histories-第66节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




　　Meanwhile　Civilis；　having　recruited　his　army　from　Germany　after



his　defeat　among　the　Treveri；　took　up　his　position　at　the　Old　Camp；



where　his　situation　would　protect　him；　and　where　the　courage　of　his



barbarian　troops　would　be　raised　by　the　recollection　of　successes



gained　on　the　spot。　He　was　followed　to　this　place　by　Cerialis；　whose



forces　had　now　been　doubled　by　the　arrival　of　the　2nd；　6th；　and　14th



legions。　The　auxiliary　infantry　and　cavalry；　summoned　long　before；　had



hastened　to　join　him　after　his　victory。　Neither　of　the　generals



loved　delay。　But　a　wide　extent　of　plain　naturally　saturated　with　water



kept　them　apart。　Civilis　had　also　thrown　a　dam　obliquely　across　the



Rhine；　so　that　the　stream；　diverted　by　the　obstacle；　might　overflow



the　adjacent　country。　Such　was　the　character　of　the　district；　full



of　hidden　perils　from　the　varying　depth　of　the　fords；　and　unfavourable



to　our　troops。　The　Roman　soldier　is　heavily　armed　and　afraid　to



swim；　while　the　German；　who　is　accustomed　to　rivers；　is　favoured　by



the　lightness　of　his　equipment　and　the　height　of　his　stature。



　　The　Batavi　provoking　a　conflict；　the　struggle　was　at　once　begun　by



all　the　boldest　spirits　among　our　troops；　but　a　panic　arose；　when　they



saw　arms　and　horses　swallowed　up　in　the　vast　depths　of　the　marshes。



The　Germans　leapt　lightly　through　the　well…known　shallows；　and



frequently；　quitting　the　front；　hung　on　the　rear　and　flanks　of　our



army。　It　was　neither　the　close　nor　the　distant　fighting　of　a



land…battle；　it　was　more　like　a　naval　contest。　Struggling　among　the



waters；　or　exerting　every　limb　where　they　found　any　firm　footing；



the　wounded　and　the　unhurt；　those　who　could　swim　and　those　who　could



not；　were　involved　in　one　common　destruction。　The　loss　however　was



less　than　might　have　been　expected　from　the　confusion；　for　the



Germans；　not　venturing　to　leave　the　morass；　returned　to　their　camp。



The　result　of　this　battle　roused　both　generals；　though　from



different　motives；　to　hasten　on　the　final　struggle。　Civilis　was



anxious　to　follow　up　his　success；　Cerialis　to　wipe　out　his　disgrace。



The　Germans　were　flushed　with　success；　the　Romans　were　thoroughly



roused　by　shame。　The　barbarians　spent　the　night　in　singing　and



shouting；　our　men　in　rage　and　threats　of　vengeance。



　　Next　morning　Cerialis　formed　his　front　with　the　cavalry　and



auxiliary　infantry；　in　the　second　line　were　posted　the　legions；　the



general　reserving　a　picked　force　for　unforeseen　contingencies。　Civilis



confronted　him　with　his　troops　ranged；　not　in　line；　but　in　columns。　On



the　right　were　the　Batavi　and　the　Gugerni；　the　left；　which　was



nearer　the　river；　was　occupied　by　the　Transrhenane　tribes。　The



exhortations　of　the　generals　were　not　addressed　as　formal　harangues　to



the　assembled　armies；　but　to　the　divisions　separately；　as　they　rode



along　the　line。　Cerialis　spoke　of　the　old　glory　of　the　Roman　name；



of　former　and　of　recent　victories；　he　told　them　that　in　destroying　for



ever　their　treacherous；　cowardly；　and　beaten　foe；　they　had　to



execute　a　punishment；　rather　than　to　fight　a　battle。　They　had　lately



contended　with　a　superior　force；　and　yet　the　Germans；　the　strength



of　the　hostile　army；　had　been　routed；　a　few　were　left；　who　carried



terror　in　their　hearts　and　scars　upon　their　backs。　He　addressed　to　the



several　legions　appropriate　appeals。　The　14th　were　styled　the



〃Conquerors　of　Britain〃；　the　powerful　influence　of　the　6th　had　made



Galba　Emperor；　the　men　of　the　2nd　were　in　that　battle　first　to



consecrate　their　new　standards　and　new　eagle。　Then　riding　up　to　the



army　of　Germany；　he　stretched　forth　his　hand；　and　implored　them　to



recover　their　river　bank　and　their　camp　by　the　slaughter　of　the　foe。　A



joyful　shout　arose　from　the　whole　army；　some　of　whom　after　long



peace　lusted　for　battle；　while　others；　weary　of　war；　desired　peace；



all　were　looking　for　rewards　and　for　future　repose。



　　Nor　did　Civilis　marshal　his　army　in　silence。　He　called　the　field



of　battle　to　bear　witness　to　their　valour。　He　told　the　Germans　and



Batavians　that　they　were　standing　on　the　monuments　of　their　glory；



that　they　were　treading　under　foot　the　ashes　and　bones　of　legions。



〃Wherever；〃　he　said；　〃the　Roman　turns　his　eyes；　captivity；　disaster；



and　everything　that　is　terrible；　confront　him。　Do　not　be　alarmed　by



the　adverse　result　of　the　battle　among　the　Treveri。　There；　their　own



success　proved　hurtful　to　the　Germans；　for；　throwing　away　their



arms；　they　hampered　their　hands　with　plunder。　Since　then　everything



has　been　favourable　to　us；　and　against　the　foe。　All　precautions；　which



the　skill　of　a　general　should　take；　have　been　taken。　Here　are　these



flooded　plains　which　we　know　so　well；　here　the　marshes　so　fatal　to　the



enemy。　The　Rhine　and　the　Gods　of　Germany　are　in　your　sight。　Under



their　auspices　give　battle；　remembering　your　wives；　your　parents；



and　your　father…land。　This　day　will　either　be　the　most　glorious



among　the　deeds　of　the　past；　or　will　be　infamous　in　the　eyes　of



posterity。〃　These　words　were　hailed；　according　to　their　custom；　with



the　clash　of　arms　and　with　wild　antics；　and　then　the　battle　was



commenced　by　a　discharge　of　stones；　leaden　balls；　and　other



missiles；　our　soldiers　not　entering　the　morass；　while　the　Germans



sought　to　provoke；　and　so　draw　them　on。



　　When　their　store　of　missiles　was　spent；　and　the　battle　grew



hotter；　a　fiercer　onslaught　was　made　by　the　enemy。　Their　tall



stature　and　very　long　spears　enabled　them；　without　closing；　to　wound



our　men；　who　were　wavering　and　unsteady。　At　the　same　time　a　column



of　the　Bructeri　swam　across　from　the　dam；　which　I　have　described　as



carried　out　into　the　river。　Here　there　was　some　confusion。　The　line　of



the　allied　infantry　was　being　driven　back；　when　the　legions　took　up



the　contest。　The　fury　of　the　enemy　was　checked；　and　the　battle　again



became　equal。　At　the　same　time　a　Batavian　deserter　came　up　to



Cerialis；　offering　an　opportunity　of　attacking　the　enemy's　rear；　if



some　cavalry　were　sent　along　the　edge　of　the　morass。　The　ground



there　was　firm；　and　the　Gugerni；　to　whom　the　post　had　been　allotted；



were　careless。　Two　squadrons　were　sent　with　the　deserter；　and



outflanked　the　unsuspecting　enemy。　At　the　shout　that　announced　this



success；　the　legions　charged　in　front。　The　Germans　were　routed；　and



fled　towards　the　Rhine。　The　war　would　have　been　finished　that　day；



if　the　fleet　had　hastened　to　come　up。　As　it　was；　the　cavalry　did　not



pursue；　for　a　storm　of　rain　suddenly　fell；　and　night　was　at　hand。



　　The　next　day　the　14th　legion　was　sent　into　the　Upper　Province　to



join　Gallus　Annius。　The　10th；　which　had　arrived　from　Spain；　supplied



its　place　in　the　army　of　Cerialis。　Civilis　was　joined　by　some



auxiliaries　from　the　Chauci。　Nevertheless　he　did　not　venture　to



fight　for　the　defence　of　the　Batavian　capital；　but　carrying　off



property　that　could　be　removed；　and　setting　fire　to　the　remainder；



he　retreated　into　the　island；　aware　that　there　were　not　vessels　enough



for　constructing　a　bridge；　and　that　the　Roman　army　could　not　cross　the



river　in　any　other　way。　He　also　demolished　the　dyke；　constructed　by



Drusus　Germanicus；　and；　by　destroying　this　barrier；　sent　the　river



flowing　down　a　steep　channel　on　the　side　of　Gaul。　The　river　having



been　thus；　so　to　speak；　diverted；　the　narrowness　of　the　channel



between　the　island　and　Germany　created　an　appearance　of　an



uninterrupted　surface　of　dry　ground。　Tutor；　Classicus；　and　one　hundred



and　thirteen　senators　of　the　Treveri；　also　crossed　the　Rhine。　Among



them　was　Alpinius　Montanus；　of　whose　mission　into　Gaul　by　Antonius　I



have　already　spoken。　He　was　accompanied　by　his　brother　Decimus



Alpinius。　His　other　adherents　were　now　endeavouring　to　collect



auxiliaries　among　these　danger…loving　tribes　by　appeals　to　their



pity　and　their　greed。



　　The　war　was　so　far　from　being　at　an　end；　that　Civilis　in　one　day



attacked　on　four　points　the　positions　of　the　auxiliary　infantry　and



cavalry　and　of　the　legions；　assailing　the　tenth　legion　at　Arenacum；



the　second　at　Batavodurum；　and　the　camp　of　the　auxiliary　infantry



and　cavalry　at　Grinnes　and　Vada；　and　so　dividing　his　forces；　that　he



himself；　his　sister's　son　Verax；　Classicus；　and　Tutor；　led　each　his



own　division。　They　were　not　confident　of　accomplishing　all　these



objects；　but　they　hoped　that；　if　they　made　many　ventures；　fortune



would　favour　them　on　some　one　point。　Besides；　Cerialis　was　not



cautious；　and　might　easily　be　intercepted；　as　the　multiplicity　of



tidings　hurried　him　from　place　to　place。　The　force；　which　had　to



attack　the　tenth　legion；　thinking　it　a　hard　matter　to　storm　a



legionary　encampment；　surprised　some　troops；　who　had　gone　out；　and



were　busy　felling　timber；　killed　the　prefect　of　the　camp；　five



centurions　of　the　first　rank；　an