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



before　the　eyes　of　his　own　men；　and　to　terrify　the　enemy　by　the



remembrance　of　defeat；　now　directed　his　own　mother　and　sisters；　and



the　wives　and　children　of　all　his　men；　to　stand　in　the　rear；　where



they　might　encourage　to　victory；　or　shame　defeat。　The　war…song　of



the　men；　and　the　shrill　cries　of　the　women；　rose　from　the　whole



line；　and　an　answering　but　far　less　vigorous　cheer；　came　from　the



legions　and　auxiliaries。　The　Batavians　had　exposed　the　left　wing　by



their　desertion；　and　they　immediately　turned　against　our　men。　Still



the　legionaries；　though　their　position　was　alarming；　kept　their　arms



and　their　ranks。　The　auxiliaries　of　the　Ubii　and　the　Treveri　broke



at　once　in　shameful　flight；　and　dispersed　over　the　whole　country。　On



that　side　the　Germans　threw　the　weight　of　their　attack。　Meanwhile



the　legions　had　an　opportunity　of　retreating　into　what　was　called



the　Old　Camp。　Claudius　Labeo；　prefect　of　the　Batavian　horse；　who　had



been　the　rival　of　Civilis　in　some　local　contest；　was　sent　away　into



the　country　of　the　Frisii；　to　kill　him　might　be　to　give　offence　to　his



countrymen；　while　to　keep　him　with　the　army　might　be　to　sow　the



seeds　of　discord。



　　About　the　same　time　the　messenger　despatched　by　Civilis　came　up　with



the　cohorts　of　the　Batavians　and　the　Canninefates；　while　by　the　orders



of　Vitellius　they　were　advancing　towards　Rome。　At　once；　inflated



with　pride　and　haughtiness；　they　demanded；　by　way　of　remuneration



for　their　march；　a　donative；　double　pay；　and　an　increase　in　the　number



of　cavalry；　things　indeed　which　Vitellius　had　promised；　but　which　they



now　asked；　not　with　the　thought　of　obtaining　them；　but　as　a　pretext



for　mutiny。　Flaccus；　by　his　many　concessions；　had　produced　no　other



effect　but　to　make　them　insist　with　more　energy　on　what　they　knew　he



must　refuse。　Treating　him　with　contempt；　they　made　their　way　towards



Lower　Germany；　to　join　Civilis。　Hordeonius；　assembling　the　tribunes



and　centurions；　asked　their　opinion　as　to　whether　he　should　use



coercion　with　those　who　refused　obedience。　Soon；　yielding　to　his



natural　timidity　and　to　the　alarm　of　his　officers；　who　were　troubled



by　the　suspicious　temper　of　the　auxiliaries　and　by　the　fact　that　the



ranks　of　the　legions　had　been　recruited　by　a　hurried　conscription；



he　resolved　to　confine　his　troops　to　the　camp。　Then；　repenting　of



his　resolve；　and　finding　that　the　very　men　who　had　advised　it　now



disapproved　it；　he　seemed　bent　on　pursuing　the　enemy；　and　wrote　to



Herennius　Gallus；　legate　of　the　first　legion；　who　was　then　holding



Bonna；　that　he　was　to　prevent　the　Batavians　from　crossing　the　Rhine；



and　that　he　would　himself　hang　on　their　rear　with　his　army。　They　might



have　been　crushed；　if　Hordeonius；　moving　from　one　side；　and　Gallus



from　the　other；　had　enclosed　them　between　their　armies。　But　Flaccus



abandoned　his　purpose；　and；　in　other　despatches　to　Gallus；　recommended



him　not　to　threaten　the　departing　foe。　Thence　arose　a　suspicion　that



the　war　was　being　kindled　with　the　consent　of　the　legates；　and　that



everything　which　had　happened；　or　was　apprehended；　was　due；　not　to　the



cowardice　of　the　troops；　or　to　the　strength　of　the　enemy；　but　to　the



treachery　of　the　generals。



　　When　the　Batavians　were　near　the　camp　at　Bonna；　they　sent　on



before　them　delegates；　commissioned　to　deliver　to　Herennius　Gallus　a



message　from　the　cohorts。　It　was　to　this　effect：　〃We　have　no　quarrel



with　the　Romans；　for　whom　we　have　so　often　fought。　Wearied　with　a



protracted　and　fruitless　service；　we　long　for　our　native　land　and



for　rest。　If　no　one　oppose　us；　our　march　will　be　harmless；　but　if　an



armed　force　encounter　us；　we　will　make　a　way　with　the　sword。〃　The



soldiers　prevailed　upon　the　hesitating　legate　to　risk　the　chances　of　a



battle。　Three　thousand　legionaries；　some　raw　Belgian　cohorts；　and　with



them　a　mob　of　rustics　and　camp…followers；　cowardly；　but　bold　of　speech



before　the　moment　of　danger；　rushed　out　of　all　the　gates；　thinking



to　surround　the　Batavians；　who　were　inferior　in　number。　But　the　enemy；



being　veteran　troops；　formed　in　columns；　presenting　on　every　side　a



dense　array；　with　front；　flanks；　and　rear　secure。　Thus　they　were



able　to　break　the　thin　line　of　our　soldiers。　The　Belgians　giving



way；　the　legion　was　driven　back；　retreating　in　confusion　on　the



entrenchments　and　the　gates。　It　was　there　that　the　greatest



slaughter　took　place。　The　trenches　were　heaped　up　with　corpses。　Nor



was　it　only　from　the　deadly　blows　of　the　enemy　that　they　suffered；



many　perished　in　the　crush　and　by　their　own　weapons。　The　victorious



army；　who　avoided　the　Colonia　Agrippinensis；　did　not　venture　on　any



other　hostile　act　during　the　remainder　of　their　march；　and　excused　the



conflict　at　Bonna；　alleging　that　they　had　asked　for　peace；　and　that



when　it　was　refused　they　had　but　looked　to　their　own　safety。



　　Civilis；　who　now　on　the　arrival　of　these　veteran　cohorts　was　at



the　head　of　a　complete　army；　but　who　was　undecided　in　his　plans；　and



still　reflected　on　the　power　of　Rome；　made　all　who　were　with　him　swear



allegiance　to　Vespasian；　and　sent　envoys　to　the　two　legions　which



after　their　defeat　in　the　previous　engagement　had　retreated　into　the



Old　Camp；　advising　them　to　accept　the　same　allegiance。　Their　reply



was：　〃We　do　not　follow　the　advice　of　traitors　or　enemies。　Vitellius　is



our　Emperor；　to　him　we　will　retain　our　fealty　and　devote　our　swords



till　our　last　breath。　Then　let　not　a　Batavian　refugee　affect　to　decide



the　destinies　of　Rome；　let　him　rather　await　the　merited　penalty　of　his



guilt。〃　When　this　reply　was　delivered　to　Civilis；　he　was　furious



with　anger；　and　hurried　the　whole　Batavian　nation　into　open　war。　The



Bructeri　and　the　Tencteri　joined　him；　and　messengers　summoned　all





Germany　to　share　in　his　plunder　and　his　glory。



　　To　meet　the　threatened　dangers　of　the　gathering　war；　the　legates



of　the　legions；　Munius　Lupercus　and　Numisius　Rufus；　strengthened　their



entrenchments　and　walls。　The　buildings；　which　during　a　long　period



of　peace　had　grown　up　like　a　town　near　the　camp；　were　destroyed；



lest　they　might　be　useful　to　the　enemy。　Little　care；　however；　was



taken　about　the　conveyance　of　supplies　into　the　camp。　These　the



generals　allowed　to　be　plundered；　and　so；　what　might　long　have



sufficed　for　their　necessities；　was　wantonly　wasted　in　a　few　days。



Civilis；　who　occupied　the　centre　of　the　army　with　the　elite　of　the



Batavian　troops；　wishing　to　add　a　new　terror　to　his　demonstration；



covered　both　banks　of　the　Rhine　with　columns　of　his　German　allies；



while　his　cavalry　galloped　about　the　plains。　At　the　same　time　the



fleet　was　moved　up　the　stream。　Here　were　the　standards　of　the



veteran　cohorts；　there　the　images　of　wild　beasts；　brought　out　of　the



woods　and　sacred　groves；　under　the　various　forms　which　each　tribe　is



used　to　follow　into　battle；　and　these　mingled　emblems　of　civil　and



of　foreign　warfare　utterly　confounded　the　besieged。　The　extent　of



the　entrenchment　raised　the　hopes　of　the　besiegers。　Constructed　for



two　legions；　it　was　now　held　by　not　more　than　five　thousand　Roman



soldiers。　But　there　was　with　them　a　great　number　of　camp…followers；



who　had　assembled　there　on　the　disturbance　of　peace；　and　who　could



be　employed　in　the　contest。



　　Part　of　the　camp　occupied　the　gentle　slope　of　a　hill；　to　part　was



a　level　approach。　By　this　encampment　Augustus　had　thought　the　German



tribes　might　be　watched　and　checked；　never　had　he　contemplated　such



a　pitch　of　disaster；　as　that　these　tribes　should　themselves　advance　to



attack　our　legions。　Hence　no　labour　was　bestowed　on　the　ground　or　on



the　defences。　Our　valour　and　our　arms　seemed　defence　enough。　The



Batavians　and　the　Transrhenane　tribes　took　up　their　position；　each



tribe　by　itself；　to　distinguish　and　so　the　better　to　display　the



valour　of　each；　first　annoying　us　by　a　distant　volley；　then；　as　they



found　that　very　many　of　their　missiles　fixed　themselves　harmlessly



in　the　turrets　and　battlements　of　the　walls；　and　they　themselves



suffered　from　the　stones　showered　down　on　them；　they　fell　on　the



entrenchment　with　a　shout　and　furious　rush；　many　placing　their



scaling…ladders　against　the　ramparts；　and　others　mounting　on　a　testudo



formed　by　their　comrades。　Some　were　in　the　act　of　climbing　over　when



they　were　thrust　down　by　the　swords　of　the　enemy；　and　fell　overwhelmed



by　a　storm　of　javelins　and　stakes。　Always　very　daring　at　first　and



excessively　elated　by　success；　they　now　in　their　eagerness　for　plunder



bore　up　against　reverse。　They　also　ventured　to　use　what　to　them　was



a　novelty；　engines　of　war；　they　had　themselves　no　skill　in　handling



them；　but　the　prisoners　and　deserters　taught　them　to　pile　up　timber　in



the　shape　of　a　bridge；　un