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



houses；　that　the　victorious　army　was　approaching。　Vocula　issued　orders



that　the　standards　should　be　planted　within　sight　of　the　camp；　and



should　be　surrounded　with　a　ditch　and　rampart；　where　his　men　might



deposit　their　knapsacks；　and　so　fight　without　encumbrance。　On　this；



the　General　was　assailed　by　a　clamorous　demand　for　instant　battle。



They　had　now　grown　used　to　threaten。　Without　even　taking　time　to



form　into　line；　disordered　and　weary　as　they　were；　they　commenced



the　action。　Civilis　was　on　the　field；　trusting　quite　as　much　to　the



faults　of　his　adversaries　as　to　the　valour　of　his　own　troops。　With　the



Romans　the　fortune　of　the　day　varied；　and　the　most　violently



mutinous　shewed　themselves　cowards。　But　some；　remembering　their　recent



victory；　stood　their　ground　and　struck　fiercely　at　the　foe；　now



encouraging　each　other　and　their　neighbours；　and　now；　while　they



re…formed　their　lines；　imploring　the　besieged　not　to　lose　the



opportunity。　These　latter；　who　saw　everything　from　the　walls；



sallied　out　from　every　gate。　It　so　happened　that　Civilis　was　thrown　to



the　ground　by　the　fall　of　his　horse。　A　report　that　he　had　been



either　wounded　or　slain　gained　belief　throughout　both　armies；　and



spread　incredible　panic　among　his　own　troops；　and　gave　as　great



encouragement　to　their　opponents。　But　Vocula；　leaving　the　flying



foe；　began　to　strengthen　the　rampart　and　the　towers　of　the　camp；　as　if



another　siege　were　imminent。　He　had　misused　success　so　often　that　he



was　rightly　suspected　of　a　preference　for　war。



　　Nothing　distressed　our　troops　so　much　as　the　scarcity　of　supplies。



The　baggage　of　the　legions　was　therefore　sent　to　Novesium　with　a　crowd



of　non…combatants　to　fetch　corn　from　that　place　overland；　for　the



enemy　commanded　the　river。　The　march　of　the　first　body　was



accomplished　in　security；　as　Civilis　had　not　yet　recovered。　But　when



he　heard　that　officers　of　the　commissariat　had　been　again　sent　to



Novesium；　and　that　the　infantry　detached　as　an　escort　were　advancing



just　as　if　it　were　a　time　of　profound　peace；　with　but　few　soldiers



round　the　standards；　the　arms　stowed　away　in　the　wagons；　and　all



wandering　about　at　their　pleasure；　he　attacked　them　in　regular　form；



having　first　sent　on　troops　to　occupy　the　bridges　and　the　defiles　in



the　road。　The　battle　extended　over　a　long　line　of　march；　lasting



with　varying　success　till　night　parted　the　combatants。　The　infantry



pushed　on　to　Gelduba；　while　the　camp　remained　in　the　same　state　as



before；　garrisoned　by　such　troops　as　had　been　left　in　it。　There



could　be　no　doubt　what　peril　a　convoy；　heavily　laden　and



panic…stricken；　would　have　to　encounter　in　attempting　to　return。



Vocula　added　to　his　force　a　thousand　picked　men　from　the　fifth　and



fifteenth　legions　besieged　in　the　Old　Camp；　a　body　of　troops



undisciplined　and　ill…affected　to　their　officers。　But　more　than　the



number　specified　came　forward；　and　openly　protested；　as　they



marched；　that　they　would　not　endure　any　longer　the　hardships　of　famine



and　the　treachery　of　the　legates。　On　the　other　hand；　those　who　had



stayed　behind　complained　that　they　were；　being　left　to　their　fate　by



this　withdrawal　of　a　part　of　the　legions。　A　twofold　mutiny　was　the



result；　some　calling　upon　Vocula　to　come　back；　while　the　others



refused　to　return　to　the　camp。



　　Meanwhile　Civilis　blockaded　the　Old　Camp。　Vocula　retired　first　to



Gelduba；　after；　wards　to　Novesium；　Civilis　took　possession　of　Gelduba；



and　not　long　after　was　victorious　in　a　cavalry　engagement　near



Novesium。　But　reverses　and　successes　seemed　equally　to　kindle　in　the



troops　the　one　desire　of　murdering　their　officers。　The　legions；



increased　in　number　by　the　arrival　of　the　men　from　the　fifth　and



fifteenth；　demanded　a　donative；　for　they　had　discovered　that　some



money　had　been　sent　by　Vitellius。　After　a　short　delay　Hordeonius



gave　the　donative　in　the　name　of　Vespasian。　This；　more　than　anything



else；　fostered　the　mutinous　spirit。　The　men；　abandoning　themselves



to　debauchery　and　revelry　and　all　the　license　of　nightly　gatherings；



revived　their　old　grudge　against　Hordeonius。　Without　a　single　legate



or　tribune　venturing　to　check　them；　for　the　darkness　seems　to　have



taken　from　them　all　sense　of　shame；　they　dragged　him　out　of　his　bed



and　killed　him。　The　same　fate　was　intended　for　Vocula；　but　he



assumed　the　dress　of　a　slave；　and　escaped　unrecognized　in　the



darkness。　When　their　fury　had　subsided　and　their　alarm　returned；



they　sent　centurions　with　despatches　to　the　various　states　of　Gaul；



imploring　help　in　money　and　troops。



　　These　men；　headstrong；　cowardly；　and　spiritless；　as　a　mob　without



a　leader　always　is；　on　the　approach　of　Civilis　hastily　took　up　arms；



and；　as　hastily　abandoning　them；　betook　themselves　to　flight。　Disaster



produced　disunion；　the　troops　from　the　Upper　army　dissociating　their



cause　from　that　of　their　comrades。　Nevertheless　the　statues　of



Vitellius　were　again　set　up　in　the　camp　and　in　the　neighbouring



Belgian　towns；　and　this　at　a　time　when　Vitellius　himself　had　fallen。



Then　the　men　of　the　1st；　the　4th；　and　the　18th　legions；　repenting　of



their　conduct；　followed　Vocula；　and　again　taking　in　his　presence　the



oath　of　allegiance　to　Vespasian；　were　marched　by　him　to　the　relief



of　Mogontiacum。　The　besieging　army；　an　heterogeneous　mass　of　Chatti；



Usipii；　and　Mattiaci；　had　raised　the　siege；　glutted　with　spoils；　but



not　without　suffering　loss。　Our　troops　attacked　them　on　the　way；



dispersed　and　unprepared。　Moreover　the　Treveri　had　constructed　a



breastwork　and　rampart　across　their　territory；　and　they　and　the



Germans　continued　to　contend　with　great　losses　on　both　sides　up　to　the



time　when　they　tarnished　by　rebellion　their　distinguished　services



to　the　Roman　people。



　　Meanwhile　Vespasian　（now　consul　for　the　second　time）　and　Titus



entered　upon　their　office；　both　being　absent　from　Rome。　People　were



gloomy　and　anxious　under　the　pressure　of　manifold　fears；　for；　over　and



above　immediate　perils；　they　had　taken　groundless　alarm　under　the



impression　that　Africa　was　in　rebellion　through　the　revolutionary



movements　of　Lucius　Piso。　He　was　governor　of　that　province；　and　was



far　from　being　a　man　of　turbulent　disposition。　The　fact　was　that　the



wheat…ships　were　detained　by　the　severity　of　the　weather；　and　the



lower　orders；　who　were　accustomed　to　buy　their　provisions　from　day



to　day；　and　to　whom　cheap　corn　was　the　sole　subject　of　public



interest；　feared　and　believed　that　the　ports　had　been　closed　and　the



supplies　stopped；　the　Vitellianists；　who　had　not　yet　given　up　their



party　feelings；　helping　to　spread　the　report；　which　was　not



displeasing　even　to　the　conquerors。　Their　ambition；　which　even　foreign



campaigns　could　not　fill　to　the　full；　was　not　satisfied　by　any



triumphs　that　civil　war　could　furnish。



　　On　the　1st　of　January；　at　a　meeting　of　the　Senate；　convoked　for



the　purpose　by　Julius　Frontinus；　praetor　of　the　city；　votes　of



thanks　were　passed　to　the　legates；　to　the　armies；　and　to　the　allied



kings。　The　office　of　praetor　was　taken　away　from　Tettius　Julianus；



as　having　deserted　his　legion　when　it　passed　over　to　the　party　of



Vespasian；　with　a　view　to　its　being　transferred　to　Plotius　Griphus。



Equestrian　rank　was　conferred　on　Hormus。　Then；　on　the　resignation　of



Frontinus；　Caesar　Domitian　assumed　the　office　of　praetor　of　the



city。　His　name　was　put　at　the　head　of　despatches　and　edicts；　but　the



real　authority　was　in　the　hands　of　Mucianus；　with　this　exception；　that



Domitian　ventured　on　several　acts　of　power；　at　the　instigation　of



his　friends；　or　at　his　own　caprice。　But　Mucianus　found　his　principal



cause　of　apprehension　in　Primus　Antonius　and　Varus　Arrius；　who；　in　the



freshness　of　their　fame；　while　distinguished　by　great　achievements　and



by　the　attachment　of　the　soldiery；　were　also　supported　by　the



people；　because　in　no　case　had　they　extended　their　severities　beyond



the　battle…field。　It　was　also　reported　that　Antonius　had　urged



Scribonianus　Crassus；　whom　an　illustrious　descent　added　to　the　honours



of　his　brother　made　a　conspicuous　person；　to　assume　the　supreme　power；



and　it　was　understood　that　a　number　of　accomplices　would　not　have



failed　to　support　him；　had　not　the　proposal　been　rejected　by



Scribonianus；　who　was　a　man　not　easily　to　be　tempted　even　by　a



certainty；　and　was　proportionately　apprehensive　of　risk。　Mucianus；



seeing　that　Antonius　could　not　be　openly　crushed；　heaped　many



praises　upon　him　in　the　Senate；　and　loaded　him　with　promises　in



secret；　holding　out　as　a　prize　the　government　of　Eastern　Spain；　then



vacant　in　consequence　of　the　departure　of　Cluvius　Rufus。　At　the　same



time　he　lavished　on　his　friends　tribuneships　and　prefectures；　and



then；　when　he