histories-第52节

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that　the　Ubii　had　been　crushed；　and　elated　by　the　success　of　his



operations；　pressed　on　the　siege　of　the　legions；　keeping　a　strict



watch　to　prevent　any　secret　intelligence　of　advancing　succours　from



reaching　them。　He　entrusted　to　the　Batavians　the　care　of　the



machines　and　the　vast　siege…works；　and　when　the　Transrhenane　tribes



clamoured　for　battle；　he　bade　them　go　and　cut　through　the　ramparts；



and；　if　repulsed；　renew　the　struggle；　their　numbers　were　superfluously



large；　and　their　loss　was　not　felt。　Even　darkness　did　not　terminate



the　struggle。



　　Piling　up　logs　of　wood　round　the　walls　and　lighting　them；　they　sat



feasting；　and　rushed　to　the　conflict；　as　each　grew　heated　with　wine；



with　a　useless　daring。　Their　missiles　were　discharged　without　effect



in　the　darkness；　but　to　the　Romans　the　ranks　of　the　barbarians　were



plainly　discernible；　and　they　singled　out　with　deliberate　aim　anyone



whose　boldness　or　whose　decorations　made　him　conspicuous。　Civilis



saw　this；　and；　extinguishing　the　fires；　threw　the　confusion　of



darkness　over　the　attack。　Then　ensued　a　scene　of　discordant　clamour；



of　accident；　and　uncertainty；　where　no　one　could　see　how　to　aim　or



to　avoid　a　blow。　Wherever　a　shout　was　heard；　they　wheeled　round　and



strained　hand　and　foot。　Valour　was　of　no　avail；　accident　disturbed



every　plan；　and　the　bravest　frequently　were　struck　down　by　the



missiles　of　the　coward。　The　Germans　fought　with　inconsiderate　fury；



our　men；　more　alive　to　the　danger；　threw；　but　not　at　random；　stakes



shod　with　iron　and　heavy　stones。　Where　the　noise　of　the　assailants　was



heard；　or　where　the　ladders　placed　against　the　walls　brought　the　enemy



within　reach　of　their　hands；　they　pushed　them　back　with　their　shields；



and　followed　them　with　their　javelins。　Many；　who　had　struggled　on　to



the　walls；　they　stabbed　with　their　short　swords。　After　a　night　thus



spent；　day　revealed　a　new　method　of　attack。



　　The　Batavians　had　raised　a　tower　two　stories　high；　which　they



brought　up　to　the　Praetorian　gate　of　the　camp；　where　the　ground　was



most　level。　But　our　men；　pushing　forward　strong　poles；　and　battering



it　with　beams；　broke　it　down；　causing　great　destruction　among　the



combatants　on　the　top。　The　enemy　were　attacked　in　their　confusion　by　a



sudden　and　successful　sally。　All　this　time　many　engines　were



constructed　by　the　legionaries；　who　were　superior　to　the　enemy　in



experience　and　skill。　Peculiar　consternation　was　caused　by　a



machine；　which；　being　poised　in　the　air　over　the　heads　of　the　enemy；



suddenly　descended；　and　carried　up　one　or　more　of　them　past　the



faces　of　their　friends；　and　then；　by　a　shifting　of　the　weights；



projected　them　within　the　limits　of　the　camp。　Civilis；　giving　up　all



hope　of　a　successful　assault；　again　sat　down　to　blockade　the　camp　at



his　leisure；　and　undermined　the　fidelity　of　the　legions　by　the



promises　of　his　emissaries。



　　All　these　events　in　Germany　took　place　before　the　battle　of　Cremona；



the　result　of　which　was　announced　in　a　despatch　from　Antonius；



accompanied　by　Caecina's　proclamation。　Alpinius　Montanus；　prefect　of　a



cohort　in　the　vanquished　army；　was　on　the　spot；　and　acknowledged　the



fate　of　his　party。　Various　were　the　emotions　thus　excited；　the



Gallic　auxiliaries；　who　felt　neither　affection　nor　hatred　towards



either　party；　and　who　served　without　attachment；　at　once；　at　the



instance　of　their　prefects；　deserted　Vitellius。　The　veteran　soldiers



hesitated。　Nevertheless；　when　Hordeonius　administered　the　oath；



under　a　strong　pressure　from　their　tribunes；　they　pronounced　the



words；　which　their　looks　and　their　temper　belied；　and　while　they



adopted　every　other　expression；　they　hesitated　at　the　name　of



Vespasian；　passing　it　over　with　a　slight　murmur；　and　not



unfrequently　in　absolute　silence。



　　After　this；　certain　letters　from　Antonius　to　Civilis　were　read　in



full　assembly；　and　provoked　the　suspicions　of　the　soldiery；　as　they



seemed　to　be　addressed　to　a　partisan　of　the　cause　and　to　be　unfriendly



to　the　army　of　Germany。　Soon　the　news　reached　the　camp　at　Gelduba；　and



the　same　language　and　the　same　acts　were　repeated。　Montanus　was　sent



with　a　message　to　Civilis；　bidding　him　desist　from　hostilities；　and



not　seek　to　conceal　the　designs　of　an　enemy　by　fighting　under　false



colours；　and　telling　him　that；　if　he　had　been　attempting　to　assist



Vespasian；　his　purpose　had　been　fully　accomplished。　Civilis　at　first



replied　in　artful　language；　but　soon　perceiving　that　Montanus　was　a



man　of　singularly　high　spirit　and　was　himself　disposed　for　change；



he　began　with　lamenting　the　perils　through　which　he　had　struggled



for　five…and…twenty　years　in　the　camps　of　Rome。　〃It　is；〃　he　said；　〃a



noble　reward　that　I　have　received　for　my　toils；　my　brother　murdered；



myself　imprisoned；　and　the　savage　clamour　of　this　army；　a　clamour



which　demanded　my　execution；　and　for　which　by　the　law　of　nations　I



demand　vengeance。　You；　Treveri；　and　other　enslaved　creatures；　what



reward　do　you　expect　for　the　blood　which　you　have　shed　so　often？



What　but　a　hateful　service；　perpetual　tribute；　the　rod；　the　axe；　and



the　passions　of　a　ruling　race？　See　how　I；　the　prefect　of　a　single



cohort；　with　the　Batavians　and　the　Canninefates；　a　mere　fraction　of



Gaul；　have　destroyed　their　vast　but　useless　camps；　or　are　pressing



them　with　the　close　blockade　of　famine　and　the　sword。　In　a　word；



either　freedom　will　follow　on　our　efforts；　or；　if　we　are　vanquished；



we　shall　but　be　what　we　were　before。〃　Having　thus　fired　the　man's



ambition；　Civilis　dismissed　him；　but　bade　him　carry　back　a　milder



answer。　He　returned；　pretending　to　have　failed　in　his　mission；　but　not



revealing　the　other　facts；　these　indeed　soon　came　to　light。



　　Civilis；　retaining　a　part　of　his　forces；　sent　the　veteran　cohorts



and　the　bravest　of　his　German　troops　against　Vocula　and　his　army；



under　the　command　of　Julius　Maximus　and　Claudius　Victor；　his



sister's　son。　On　their　march　they　plundered　the　winter　camp　of　a



body　of　horse　stationed　at　Ascibergium；　and　they　fell　on　Vocula's　camp



so　unexpectedly　that　he　could　neither　harangue　his　army；　nor　even



get　it　into　line。　All　that　he　could　do　in　the　confusion　was　to　order



the　veteran　troops　to　strengthen　the　centre。　The　auxiliaries　were



dispersed　in　every　part　of　the　field。　The　cavalry　charged；　but；



received　by　the　orderly　array　of　the　enemy；　fled　to　their　own　lines。



What　ensued　was　a　massacre　rather　than　a　battle。　The　Nervian　infantry；



from　panic　or　from　treachery；　exposed　the　flank　of　our　army。　Thus



the　attack　fell　upon　the　legions；　who　had　lost　their　standards　and



were　being　cut　down　within　the　entrenchments；　when　the　fortune　of



the　day　was　suddenly　changed　by　a　reinforcement　of　fresh　troops。



Some　Vascon　infantry；　levied　by　Galba；　which　had　by　this　time　been



sent　for；　heard　the　noise　of　the　combatants　as　they　approached　the



camp；　attacked　the　rear　of　the　preoccupied　enemy；　and　spread　a　panic



more　than　proportionate　to　their　numbers；　some　believing　that　all



the　troops　from　Novesium；　others　that　all　from　Mogontiacum；　had　come



up。　This　delusion　restored　the　courage　of　the　Romans；　and　in　relying



on　the　strength　of　others　they　recovered　their　own。　All　the　bravest　of



the　Batavians；　of　the　infantry　at　least；　fell；　but　the　cavalry　escaped



with　the　standards　and　with　the　prisoners　whom　they　had　secured　in　the



early　part　of　the　engagement。　Of　the　slain　on　that　day　the　greater



number　belonged　to　our　army；　but　to　its　less　effective　part。　The



Germans　lost　the　flower　of　their　force。



　　The　two　generals　were　equally　blameworthy；　they　deserved　defeat；



they　did　not　make　the　most　of　success。　Had　Civilis　given　battle　in



greater　force；　he　could　not　have　been　outflanked　by　so　small　a



number　of　cohorts；　and　he　might　have　destroyed　the　camp　after　once



forcing　an　entrance。　As　for　Vocula；　he　did　not　reconnoitre　the



advancing　enemy；　and　consequently　he　was　vanquished　as　soon　as　be　left



the　camp；　and　then；　mistrusting　his　victory；　he　fruitlessly　wasted



several　days　before　marching　against　the　enemy；　though；　had　he　at　once



resolved　to　drive　them　back；　and　to　follow　up　his　success；　he　might；



by　one　and　the　same　movement；　have　raised　the　siege　of　the　legions。



Meanwhile　Civilis　had　tried　to　work　on　the　feelings　of　the　besieged　by



representing　that　with　the　Romans　all　was　lost；　and　that　victory　had



declared　for　his　own　troops。　The　standards　and　colours　were　carried



round　the　ramparts；　and　the　prisoners　also　were　displayed。　One　of



them；　with　noble　daring；　declared　the　real　truth　in　a　loud　voice；　and；



as　he　was　cut　down　on　the　spot　by　the　Germans；　all　the　more　confidence



was　felt　in　his　information。　At　the　same　time　it　was　becoming　evident；



from　the　devastation　of　the　country　and　from　the　flames　of　burning



houses；　that　the　victorious