histories-第49节

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off　for　infamous　purposes。　This　caused　indignation；　and　the



ringleaders　of　the　concerted　rebellion　prevailed　upon　the　people　to



refuse　the　conscription。　Civilis　collected　at　one　of　the　sacred



groves；　ostensibly　for　a　banquet；　the　chiefs　of　the　nation　and　the



boldest　spirits　of　the　lower　class。　When　he　saw　them　warmed　with　the



festivities　of　the　night；　he　began　by　speaking　of　the　renown　and　glory



of　their　race；　and　then　counted　the　wrongs　and　the　oppressions　which



they　endured；　and　all　the　other　evils　of　slavery。　〃There　is；〃　he　said；



〃no　alliance；　as　once　there　was；　we　are　treated　as　slaves。　When　does



even　a　legate　come　among　us；　though　he　come　only　with　a　burdensome



retinue　and　in　all　the　haughtiness　of　power？　We　are　handed　over　to



prefects　and　centurions；　and　when　they　are　glutted　with　our　spoils　and



our　blood；　then　they　are　changed；　and　new　receptacles　for　plunder；　new



terms　for　spoliation；　are　discovered。　Now　the　conscription　is　at　hand；



tearing；　we　may　say；　for　ever　children　from　parents；　and　brothers　from



brothers。　Never　has　the　power　of　Rome　been　more　depressed。　In　the



winter　quarters　of　the　legions　there　is　nothing　but　property　to



plunder　and　a　few　old　men。　Only　dare　to　look　up；　and　cease　to



tremble　at　the　empty　names　of　legions。　For　we　have　a　vast　force　of



horse　and　foot；　we　have　the　Germans　our　kinsmen；　we　have　Gaul　bent



on　the　same　objects。　Even　to　the　Roman　people　this　war　will　not　be



displeasing；　if　defeated；　we　shall　still　reckon　it　a　service　to



Vespasian；　and　for　success　no　account　need　be　rendered。〃



　　Having　been　listened　to　with　great　approval；　he　bound　the　whole



assembly　with　barbarous　rites　and　the　national　forms　of　oath。　Envoys



were　sent　to　the　Canninefates　to　urge　a　common　policy。　This　is　a　tribe



which　inhabits　part　of　the　island；　and　closely　resembles　the　Batavians



in　their　origin；　their　language；　and　their　courageous　character；　but



is　inferior　in　numbers。　After　this　he　sent　messengers　to　tamper　with



the　British　auxiliaries　and　with　the　Batavian　cohorts；　who；　as　I



have　before　related；　had　been　sent　into　Germany；　and　were　then



stationed　at　Mogontiacum。　Among　the　Canninefates　there　was　a　certain



Brinno；　a　man　of　a　certain　stolid　bravery　and　of　distinguished



birth。　His　father；　after　venturing　on　many　acts　of　hostility；　had



scorned　with　impunity　the　ridiculous　expedition　of　Caligula。　His



very　name；　the　name　of　a　family　of　rebels；　made　him　popular。　Raised



aloft　on　a　shield　after　the　national　fashion；　and　balanced　on　the



shoulders　of　the　bearers；　he　was　chosen　general。　Immediately　summoning



to　arms　the　Frisii；　a　tribe　of　the　farther　bank　of　the　Rhine；　he



assailed　by　sea　the　winter　quarters　of　two　cohorts；　which　was　the



nearest　point　to　attack。　The　soldiers　had　not　anticipated　the



assault　of　the　enemy；　even　had　they　done　so；　they　had　not　strength



to　repulse　it。　Thus　the　camp　was　taken　and　plundered。　Then　the　enemy



fell　upon　the　sutlers　and　Roman　traders；　who　were　wandering　about　in



every　direction；　as　they　would　in　a　time　of　peace。　At　the　same　time



they　were　on　the　point　of　destroying　the　forts；　but　the　prefects　of



the　cohorts；　seeing　that　they　could　not　hold　them；　set　them　on　fire。



The　standards；　the　colours；　and　what　soldiers　there　were；　concentrated



themselves　in　the　upper　part　of　the　island　under　the　command　of



Aquilius；　a　centurion　of　the　first　rank；　an　army　in　name　rather　than



in　strength。　Vitellius　in　fact；　after　withdrawing　the　effective　troops



from　the　cohorts；　had　loaded　with　arms　a　crowd　of　idlers　from　the



neighbouring　villages　of　the　Nervii　and　the　Germans。



　　Civilis；　thinking　that　he　must　proceed　by　craft；　actually　blamed　the



prefects　for　having　deserted　the　forts；　saying　that　he　would



himself；　with　the　cohort　under　his　command；　quell　the　disturbance



among　the　Canninefates；　and　that　they　had　better　return　to　their



respective　winter　quarters。　It　was　evident；　however；　that　there　was



some　treacherous　design　beneath　this　advice；　that　the　cohorts　would　be



dispersed　only　to　be　more　easily　crushed；　and　that　the　guiding　hand　in



the　war　was　not　Brinno　but　Civilis；　for　indications　of　the　truth；



which　the　Germans；　a　people　who　delight　in　war；　could　not　long



conceal；　were　gradually　coming　to　light。　When　stratagem　proved



ineffectual；　he　resorted　to　force；　arranging　in　distinct　columns　the



Canninefates；　the　Batavians；　and　the　Frisii。　The　Roman　army　was



drawn　up　to　meet　them　not　far　from　the　river　Rhine；　and　the　ships；



which；　after　burning　the　forts；　they　had　stranded　at　that　point；



were　arranged　so　as　to　front　the　enemy。　Before　the　struggle　had　lasted



long；　a　cohort　of　Tungrians　carried　over　their　standards　to　Civilis。



The　other　troops；　paralysed　by　the　unexpected　desertion；　were　cut　down



alike　by　friends　and　foes。　In　the　fleet　there　was　the　same



treachery。　Some　of　the　rowers　were　Batavians；　and　they　hindered　the



operations　of　the　sailors　and　combatants　by　an　apparent　want　of　skill；



then　they　began　to　back　water；　and　to　run　the　sterns　on　to　the　hostile



shore。　At　last　they　killed　the　pilots　and　centurions；　unless　these



were　willing　to　join　them。　The　end　was　that　the　whole　fleet　of　four



and　twenty　vessels　either　deserted　or　was　taken。



　　For　the　moment　this　was　a　brilliant　success；　and　it　had　its　use



for　the　future。　They　possessed　themselves　of　some　arms　and　some



vessels；　both　of　which　they　wanted；　while　they　became　very　famous



throughout　Germany　as　the　champions　of　liberty。　The　tribes　of



Germany　immediately　sent　envoys　with　offers　of　troops。　The



co…operation　of　Gaul　Civilis　endeavoured　to　secure　by　politic



liberality；　sending　back　to　their　respective　states　the　captured



prefects　of　cohorts；　and　giving　permission　to　their　men　to　go　or



stay　as　they　preferred。　He　offered　to　those　who　stayed　service　on



honourable　terms；　to　those　who　departed　the　spoils　of　the　Roman



army。　At　the　same　time　he　reminded　them　in　confidential



conversations　of　the　wrongs　which　they　had　endured　for　so　many



years；　while　they　falsely　gave　to　a　wretched　slavery　the　name　of



peace。　〃The　Batavians；〃　he　said；　〃though　free　of　tribute；　have　yet



taken　up　arms　against　our　common　masters。　In　the　first　conflict　the



soldiers　of　Rome　have　been　routed　and　vanquished。　What　will　be　the



result　if　Gaul　throws　off　the　yoke？　What　strength　is　there　yet　left　in



Italy？　It　is　by　the　blood　of　the　provinces　that　the　provinces　are



conquered。　Think　not　of　how　it　fared　with　the　armies　of　Vindex。　It　was



by　Batavian　cavalry　that　the　Aedui　and　the　Arverni　were　trampled　down；



and　among　the　auxiliaries　of　Verginius　there　were　found　Belgian



troops。　To　those　who　will　estimate　the　matter　aright　it　is　evident



that　Gaul　fell　by　her　own　strength。　But　now　all　are　on　the　same



side；　and　we　have　whatever　remnant　of　military　vigour　still　flourished



in　the　camps　of　Rome。　With　us　too　are　the　veteran　cohorts　to　which　the



legions　of　Otho　lately　succumbed。　Let　Syria；　Asia　Minor；　and　the　East；



habituated　as　it　is　to　despotism；　submit　to　slavery；　there　are　many



yet　alive　in　Gaul　who　were　born　before　the　days　of　tribute。　It　was



only　lately　indeed　that　Quintilius　Varus　was　slain；　and　slavery　driven



out　of　Germany。　And　the　Emperor　who　was　challenged　by　that　war　was　not



a　Vitellius；　but　a　Caesar　Augustus。　Freedom　is　a　gift　bestowed　by



nature　even　on　the　dumb　animals。　Courage　is　the　peculiar　excellence　of



man；　and　the　Gods　help　the　braver　side。　Let　us　then；　who　are　free　to



act　and　vigorous；　fall　on　a　distracted　and　exhausted　enemy。　While　some



are　supporting　Vespasian；　and　others　Vitellius；　opportunities　are



opening　up　for　acting　against　both。〃



　　Civilis；　bent　on　winning　Gaul　and　Germany　if　his　purposes　should



prosper；　was　on　the　point　of　securing　supremacy　over　the　most　powerful



and　most　wealthy　of　the　states。　His　first　attempts　Hordeonius



Flaccus　had　encouraged　by　affecting　ignorance。　But　when　messengers



came　hurrying　in　with　intelligence　that　a　camp　had　been　stormed；



that　cohorts　had　been　cut　to　pieces；　and　that　the　Roman　power　had　been



expelled　from　the　island　of　the　Batavians；　the　general　ordered　the



legate；　Munius　Lupercus；　who　was　in　command　of　the　winter　quarters



of　two　legions；　to　advance　against　the　enemy。　Lupercus　in　great



haste　threw　across　the　Rhine　such　legionaries　as　were　on　the　spot；



some　Ubian　troops　who　were　close　at　hand；　and　some　cavalry　of　the



Treveri；　who　were　stationed　at　no　great　distance；　these　were



accompanied　by　some　Batavian　horse；　who；　though　they　had　been　long



disaffected；　yet　still　simulated　loyalty　in　order　that　by　betraying



the　Romans　in　the　moment　of　actual　conflict　they　might　receive　a



higher　price　for　their　desertion。　Civilis；　surrounding　himself　with



the　standards　of　the　captured　cohorts；　to　keep　their　recent　honours



before　the　eyes　of　his　o