct　them。　By　their　silence；　by



their　submission；　finally　by　their　tears　and　entreaties；　they　craved



forgiveness。　But　when　Valens；　thus　unexpectedly　preserved；　came



forward　in　sad　plight；　shedding　tears；　they　were　moved　to　joy；　to



pity；　even　to　affection。　Their　revulsion　to　delight　was　just　that　of　a



mob；　always　extreme　in　either　emotion。　They　greeted　him　with　praises



and　congratulations；　and　surrounding　him　with　the　eagles　and



standards；　carried　him　to　the　tribunal。　With　a　politic　prudence　he



refrained　from　demanding　capital　punishment　in　any　case；　yet；



fearing　that　he　might　lay　himself　more　open　to　suspicion　by



concealment　of　his　feelings；　he　censured　a　few　persons；　well　aware



that　in　civil　wars　the　soldiers　have　more　license　than　the　generals。



　　While　they　were　fortifying　a　camp　at　Ticinum；　the　news　of



Caecina's　defeat　reached　them；　and　the　mutiny　nearly　broke　out



afresh　from　an　impression　that　underhand　dealing　and　delay　on　the　part



of　Valens　had　kept　them　away　from　the　battle。　They　refused　all　rest；



they　would　not　wait　for　their　general；　they　advanced　in　front　of　the



standards；　and　hurried　on　the　standard…bearers。　After　a　rapid　march



they　joined　Caecina。　The　character　of　Valens　did　not　stand　well　with



Caecina's　army。　They　complained　that；　though　so　much　weaker　in



numbers；　they　had　been　exposed　to　the　whole　force　of　the　enemy；　thus



at　once　excusing　themselves；　and　extolling；　in　the　implied　flattery；



the　strength　of　the　new　arriv