histories-第35节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




bearer；　and　then；　seizing　the　standard；　turned　it　towards　the　enemy。



Touched　by　the　reproach；　a　few　troopers；　not　more　than　a　hundred　in



number；　made　a　stand。　The　locality　favoured　them；　for　the　road　was



at　that　point　particularly　narrow；　while　the　bridge　over　the　stream



which　crossed　it　had　been　broken　down；　and　the　stream　itself；　with　its



varying　channel　and　its　precipitous　banks；　checked　their　flight。　It



was　this　necessity；　or　a　happy　chance；　that　restored　the　fallen



fortunes　of　the　party。　Forming　themselves　into　strong　and　close　ranks；



they　received　the　attack　of　the　Vitellianists；　who　were　now



imprudently　scattered。　These　were　at　once　overthrown。　Antonius　pursued



those　that　fled；　and　crushed　those　that　encountered　him。　Then　came　the



rest　of　his　troops；　who；　as　they　were　severally　disposed；　plundered；



made　prisoners；　or　seized　on　weapons　and　horses。　Roused　by　the



shouts　of　triumph；　those　who　had　lately　been　scattered　in　flight



over　the　fields　hastened　to　share　in　the　victory。



　　At　the　fourth　milestone　from　Cremona　glittered　the　standards　of



two　legions；　the　Italica　and　the　Rapax；　which　had　been　advanced　as　far



as　that　point　during　the　success　achieved　by　the　first　movement　of



their　cavalry。　But　when　fortune　changed；　they　would　not　open　their



ranks；　nor　receive　the　fugitives；　nor　advance　and　themselves　attack　an



enemy　now　exhausted　by　so　protracted　a　pursuit　and　conflict。



Vanquished　by　accident；　these　men　had　never　in　their　success　valued



their　general　as　much　as　they　now　in　disaster　felt　his　absence。　The



victorious　cavalry　charged　the　wavering　line；　the　tribune　Vipstanus



Messalla　followed　with　the　auxiliary　troops　from　Moesia；　whom；



though　hurriedly　brought　up；　long　service　had　made　as　good　soldiers　as



the　legionaries。　The　horse　and　foot；　thus　mixed　together；　broke



through　the　line　of　the　legions。　The　near　neighbourhood　of　the



fortifications　of　Cremona；　while　it　gave　more　hope　of　escape；



diminished　the　vigour　of　their　resistance。



　　Antonius　did　not　press　forward；　for　he　thought　of　the　fatigue　and



the　wounds　with　which　a　battle　so　hard　fought；　notwithstanding　its



successful　termination；　must　have　disabled　his　cavalry　and　their



horses。　As　the　shadows　of　evening　deepened　the　whole　strength　of　the



Flavianist　army　came　up。　They　advanced　amid　heaps　of　dead　and　the



traces　of　recent　slaughter；　and；　as　if　the　war　was　over；　demanded　that



they　should　advance　to　Cremona；　and　receive　the　capitulation　of　the



vanquished　party；　or　take　the　place　by　storm。　This　was　the　motive



alleged；　and　it　sounded　well；　but　what　every　one　said　to　himself　was



this：　〃The　colony；　situated　as　it　is　on　level　ground；　may　be　taken



by　assault。　If　we　attack　under　cover　of　darkness；　we　shall　be　at　least



as　bold；　and　shall　enjoy　more　licence　in　plunder。　If　we　wait　for　the



light；　we　shall　be　met　with　entreaties　for　peace；　and　in　return　for



our　toil　and　our　wounds　shall　receive　only　the　empty　satisfaction　of



clemency　and　praise；　but　the　wealth　of　Cremona　will　go　into　the　purses



of　the　legates　and　the　prefects。　The　soldiers　have　the　plunder　of　a



city　that　is　stormed；　the　generals　of　one　which　capitulates。〃　The



centurions　and　tribunes　were　spurned　away；　that　no　man's　voice　might



be　heard；　the　troops　clashed　their　weapons　together；　ready　to　break



through　all　discipline；　unless　they　were　led　as　they　wished。



　　Antonius　then　made　his　way　into　the　companies。　When　his　presence　and



personal　authority　had　restored　silence；　he　declared；　〃I　would　not



snatch　their　glory　or　their　reward　from　those　who　have　deserved　them



so　well。　Yet　there　is　a　division　of　duties　between　the　army　and　its



generals。　Eagerness　for　battle　becomes　the　soldiers；　but　generals



serve　the　cause　by　forethought；　by　counsel；　by　delay　oftener　than　by



temerity。　As　I　promoted　your　victory　to　the　utmost　of　my　power　by　my



sword　and　by　my　personal　exertions；　so　now　I　must　help　you　by　prudence



and　by　counsel；　the　qualities　which　belong　peculiarly　to　a　general。



What　you　will　have　to　encounter　is　indeed　perfectly　plain。　There



will　be　the　darkness；　the　strange　localities　of　the　town；　the　enemy



inside　the　walls；　and　all　possible　facilities　for　ambuscades。　Even



if　the　gates　were　wide　open；　we　ought　not　to　enter　the　place；　except



we　had　first　reconnoitred　it；　and　in　the　day…time。　Shall　we　set



about　storming　the　town　when　we　have　no　means　seeing　where　the



ground　is　level；　what　is　the　height　of　the　walls；　whether　the　city



is　to　be　assailed　by　our　artillery　and　javelins；　or　by　siege…works　and



covered　approaches？〃　He　then　turned　to　individual　soldiers；　asking



them　whether　they　had　brought　with　them　their　axes　and　spades　and



whatever　else　is　used　when　towns　are　to　be　stormed。　On　their　admitting



that　they　had　not　done　so；　〃Can　any　hands；〃　he　answered；　〃break



through　and　undermine　walls　with　swords　and　lances？　And　if　it　should



be　found　necessary　to　throw　up　an　embankment　and　to　shelter



ourselves　under　mantlets　and　hurdles；　shall　we　stand　baffled　like　a



thoughtless　mob；　marvelling　at　the　height　of　the　towers　and　at　the



enemy's　defences？　Shall　we　not　rather；　by　delaying　one　night；　till　our



artillery　and　engines　come　up；　take　with　us　a　strength　that　must



prevail？〃　At　the　same　time　he　sent　the　sutlers　and　camp…followers　with



the　freshest　of　the　cavalry　to　Bedriacum　to　fetch　supplies　and



whatever　else　they　needed。



　　The　soldiers；　however；　were　impatient；　and　a　mutiny　had　almost



broken　out；　when　some　cavalry；　who　had　advanced　to　the　very　walls　of



Cremona；　seized　some　stragglers　from　the　town；　from　whose



information　it　was　ascertained；　that　the　six　legions　of　Vitellius



and　the　entire　army　which　had　been　quartered　at　Hostilia　had　on　that



very　day　marched　a　distance　of　thirty　miles；　and　having　heard　of　the



defeat　of　their　comrades；　were　preparing　for　battle；　and　would　soon　be



coming　up。　This　alarm　opened　the　ears　that　had　before　been　deaf　to



their　general's　advice。　The　13th　legion　was　ordered　to　take　up　its



position　on　the　raised　causeway　of　the　Via　Postumia；　supported　on



the　left　by　the　7th　（Galba's）　which　was　posted　in　the　plain；　next　came



the　7th　（Claudius'）；　defended　in　front　by　a　field…ditch；　such　being



the　character　of　the　ground。　On　the　right　was　the　8th　legion；　drawn　up



in　an　open　space；　and　then　the　3rd；　whose　ranks　were　divided　by　some



thick　brushwood。　Such　was　the　arrangement　of　the　eagles　and　the



standards。　The　soldiers　were　mingled　in　the　darkness　as　accident　had



determined。　The　Praetorian　colours　were　close　to　the　3rd　legion；　the



auxiliary　infantry　were　stationed　on　the　wings；　the　cavalry　covered



the　flanks　and　the　rear。　Sido　and　Italicus；　the　Suevian　chieftains；



with　a　picked　body　of　their　countrymen；　manoeuvred　in　the　van。



　　It　would　have　been　the　best　policy　for　the　army　of　Vitellius　to　rest



at　Cremona；　and；　with　strength　recruited　by　food　and　repose；　to　attack



and　crush　the　next　day　an　enemy　exhausted　by　cold　and　hunger；　but　now；



wanting　a　leader；　and　having　no　settled　plan；　they　came　into　collision



about　nine　o'clock　at　night　with　the　Flavianist　troops；　who　stood



ready；　and　in　order　of　battle。　Respecting　the　disposition　of　the



Vitellianist　army；　disordered　as　it　was　by　its　fury　and　by　the



darkness；　I　would　not　venture　to　speak　positively。　Some；　however；　have



related；　that　on　the　right　wing　was　the　4th　legion　（the　Macedonian）；



that　the　5th　and　15th；　with　the　veterans　of　three　British　legions　（the



9th；　2nd；　and　20th）；　formed　the　centre；　while　the　left　wing　was　made



up　of　the　1st；　the　16th；　and　the　22nd。　Men　of　the　legions　Rapax　and



Italica　were　mingled　with　all　the　companies。　The　cavalry　and　the



auxiliaries　chose　their　position　themselves。　Throughout　the　night



the　battle　raged　in　many　forms；　indecisive　and　fierce；　destructive；



first　to　one　side；　then　to　the　other。　Courage；　strength；　even　the



eye　with　its　keenest　sight；　were　of　no　avail。　Both　armies　fought



with　the　same　weapons；　the　watch…word；　continually　asked；　became



known；　the　colours　were　confused　together；　as　parties　of　combatants



snatched　them　from　the　enemy；　and　hurried　them　in　this　or　that



direction。　The　7th　legion；　recently　levied　by　Galba；　was　the　hardest



pressed。　Six　centurions　of　the　first　rank　were　killed；　and　some　of　the



standards　taken；　but　the　eagle　was　saved　by　Atilius　Verus；　the



centurion　of　the　first　company；　who；　after　making　a　great　slaughter



among　the　enemy；　at　last　fell。



　　The　line　was　supported；　as　it　began　to　waver；　by　Antonius；　who



brought　up　the　Praetorians。　They　took　up　the　conflict；　repulsed　the



enemy；　and　were　then　themselves　repulsed。　The　troops　of　Vitellius



had　collected　their　artillery　on　the　raised　causeway；　where　there



was　a　free　and　open　space　for　the　discharge　of　the　missiles；　which



at　first　had　been　scatter