pompey-第19节

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ranks　were　already　set　in　battle　array。　Thereupon　Caesar；　when　he
had　told　them　that　the　wished…for　day　was　come　at　last；　when　they
should　fight　with　men；　not　with　hunger　and　famine；　instantly　gave
orders　for　the　red　colours　to　be　set　up　before　his　tent；　that　being
the　ordinary　signal　of　battle　among　the　Romans。　As　soon　as　the
soldiers　saw　that；　they　left　their　tents；　and　with　great　shouts　of　joy
ran　to　their　arms；　the　officers　likewise；　on　their　part；　drawing　up
their　companies　in　order　of　battle；　every　man　fell　into　his　proper
rank　without　any　trouble　or　noise；　as　quietly　and　orderly　as　if　they
had　been　in　a　dance。
　　Pompey　himself　led　the　right　wing　of　his　army　against　Antony；　and
placed　his　father…in…law；　Scipio；　in　the　middle　against　Lucius
Calvinus。　The　left　wing　was　commanded　by　Lucius　Domitius；　and
supported　by　the　great　mass　of　the　horse。　For　almost　the　whole　cavalry
was　posted　there　in　the　hope　of　crushing　Caesar；　and　cutting　off　the
tenth　legion；　which　was　spoken　of　as　the　stoutest　in　all　the　army；　and
in　which　Caesar　himself　usually　fought　in　person。　Caesar　observing　the
left　wing　of　the　enemy　to　be　lined　and　fortified　with　such　a　mighty
guard　of　horse；　and　alarmed　at　the　gallantry　of　their　appearance；　sent
for　a　detachment　of　six　cohorts　out　of　the　reserves；　and　placed　them
in　the　rear　of　the　tenth　legion；　commanding　them　not　to　stir；　lest
they　should　be　discovered　by　the　enemy；　but　when　the　enemy's　horse
should　begin　to　charge；　and　press　upon　them；　that　they　should　make
up　with　all　speed　to　the　front　through　the　foremost　ranks　and　not
throw　their　javelins　at　a　distance；　as　is　usual　with　brave　soldiers；
that　they　come　to　a　close　fight　with　their　swords　the　sooner；　but　that
they　should　strike　them　upwards　into　the　eyes　and　faces　of　the
enemy；　telling　them　that　those　fine　young　dancers　would　never　endure
the　steel　shining　in　their　eyes；　but　would　fly　to　save　their
handsome　faces。　This　was　Caesar's　employment　at　that　time。　But　while
he　was　thus　instructing　his　soldiers；　Pompey　on　horseback　was
viewing　the　order　of　both　armies；　and　when　he　saw　how　well　the　enemy
kept　their　ranks；　expecting　quietly　the　signal　of　battle；　and；　on
the　contrary；　how　impatient　and　unsteady　his　own　men　were；　waving　up
and　down　in　disorder　for　want　of　experience；　he　was　very　much　afraid
that　their　ranks　would　be　broken　upon　the　first　onset；　and　therefore
he　gave　out　orders　that　the　van　should　make　a　stand；　and　keeping　close
in　their　ranks　should　receive　the　enemy's　charge。　Caesar　much　condemns
this　command；　which；　he　says；　not　only　took　off　from　the　strength　of
the　blows；　which　would　otherwise　have　been　made　with　a　spring；　but
also　lost　the　men　the　impetus；　which；　more　than　anything；　in　the
moment　of　their　coming　upon　the　enemy；　fills　soldiers　with　impulse　and
inspiration；　the　very　shouts　and　rapid　pace　adding　to　their　fury；　of
which　Pompey　deprived　his　men；　arresting　them　in　their　course　and
cooling　down　their　heat。
　　Caesar's　army　consisted　of　twenty…two　thousand；　and　Pompey's　of
somewhat　above　twice　as　many。　When　the　signal　of　battle　was　given　on
both　sides；　and　the　trumpets　began　to　sound　a　charge；　most　men　of
course　were　fully　occupied　with　their　own　matters；　only　some　few　of
the　noblest　Romans；　together　with　certain　Greeks　there　present；
standing　as　spectators　without　the　battle；　seeing　the　armies　now　ready
to　join；　could　not　but　consider　in　themselves　to　what　a　pass　private
ambition　and　emulation　had　brought　the　empire。　Common　arms；　and
kindred　ranks　drawn　up　under　the　selfsame　standards；　the　whole
flower　and　strength　of　the　same　single　city　here　meeting　in
collision　with　itself；　offered　plain　proof　how　blind　and　how　mad　a
thing　human　nature　is　when　once　possessed　with　any　passion；　for　if
they　had　been　desirous　only　to　rule；　and　enjoy　in　peace　what　they
had　conquered　in　war；　the　greatest　and　best　part　of　the　world　was
subject　to　them　both　by　sea　and　land。　But　if　there　was　yet　a　thirst　in
their　ambition；　that　must　still　be　fed　with　new　trophies　and　triumphs；
the　Parthian　and　German　wars　would　yield　matter　enough　to　satisfy
the　most　covetous　of　honour。　Scythia；　moreover；　was　yet　unconquered；
and　the　Indians　too；　where　their　ambition　might　be　coloured　over
with　the　specious　pretext　of　civilizing　barbarous　nations。　And　what
Scythian　horse；　Parthian　arrows；　or　Indian　riches　could　be　able　to
resist　seventy　thousand　Roman　soldiers；　well　appointed　in　arms；
under　the　command　of　two　such　generals　as　Pompey　and　Caesar；　whose
names　they　had　heard　of　before　that　of　the　Romans；　and　whose
prowess；　by　their　conquests　of　such　wild；　remote；　savage；　and
brutish　nations；　was　spread　further　than　the　fame　of　the　Romans
themselves？　To…day　they　met　in　conflict；　and　could　no　longer　be
induced　to　spare　their　country；　even　out　of　regard　for　their　own　glory
or　the　fear　of　losing　the　name　which　till　this　day　both　had　held；　of
having　never　yet　been　defeated。　As　for　their　former　private　ties；
and　the　charms　of　Julia；　and　the　marriage　that　had　made　them　near
connections；　these　could　now　only　be　looked　upon　as　tricks　of　state；
the　mere　securities　of　a　treaty　made　to　serve　the　needs　of　an
occasion；　not　the　pledges　of　any　real　friendship。
　　Now；　therefore；　as　soon　as　the　plains　of　Pharsalia　were　covered　with
men；　horse；　and　armour；　and　that　the　signal　of　battle　was　raised　on
either　side；　Caius　Crassianus；　a　centurion；　who　commanded　a　company　of
one　hundred　and　twenty　men；　was　the　first　that　advanced　out　of
Caesar's　army　to　give　the　charge　and　acquit　himself　of　a　solemn
engagement　that　he　had　made　to　Caesar。　He　had　been　the　first　man
that　Caesar　had　seen　going　out　of　the　camp　in　the　morning；　and　Caesar；
after　saluting　him；　had　asked　him　what　he　thought　of　the　coming
battle。　To　which　he；　stretching　out　his　right　hand；　replied　aloud；
〃Thine　is　the　victory；　O　Caesar；　thou　shalt　conquer　gloriously；　and
I　myself　this　day　will　be　the　subject　of　thy　praise　either　alive　or
dead。〃　In　pursuance　of　this　promise　he　hastened　forward；　and　being
followed　by　many　more；　charged　into　the　midst　of　the　enemy。　There　they
came　at　once　to　a　close　fight　with　their　swords；　and　made　a　great
slaughter；　but　as　he　was　still　pressing　forward；　and　breaking　the
ranks　of　the　vanguard；　one　of　Pompey's　soldiers　ran　him　in　at　the
mouth；　so　that　the　point　of　the　sword　came　out　behind　at　his　neck；　and
Crassianus　being　thus　slain；　the　fight　became　doubtful；　and
continued　equal　on　that　part　of　the　battle。
　　Pompey　had　not　yet　brought　on　the　right　wing；　but　stayed　and
looked　about；　waiting　to　see　what　execution　his　cavalry　would　do　on
the　left。　They　had　already　drawn　out　their　squadrons　in　form；
designing　to　turn　Caesar's　flank；　and　force　those　few　horse；　which
he　had　placed　in　the　front；　to　give　back　upon　the　battalion　of　foot。
But　Caesar；　on　the　other　side；　having　given　the　signal；　his　horse
retreated　back　a　little；　and　gave　way　to　those　six　subsidiary　cohorts；
which　had　been　posted　in　the　rear；　as　a　reserve　to　cover　the　flank；
and　which　now　came　out；　three　thousand　men　in　number；　and　met　the
enemy；　and　when　they　came　up；　standing　by　the　horses；　struck　their
javelins　upwards；　according　to　their　instructions；　and　hit　the
horsemen　full　in　their　faces。　They；　unskillful　in　any　manner　of　fight；
and　least　of　all　expecting　or　understanding　such　a　kind　as　this；　had
not　courage　enough　to　endure　the　blows　upon　their　faces　but　turning
their　backs；　and　covering　their　eyes　with　their　hands；　shamefully　took
to　flight。　Caesar's　men；　however；　did　not　follow　them；　but　marched
upon　the　foot；　and　attacked　the　wing；　which　the　flight　of　the
cavalry　had　left　unprotected；　and　liable　to　be　turned　and　taken　in　the
rear；　so　that　this　wing　now　being　attacked　in　the　flank　by　these；
and　charged　in　the　front　by　the　tenth　legion；　was　not　able　to　abide
the　charge；　or　make　any　longer　resistance；　especially　when　they　saw
themselves　surrounded　and　circumvented　in　the　very　way　in　which　they
had　designed　to　invest　the　enemy。　Thus　these　being　likewise　routed　and
put　to　flight；　when　Pompey；　by　the　dust　flying　in　the　air；　conjectured
the　fate　of　his　horse；　it　were　very　hard　to　say　what　his　thoughts　or
intentions　were；　but　looking　like　one　distracted　and　beside　himself；
and　without　any　recollection　or　reflection　that　he　was　Pompey　the
Great；　he　retired　slowly　towards　his　camp；　without　speaking　a　word
to　any　man；　exactly　according　to　the　description　in　the　verses…

　　　　　　　　　〃But　Jove　from　heaven　struck　Ajax　with　a　fear；
　　　　　　　　　　Ajax　the　bold　then　stood　astonished　there；
　　　　　　　　　　Flung　o'er　his　back　the　mighty　sevenfold　shield；
　　　　　　　　　　And　trembling　gazed　and　spied　about　the　field。〃

　　In　this　state　and　condition　he　went　into　his　own　tent　and　sat
down；　speechless　still；　until　some　of　the　enemy　fell　in　together
with　his　men　that　were　flying　into　the　camp；　and　then　he　let　fall　only
this　one　word；　〃What！　into　the　very　camp？〃　and　said　no　more；　but
rose　up；　and　putting　on　a　dress　suitable　to　his　present　fortune；
made　his　way　secretly　out。
　　By　this　time　the　rest　of　the　army　was　put　to　flight；　and　there　was　a
great　slaughter　in　the　camp　among　the　servants　and　those　that
guarded　the　tents；　but　of　the　soldiers　themselves　there