histories-第37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！




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



Cremona　was　filled　with　slain。



　　Difficulties　of　another　kind　presented　themselves　in　the　lofty　walls



of　the　town；　its　stone　towers；　its　iron…barred　gates；　in　the



garrison　who　stood　brandishing　their　weapons；　in　its　numerous



population　devoted　to　the　interests　of　Vitellius；　and　in　the　vast



conflux　from　all　parts　of　Italy　which　had　assembled　at　the　fair



regularly　held　at　that　time。　The　besieged　found　a　source　of　strength



in　these　large　numbers；　the　assailants　an　incentive　in　the　prospect　of



booty。　Antonius　gave　orders　that　fire　should　instantly　be　set　to　the



finest　buildings　without　the　city；　to　see　whether　the　inhabitants　of



Cremona　might　not　be　induced　by　the　loss　of　their　property　to　transfer



their　allegiance。　Some　houses　near　the　walls；　which　overtopped　the



fortifications；　he　filled　with　the　bravest　of　his　soldiers；　who；　by



hurling　beams；　tiles；　and　flaming　missiles；　dislodged　the　defenders



from　the　ramparts。



　　The　legions　now　began　to　form　themselves　into　a　〃testudo；〃　and　the



other　troops　to　discharge　volleys　of　stones　and　darts；　when　the



courage　of　the　Vitellianists　began　to　flag。　The　higher　their　rank；　the



more　readily　they　succumbed　to　fortune；　fearing　that　when　Cremona



had　fallen　quarter　could　no　longer　be　expected；　and　that　all　the



fury　of　the　conqueror　would　be　turned；　not　on　the　penniless　crowd；　but



on　the　tribunes　and　centurions；　by　whose　slaughter　something　was　to　be



gained。　The　common　soldiers；　careless　of　the　future　and　safer　in　their



obscurity；　still　held　out。　Roaming　through　the　streets　or　concealed　in



the　houses；　they　would　not　sue　for　peace　even　when　they　had



abandoned　the　contest。　The　principal　officers　of　the　camp　removed



the　name　and　images　of　Vitellius；　Caecina；　who　was　still　in



confinement；　they　released　from　his　chains；　imploring　him　to　plead



their　cause。　When　he　haughtily　rejected　their　suit；　they　entreated　him



with　tears；　and　it　was　indeed　the　last　aggravation　of　misery；　that



many　valiant　men　should　invoke　the　aid　of　a　traitor。　Then　they



displayed　from　the　walls　the　olive　branches　and　chaplets　of



suppliants；　and　when　Antonius　had　ordered　that　the　discharge　of



missiles　should　cease；　they　brought　out　the　eagles　and　standards。　Then



followed；　with　eyes　bent　on　the　ground；　a　dismal　array　of　unarmed　men。



The　conquerors　had　gathered　round；　at　first　they　heaped　reproaches



on　them　and　pointed　at　them　their　weapons；　then　seeing　how　they



offered　their　cheeks　to　insulting　blows；　how；　with　all　their　high



spirit　departed；　they　submitted；　as　vanquished　men；　to　every



indignity；　it　suddenly　occurred　to　their　recollection；　that　these　were



the　very　soldiers　who　but　shortly　before　had　used　with　moderation



their　victory　at　Bedriacum。　Yet；　when　Caecina　the　consul；



conspicuous　in　his　robes　of　state　and　with　his　train　of　lictors；



came　forward　thrusting　aside　the　crowd；　the　victors　were　fired　with



indignation；　and　reproached　him　with　his　tyranny；　his　cruelty；　and；　so



hateful　are　such　crimes；　even　with　his　treason。　Antonius　checked　them；



gave　him　an　escort；　and　sent　him　to　Vespasian。



　　Meanwhile　the　population　of　Cremona　was　roughly　handled　by　the



soldiers；　who　were　just　beginning　a　massacre；　when　their　fury　was



mitigated　by　the　entreaties　of　the　generals。　Antonius　summoned　them　to



an　assembly；　extolled　the　conquerors；　spoke　kindly　to　the　conquered；



but　said　nothing　either　way　of　Cremona。　Over　and　above　the　innate　love



of　plunder；　there　was　an　old　feud　which　made　the　army　bent　on　the



destruction　of　the　inhabitants。　It　was　generally　believed　that　in



the　war　with　Otho；　as　well　as　in　the　present；　they　had　supported　the



cause　of　Vitellius。　Afterwards；　when　the　13th　legion　had　been　left



to　build　an　amphitheatre；　with　the　characteristic　insolence　of　a



city　population；　they　had　wantonly　provoked　and　insulted　them。　The



ill…feeling　had　been　aggravated　by　the　gladiatorial　show　exhibited



there　by　Caecina；　by　the　circumstance　that　their　city　was　now　for



the　second　time　the　seat　of　war；　and　by　the　fact　that　they　had



supplied　the　Vitellianists　with　provisions　in　the　field；　and　that　some



of　their　women；　taken　by　party…zeal　into　the　battle；　had　there　been



slain。　The　occurrence　of　the　fair　filled　the　colony；　rich　as　it　always



was；　with　an　appearance　of　still　greater　wealth。　The　other　generals



were　unnoticed；　Antonius　from　his　success　and　high　reputation　was



observed　of　all。　He　had　hastened　to　the　baths　to　wash　off　the　blood；



and　when　he　found　fault　with　the　temperature　of　the　water；　an　answer



was　heard；　〃that　it　would　soon　be　warm　enough。　Thus　the　words　of　a



slave　brought　on　him　the　whole　odium　of　having　given　the　signal　for



firing　the　town；　which　was　indeed　already　in　flames。



　　Forty　thousand　armed　men　burst　into　Cremona；　and　with　them　a　body　of



sutlers　and　camp…followers；　yet　more　numerous　and　yet　more　abandoned



to　lust　and　cruelty。　Neither　age　nor　rank　were　any　protection　from



indiscriminate　slaughter　and　violation。　Aged　men　and　women　past



their　prime；　worthless　as　booty；　were　dragged　about　in　wanton



insult。　Did　a　grown　up　maiden　or　youth　of　marked　beauty　fall　in



their　way；　they　were　torn　in　pieces　by　the　violent　hands　of　ravishers；



and　in　the　end　the　destroyers　themselves　were　provoked　into　mutual



slaughter。　Men；　as　they　carried　off　for　themselves　coin　or



temple…offerings　of　massive　gold；　were　cut　down　by　others　of



superior　strength。　Some；　scorning　what　met　the　eye；　searched　for



hidden　wealth；　and　dug　up　buried　treasures；　applying　the　scourge　and



the　torture　to　the　owners。　In　their　hands　were　flaming　torches；　which；



as　soon　as　they　had　carried　out　the　spoil；　they　wantonly　hurled　into



the　gutted　houses　and　plundered　temples。　In　an　army　which　included



such　varieties　of　language　and　character；　an　army　comprising　Roman



citizens；　allies；　and　foreigners；　there　was　every　kind　of　had　a　law　of



his　own；　and　nothing　was　forbidden。　For　four　days　Cremona　satisfied



the　plunderers。　When　all　things　else；　sacred　and　profane；　were



settling　down　into　the　flames；　the　temple　of　Mephitis　outside　the



walls　alone　remained　standing；　saved　by　its　situation　or　by　divine



interposition。



　　Such　was　the　end　of　Cremona；　286　years　after　its　foundation。　It



was　built　in　the　consulship　of　Tiberius　Sempronius　and　Cornelius



Scipio；　when　Hannibal　was　threatening　Italy；　as　a　protection　against



the　Gauls　from　beyond　the　Padus；　or　against　any　other　sudden　invader



from　the　Alps。　From　the　number　of　settlers；　the　conveniences



afforded　by　the　rivers；　the　fertility　of　the　soil；　and　the　many



connexions　and　intermarriages　formed　with　neighbouring　nations；　it



grew　and　flourished；　unharmed　by　foreign　enemies；　though　most



unfortunate　in　civil　wars。　Ashamed　of　the　atrocious　deed；　and　aware　of



the　detestation　which　it　was　inspiring；　Antonius　issued　a



proclamation；　that　no　one　should　detain　in　captivity　a　citizen　of



Cremona。　The　spoil　indeed　had　been　rendered　valueless　to　the



soldiers　by　a　general　agreement　throughout　Italy；　which　rejected



with　loathing　the　purchase　of　such　slaves。　A　massacre　then　began；　when



this　was　known；　the　prisoners　were　secretly　ransomed　by　their



friends　and　relatives。　The　remaining　inhabitants　soon　returned　to



Cremona；　the　temples　and　squares　were　restored　by　the　munificence　of



the　burghers；　and　Vespasian　gave　his　exhortations。



　　The　soil　poisoned　with　blood　forbade　the　enemy　to　remain　long　by　the



ruins　of　the　buried　city。　They　advanced　to　the　third　milestone；　and



gathered　the　dispersed　and　panic…stricken　Vitellianists　round　their



proper　standards。　The　vanquished　legions　were　then　scattered



throughout　Illyricum；　for　civil　war　was　not　over；　and　they　might



play　a　doubtful　part。　Messengers　carrying　news　of　the　victory　were



then　despatched　to　Britain　and　to　Spain。　Julius　Calenus；　a　tribune；



was　sent　to　Gaul；　and　Alpinius　Montanus；　prefect　of　a　cohort；　to



Germany；　as　the　one　was　an　Aeduan；　the　other　a　Trever；　and　both　were



Vitellianists；　they　would　be　a　proof　of　the　success。　At　the　same



time　the　passes　of　the　Alps　were　occupied　with　troops；　for　it　was



suspected　that　Germany　was　arming　itself　to　support　Vitellius。



　　A　few　days　after　the　departure　of　Caecina；　Vitellius　had　hurried



Fabius　Valens　to　the　seat　of　war；　and　was　now　seeking　to　hide　his



apprehensions　from　himself　by　indulgence。　He　made　no　military



preparation；　he　did　not　seek　to　invigorate　the　soldiers　by　encouraging



speeches　or　warlike　exercises；　he　did　not　keep　himself　before　the　eyes



of　the　people。　Buried　in　the　shades　of　his　gardens；　like　those



sluggish　animals　which；　if　you　supply　them　with　food；　lie　motionless



and　torpid；　he　had　dismissed　with　the　same　forgetfulness　the　past；　the



present；　and　the　future。