histories-第36节

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



at　first　had　been　scattered　at　random；　and　had　struck　against　the



trees　without　injury　to　the　enemy。　An　engine　of　remarkable　size；



belonging　to　the　15th　legion；　was　crushing　the　hostile　ranks　with　huge



stones；　and　would　have　spread　destruction　far　and　wide；　had　not　two



soldiers　ventured　on　a　deed　of　surpassing　bravery。　Disguising



themselves　with　shields　snatched　from　the　midst　of　the　carnage；　they



cut　the　ropes　and　springs　of　the　engine。　They　were　instantly　slain；



and　their　names　have　consequently　been　lost；　but　the　fact　is



undoubted。　Fortune　favoured　neither　side；　till　at　a　late　hour　of　the



night　the　moon　rose　and　showed；　but　showed　deceptively；　both　armies。



The　light；　however；　shining　from　behind；　favoured　the　Flavianists。



With　them　a　lengthened　shadow　fell　from　men　and　horses；　and　the



enemy's　missiles；　incorrectly　aimed　at　what　seemed　the　substance；　fell



short；　while　the　Vitellianists；　who　had　the　light　shining　on　their



faces；　were　unconsciously　exposed　to　an　enemy　who　were；　so　to　speak；



concealed　while　they　aimed。



　　As　soon　as　Antonius　could　recognize　his　men　and　be　recognized　by



them；　he　sought　to　kindle　their　courage；　striving　to　shame　some　with



his　reproaches；　stirring　many　with　praise　and　encouragement；　and　all



with　hopes　and　promises。　〃Why；〃　he　demanded　of　the　legions　of



Pannonia；　〃have　you　again　taken　up　arms？　Yonder　is　the　field　where　you



may　wipe　out　the　stain　of　past　disgrace；　and　redeem　your　honour。〃　Then



turning　to　the　troops　of　Moesia；　he　appealed　to　them　as　the　authors



and　originators　of　the　war。　〃Idly；〃　he　said　〃have　you　challenged　the



Vitellianists　with　threatening　words；　if　you　cannot　abide　their　attack



or　even　their　looks。〃　So　he　spoke　to　each　as　he　approached　them。　The



third　legion　he　addressed　at　greater　length；　reminding　them　of　old　and



recent　achievements；　how　under　Marcus　Antonius　they　had　defeated　the



Parthians；　under　Corbulo　the　Armenians；　and　had　lately　discomfited　the



Sarmatians。　Then　angrily　turning　to　the　Praetorians；　〃Clowns；〃　said



he；　〃unless　you　are　victorious；　what　other　general；　what　other　camp



will　receive　you？　There　are　your　colours　and　your　arms；　defeat　is



death；　for　disgrace　you　have　exhausted。〃　A　shout　was　raised　on　all



sides；　and　the　soldiers　of　the　third　legion　saluted；　as　is　the



custom　in　Syria；　the　rising　sun。



　　A　vague　rumour　thus　arose；　or　was　intentionally　suggested　by　the



general；　that　Mucianus　had　arrived；　and　that　the　two　armies　had



exchanged　salutations。　The　men　then　charged　as　confidently　as　if



they　had　been　strengthened　by　fresh　reinforcements；　while　the



enemy's　array　was　now　less　compact；　for；　as　there　was　no　one　to



command；　it　was　now　contracted；　now　extended；　as　the　courage　or　fear



of　individual　soldiers　might　prompt。　Antonius；　seeing　that　they　gave



way；　charged　them　with　a　heavy　column；　the　loose　ranks　were　at　once



broken；　and；　entangled　as　they　were　among　their　wagons　and



artillery；　could　not　be　re…formed。　The　conquerors；　in　the　eagerness　of



pursuit；　dispersed　themselves　over　the　entire　line　of　road。　The



slaughter　that　followed　was　made　particularly　memorable　through　the



murder　of　a　father　by　his　son。　I　will　record　the　incident　with　the



names；　on　the　authority　of　Vipstanus　Messalla。　Julius　Mansuetus；　a



Spaniard；　enlisting　in　the　legion　Rapax；　had　left　at　home　a　son　of



tender　age。　The　lad　grew　up　to　manhood；　and　was　enrolled　by　Galba　in



the　7th　legion。　Now　chancing　to　meet　his　father；　he　brought　him　to　the



ground　with　a　wound；　and；　as　he　rifled　his　dying　foe；　recognized



him；　and　was　himself　recognized。　Clasping　the　expiring　man　in　his



arms；　in　piteous　accents　he　implored　the　spirit　of　his　father　to　be



propitious　to　him；　and　not　to　turn　from　him　with　loathing　as　from　a



parricide。　〃This　guilt；〃　he　said；　〃is　shared　by　all；　how　small　a



part　of　a　civil　war　is　a　single　soldier！〃　With　these　words　he　raised



the　body；　opened　a　grave；　and　discharged　the　last　duties　for　his



father。　This　was　noticed　by　those　who　were　on　the　spot；　then　by　many



others；　astonishment　and　indignation　ran　through　the　whole　army；　and



they　cursed　this　most　horrible　war。　Yet　as　eagerly　as　ever　they



stripped　the　bodies　of　slaughtered　kinsfolk；　connexions；　and　brothers。



They　talk　of　an　impious　act　having　been　done；　and　they　do　it



themselves。



　　When　they　reached　Cremona　a　fresh　work　of　vast　difficulty



presented　itself。　During　the　war　with　Otho　the　legions　of　Germany



had　formed　their　camp　round　the　walls　of　the　city；　round　this　camp　had



drawn　an　entrenchment；　and　had　again　strengthened　these　defences。　At



this　sight　the　victorious　army　hesitated；　while　the　generals　doubted



what　orders　they　should　give。　To　attempt　an　assault　with　troops



exhausted　by　the　toil　of　a　day　and　a　night　would　be　difficult；　and



with　no　proper　reserves　might　be　perilous。　Should　they　return　to



Bedriacum；　the　fatigue　of　so　long　a　march　would　be　insupportable；



and　their　victory　would　result　in　nothing。　To　entrench　a　camp　with　the



enemy　so　close　at　hand　would　be　dangerous；　as　by　a　sudden　sortie



they　might　cause　confusion　among　them　while　dispersed　and　busied



with　the　work。　Above　all；　they　were　afraid　of　their　soldiers；　who　were



more　patient　of　danger　than　delay。　Cautious　measures　they　disliked；



their　rashness　inspired　them　with　hope；　and　eagerness　for　plunder



outweighed　all　the　horrors　of　carnage；　wounds；　and　bloodshed。



　　Antonius　himself　was　this　way　inclined；　and　he　ordered　the



entrenched　camp　to　be　invested。　At　first　they　fought　from　a　distance



with　arrows　and　stones；　the　Flavianists　suffering　most；　as　the　enemy's



missiles　were　aimed　at　them　from　a　superior　height。　Antonius　then



assigned　to　each　legion　the　attack　on　some　portion　of　the



entrenchments；　and　on　one　particular　gate；　seeking　by　this　division　of



labour　to　distinguish　the　cowardly　from　the　brave；　and　to　stimulate



his　men　by　an　honourable　rivalry。　The　3rd　and　7th　legions　took　up　a



position　close　to　the　road　from　Bedriacum；　more　to　the　right　of　the



entrenchments　were　stationed　the　8th　and　the　7th　（Claudius'）。　The　13th



were　carried　by　the　impetuosity　of　their　attack　as　far　as　the　gate



looking　towards　Brixia。　There　ensued　a　little　delay；　while　from　the



neighbouring　fields　some　were　collecting　spades　and　pickaxes；　others



hooks　and　ladders。　Then　raising　their　shields　over　their　heads；　they



advanced　to　the　rampart　in　a　dense　〃testudo。〃　Both　used　the　arts　of



Roman　warfare；　the　Vitellianists　rolled　down　ponderous　stones；　and



drove　spears　and　long　poles　into　the　broken　and　tottering　〃testudo；〃



till　the　dense　array　of　shields　was　loosened；　and　the　ground　was



strewn　with　a　vast　number　of　lifeless　and　mangled　bodies。



　　28。　Some　hesitation　had　shewn　itself；　when　the　generals；　seeing　that



the　weary　troops　would　not　listen　to　what　seemed　to　them　unmeaning



encouragement；　pointed　to　Cremona。　Whether　this　was；　as　Messalla



relates；　the　device　of　Hormus；　or　whether　Caius　Plinius　be　the



better　authority　when　he　charges　it　upon　Antonius；　I　cannot　easily



determine。　All　I　can　say　is　this；　that　neither　in　Antonius　nor　in



Hormus　would　this　foulest　of　crimes　have　been　a　degeneracy　from　the



character　of　their　former　lives。　Wounds　or　bloodshed　no　longer　kept



the　men　back　from　undermining　the　rampart　and　battering　the　gates。



Supported　on　the　shoulders　of　comrades；　and　forming　a　second



〃testudo；〃　they　clambered　up　and　seized　the　weapons　and　even　the　hands



of　the　enemy。　The　unhurt　and　the　wounded；　the　half…dead　and　the　dying；



were　mingled　together　with　every　incident　of　slaughter　and　death　in



every　form。



　　The　fiercest　struggle　was　maintained　by　the　3rd　and　7th　legions；　and



Antonius　in　person　with　some　chosen　auxiliaries　concentrated　his



efforts　on　the　same　point。　The　Vitellianists；　unable　to　resist　the



combined　and　resolute　attack；　and　finding　that　their　missiles　glided



off　the　〃testudo；〃　at　last　threw　the　engine　itself　on　the



assailants；　for　a　moment　it　broke　and　overwhelmed　those　on　whom　it



fell；　but　it　drew　after　it　in　its　fall　the　battlements　and　upper



part　of　the　rampart。　At　the　same　time　an　adjoining　tower　yielded　to



the　volleys　of　stones；　and；　while　the　7th　legion　in　wedge…like　array



was　endeavouring　to　force　an　entrance；　the　3rd　broke　down　the　gate



with　axes　and　swords。　All　authors　are　agreed　that　Caius　Volusius；　a



soldier　of　the　3rd　legion；　entered　first。　Beating　down　all　who　opposed



him；　he　mounted　the　rampart；　waved　his　hand；　and　shouted　aloud　that



the　camp　was　taken。　The　rest　of　the　legion　burst　in；　while　the



troops　of　Vitellius　were　seized　with　panic；　and　threw　themselves



from　the　rampart。　The　entire　space　between　the　camp　and　the　walls　of



Cremona　was　filled　with　slain。



　　Difficulties　of　another