histories-第58节

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fear；　and　shame。　Vocula　then　left　them；　and　was　preparing　to　put　an



end　to　his　life；　when　his　freedmen　and　slaves　prevented　him　from



anticipating　by　his　own　act　a　most　miserable　death。　Classicus



despatched　one　Aemilius　Longinus；　a　deserter　from　the　first　legion；



and　speedily　accomplished　the　murder。　With　respect　to　the　two　legates；



Herennius　and　Numisius；　it　was　thought　enough　to　put　them　in　chains。



Classicus　then　assumed　the　insignia　of　Roman　Imperial　power；　and



entered　the　camp。　Hardened　though　he　was　to　every　sort　of　crime；　he



could　only　find　words　enough　to　go　through　the　form　of　oath。　All　who



were　present　swore　allegiance　to　the　empire　of　Gaul。　He



distinguished　the　murderer　of　Vocula　by　high　promotion；　and　the　others



by　rewards　proportioned　to　their　services　in　crime。



　　Tutor　and　Classicus　then　divided　the　management　of　the　war　between



them。　Tutor；　investing　the　Colonia　Agrippinensis　with　a　strong



force；　compelled　the　inhabitants　and　all　the　troops　on　the　Upper　Rhine



to　take　the　same　oath。　He　did　this　after　having　first　put　to　death　the



tribunes　at　Mogontiacum；　and　driven　away　the　prefect　of　the　camp；



because　they　refused　obedience。　Classicus　picked　out　all　the　most



unprincipled　men　from　the　troops　who　had　capitulated；　and　bade　them　go



to　the　besieged；　and　offer　them　quarter；　if　they　would　accept　the



actual　state　of　affairs；　otherwise　there　was　no　hope　for　them；　they



would　have　to　endure　famine；　the　sword；　and　the　direst　extremities。



The　messengers　whom　he　sent　supported　their　representations　by　their



own　example。



　　The　ties　of　loyalty　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　necessities　of　famine



on　the　other；　kept　the　besieged　wavering　between　the　alternatives　of



glory　and　infamy。　While　they　thus　hesitated；　all　usual　and　even



unusual　kinds　of　food　failed　them；　for　they　had　consumed　their



horses　and　beasts　of　burden　and　all　the　other　animals；　which；　though



unclean　and　disgusting；　necessity　compelled　them　to　use。　At　last



they　tore　up　shrubs　and　roots　and　the　grass　that　grew　between　the



stones；　and　thus　shewed　an　example　of　patience　under　privations；



till　at　last　they　shamefully　tarnished　the　lustre　of　their　fame　by



sending　envoys　to　Civilis　to　beg　for　their　lives。　Their　prayers　were



not　heard；　till　they　swore　allegiance　to　the　empire　of　Gaul。　Civilis



then　stipulated　for　the　plunder　of　the　camp；　and　appointed　guards



who　were　to　secure　the　treasure；　the　camp…followers；　and　the



baggage；　and　accompany　them　as　they　departed；　stripped　of



everything。　About　five　miles　from　the　spot　the　Germans　rose　upon　them；



and　attacked　them　as　they　marched　without　thought　of　danger。　The



bravest　were　cut　down　where　they　stood；　the　greater　part；　as　they　were



scattered　in　flight。　The　rest　made　their　escape　to　the　camp；　while



Civilis　certainly　complained　of　the　proceeding；　and　upbraided　the



Germans　with　breaking　faith　by　this　atrocious　act。　Whether　this　was



mere　hypocrisy；　or　whether　he　was　unable　to　restrain　their　fury；　is



not　positively　stated。　They　plundered　and　then　fired　the　camp；　and　all



who　survived　the　battle　the　flames　destroyed。



　　Then　Civilis　fulfilled　a　vow　often　made　by　barbarians；　his　hair；



which　he　had　let　grow　long　and　coloured　with　a　red　dye　from　the　day　of



taking　up　arms　against　Rome；　he　now　cut　short；　when　the　destruction　of



the　legions　had　been　accomplished。　It　was　also　said　that　he　set　up



some　of　the　prisoners　as　marks　for　his　little　son　to　shoot　at　with　a



child's　arrows　and　javelins。　He　neither　took　the　oath　of　allegiance　to



Gaul　himself；　nor　obliged　any　Batavian　to　do　so；　for　he　relied　on



the　resources　of　Germany；　and　felt　that；　should　it　be　necessary　to



fight　for　empire　with　the　Gauls；　he　should　have　on　his　side　a　great



name　and　superior　strength。　Munius　Lupercus；　legate　of　one　of　the



legions；　was　sent　along　with　other　gifts　to　Veleda；　a　maiden　of　the



tribe　of　the　Bructeri；　who　possessed　extensive　dominion；　for　by



ancient　usage　the　Germans　attributed　to　many　of　their　women



prophetic　powers　and；　as　the　superstition　grew　in　strength；　even



actual　divinity。　The　authority　of　Veleda　was　then　at　its　height；



because　she　had　foretold　the　success　of　the　Germans　and　the



destruction　of　the　legions。　Lupercus；　however；　was　murdered　on　the



road。　A　few　of　the　centurions　and　tribunes；　who　were　natives　of



Gaul；　were　reserved　as　hostages　for　the　maintenance　of　the　alliance。



The　winter　encampments　of　the　auxiliary　infantry　and　cavalry　and　of



the　legions；　with　the　sole　exception　of　those　at　Mogontiacum　and



Vindonissa；　were　pulled　down　and　burnt。



　　The　16th　legion；　with　the　auxiliary　troops　that　capitulated　at　the



same　time；　received　orders　to　march　from　Novesium　to　the　Colony　of　the



Treveri；　a　day　having　been　fixed　by　which　they　were　to　quit　the



camp。　The　whole　of　this　interval　they　spent　in　many　anxious



thoughts。　The　cowards　trembled　to　think　of　those　who　had　been



massacred　at　the　Old　Camp；　the　better　men　blushed　with　shame　at　the



infamy　of　their　position。　〃What　a　march　is　this　before　us！〃　they



cried；　〃Who　will　lead　us　on　our　way？　Our　all　is　at　the　disposal　of



those　whom　we　have　made　our　masters　for　life　or　death。〃　Others；



without　the　least　sense　of　their　disgrace；　stowed　away　about　their



persons　their　money　and　what　else　they　prized　most　highly；　while



some　got　their　arms　in　readiness；　and　girded　on　their　weapons　as　if



for　battle。　While　they　were　thus　occupied；　the　time　for　their



departure　arrived；　and　proved　even　more　dismal　than　their



anticipation。　For　in　their　intrenchments　their　woeful　appearance　had



not　been　so　noticeable；　the　open　plain　and　the　light　of　day　revealed



their　disgrace。　The　images　of　the　Emperors　were　torn　down；　the



standards　were　borne　along　without　their　usual　honours；　while　the



banners　of　the　Gauls　glittered　on　every　side。　The　train　moved　on　in



silence　like　a　long　funeral　procession。　Their　leader　was　Claudius



Sanctus；　one　of　his　eyes　had　been　destroyed；　he　was　repulsive　in



countenance　and　even　more　feeble　in　intellect。　The　guilt　of　the　troops



seemed　to　be　doubled；　when　the　other　legion；　deserting　the　camp　at



Bonna；　joined　their　ranks。　When　the　report　of　the　capture　of　the



legions　became　generally　known；　all　who　but　a　short　time　before



trembled　at　the　name　of　Rome　rushed　forth　from　the　fields　and



houses；　and　spread　themselves　everywhere　to　enjoy　with　extravagant



delight　the　strange　spectacle。　The　Picentine　Horse　could　not　endure



the　triumph　of　the　insulting　rabble；　and；　disregarding　the　promises



and　threats　of　Sanctus；　rode　off　to　Mogontiacum。　Chancing　to　fall　in



with　Longinus；　the　murderer　of　Vocula；　they　overwhelmed　him　with　a



shower　of　darts；　and　thus　made　a　beginning　towards　a　future



expiation　of　their　guilt。　The　legions　did　not　change　the　direction



of　their　march；　and　encamped　under　the　walls　of　the　colony　of　the



Treveri。



　　Elated　with　their　success；　Civilis　and　Classicus　doubted　whether



they　should　not　give　up　the　Colonia　Agrippinensis　to　be　plundered　by



their　troops。　Their　natural　ferocity　and　lust　for　spoil　prompted



them　to　destroy　the　city；　but　the　necessities　of　war；　and　the



advantage　of　a　character　for　clemency　to　men　founding　a　new　empire；



forbade　them　to　do　so。　Civilis　was　also　influenced　by　recollections　of



kindness　received；　for　his　son；　who　at　the　beginning　of　the　war　had



been　arrested　in　the　Colony；　had　been　kept　in　honourable　custody。



But　the　tribes　beyond　the　Rhine　disliked　the　place　for　its　wealth



and　increasing　power；　and　held　that　the　only　possible　way　of　putting



an　end　to　war　would　be；　either　to　make　it　an　open　city　for　all



Germans；　or　to　destroy　it　and　so　disperse　the　Ubii。



　　Upon　this　the　Tencteri；　a　tribe　separated　by　the　Rhine　from　the



Colony；　sent　envoys　with　orders　to　make　known　their　instructions　to



the　Senate　of　the　Agrippinenses。　These　orders　the　boldest　spirit　among



the　ambassadors　thus　expounded：　〃For　your　return　into　the　unity　of　the



German　nation　and　name　we　give　thanks　to　the　Gods　whom　we　worship　in



common　and　to　Mars；　the　chief　of　our　divinities；　and　we　congratulate



you　that　at　length　you　will　live　as　free　men　among　the　free。　Up　to



this　day　have　the　Romans　closed　river　and　land　and；　in　a　way；　the　very



air；　that　they　may　bar　our　converse　and　prevent　our　meetings；　or；　what



is　a　still　worse　insult　to　men　born　to　arms；　may　force　us　to



assemble　unarmed　and　all　but　stripped；　watched　by　sentinels；　and　taxed



for　the　privilege。　But　that　our　friendship　and　union　may　be



established　for　ever；　we　require　of　you　to　strip　your　city　of　its



walls；　which　are　the　bulwarks　of　slavery。　Even　savage　animals；　if



you　keep　them　in　confinement；　forget　their　natural　courage。　We　require



of　you　to　massacre　all　Romans　within　your　territory；　liberty　and　a



dominant　race　cannot　well　exist　together