histories-第40章

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defeat　of　their　comrades；　were　preparing　for　battle；　and　would　soon　be



coming　up。　This　alarm　opened　the　ears　that　had　before　been　deaf　to



their　general's　advice。　The　13th　legion　was　ordered　to　take　up　its



position　on　the　raised　causeway　of　the　Via　Postumia；　supported　on



the　left　by　the　7th　（Galba's）　which　was　posted　in　the　plain；　next　came



the　7th　（Claudius'）；　defended　in　front　by　a　field…ditch；　such　being



the　character　of　the　ground。　On　the　right　was　the　8th　legion；　drawn　up



in　an　open　space；　and　then　the　3rd；　whose　ranks　were　divided　by　some



thick　brushwood。　Such　was　the　arrangement　of　the　eagles　and　the



standards。　The　soldiers　were　mingled　in　the　darkness　as　accident　had



determined。　The　Praetorian　colours　were　close　to　the　3rd　legion；　the



auxiliary　infantry　were　stationed　on　the　wings；　the　cavalry　covered



the　flanks　and　the　rear。　Sido　and　Italicus；　the　Suevian　chieftains；



with　a　picked　body　of　their　countrymen；　manoeuvred　in　the　van。



　　It　would　have　been　the　best　policy　for　the　army　of　Vitellius　to　rest



at　Cremona；　and；　with　strength　recruited　by　food　and　repose；　to　attack



and　crush　the　next　day　an　enemy　exhausted　by　cold　and　hunger；　but　now；



wanting　a　leader；　and　having　no　settled　plan；　they　came　into　collision



about　nine　o'clock　at　night　with　the　Flavianist　troops；　who　stood



ready；　and　in　order　of　battle。　Respecting　the　disposition　of　the



Vitellianist　army；　disordered　as　it　was　by　its　fury　and　by　the



darkness；　I　would　not　venture　to　speak　positively。　Some；　however；　have



related；　that　on　the　right　wing　was　the　4th　legion　（the　Macedonian）；



that　the　5th　and　15th；　with　the　veterans　of　three　British　legions　（the



9th；　2nd；　and　20th）；　formed　the　centre；　while　the　left　wing　was　made



up　of　the　1st；　the　16th；　and　the　22nd。　Men　of　the　legions　Rapax　and



Italica　were　mingled　with　all　the　companies。　The　cavalry　and　the



auxiliaries　chose　their　position　themselves。　Throughout　the　night



the　battle　raged　in　many　forms；　indecisive　and　fierce；　destructive；



first　to　one　side；　then　to　the　other。　Courage；　strength；　even　the



eye　with　its　keenest　sight；　were　of　no　avail。　Both　armies　fought



with　the　same　weapons；　the　watch…word；　continually　asked；　became



known；　the　colours　were　confused　together；　as　parties　of　combatants



snatched　them　from　the　enemy；　and　hurried　them　in　this　or　that



direction。　The　7th　legion；　recently　levied　by　Galba；　was　the　hardest



pressed。　Six　centurions　of　the　first　rank　were　killed；　and　some　of　the



standards　taken；　but　the　eagle　was　saved　by　Atilius　Verus；　the



centurion　of　the　first　company；　who；　after　making　a　great　slaughter



among　the　enemy；　at　last　fell。



　　The　line　was　supported；　as　it　began　to　waver；　by　Antonius；　who



brought　up　the　Praetorians。　They　took　up　the　conflict；　repulsed　the



enemy；　and　were　then　themselves　repulsed。　The　troops　of　Vitellius



had　collected　their　artillery　on　the　raised　causeway；　where　there



was　a　free　and　open　space　for　the　discharge　of　the　missiles；　which



at　first　had　been　scattered　at　random；　and　had　struck　against　the



trees　without　injury　to　the　enemy。　An　engine　of　remarkable　size；



belonging　to　the　15th　legion；　was　crushing　the　hostile　ranks　with　huge



stones；　and　would　have　spread　destruction　far　and　wide；　had　not　two



soldiers　ventured　on　a　deed　of　surpassing　bravery。　Disguising



themselves　with　shields　snatched　from　the　midst　of　the　carnage；　they



cut　the　ropes　and　springs　of　the　engine。　They　were　instantly　slain；



and　their　names　have　consequently　been　lost；　but　the　fact　is



undoubted。　Fortune　favoured　neither　side；　till　at　a　late　hour　of　the



night　the　moon　rose　and　showed；　but　showed　deceptively；　both　armies。



The　light；　however；　shining　from　behind；　favoured　the　Flavianists。



With　them　a　lengthened　shadow　fell　from　men　and　horses；　and　the



enemy's　missiles；　incorrectly　aimed　at　what　seemed　the　substance；　fell



short；　while　the　Vitellianists；　who　had　the　light　shining　on　their



faces；　were　unconsciously　exposed　to　an　enemy　who　were；　so　to　speak；



concealed　while　they　aimed。



　　As　soon　as　Antonius　could　recognize　his　men　and　be　recognized　by



them；　he　sought　to　kindle　their　courage；　striving　to　shame　some　with



his　reproaches；　stirring　many　with　praise　and　encouragement；　and　all



with　hopes　and　promises。　〃Why；〃　he　demanded　of　the　legions　of



Pannonia；　〃have　you　again　taken　up　arms？　Yonder　is　the　field　where　you



may　wipe　out　the　stain　of　past　disgrace；　and　redeem　your　honour。〃　Then



turning　to　the　troops　of　Moesia；　he　appealed　to　them　as　the　authors



and　originators　of　the　war。　〃Idly；〃　he　said　〃have　you　challenged　the



Vitellianists　with　threatening　words；　if　you　cannot　abide　their　attack



or　even　their　looks。〃　So　he　spoke　to　each　as　he　approached　them。　The



third　legion　he　addressed　at　greater　length；　reminding　them　of　old　and



recent　achievements；　how　under　Marcus　Antonius　they　had　defeated　the



Parthians；　under　Corbulo　the　Armenians；　and　had　lately　discomfited　the



Sarmatians。　Then　angrily　turning　to　the　Praetorians；　〃Clowns；〃　said



he；　〃unless　you　are　victorious；　what　other　general；　what　other　camp



will　receive　you？　There　are　your　colours　and　your　arms；　defeat　is



death；　for　disgrace　you　have　exhausted。〃　A　shout　was　raised　on　all



sides；　and　the　soldiers　of　the　third　legion　saluted；　as　is　the



custom　in　Syria；　the　rising　sun。



　　A　vague　rumour　thus　arose；　or　was　intentionally　suggested　by　the



general；　that　Mucianus　had　arrived；　and　that　the　two　armies　had



exchanged　salutations。　The　men　then　charged　as　confidently　as　if



they　had　been　strengthened　by　fresh　reinforcements；　while　the



enemy's　array　was　now　less　compact；　for；　as　there　was　no　one　to



command；　it　was　now　contracted；　now　extended；　as　the　courage　or　fear



of　individual　soldiers　might　prompt。　Antonius；　seeing　that　they　gave



way；　charged　them　with　a　heavy　column；　the　loose　ranks　were　at　once



broken；　and；　entangled　as　they　were　among　their　wagons　and



artillery；　could　not　be　re…formed。　The　conquerors；　in　the　eagerness　of



pursuit；　dispersed　themselves　over　the　entire　line　of　road。　The



slaughter　that　followed　was　made　particularly　memorable　through　the



murder　of　a　father　by　his　son。　I　will　record　the　incident　with　the



names；　on　the　authority　of　Vipstanus　Messalla。　Julius　Mansuetus；　a



Spaniard；　enlisting　in　the　legion　Rapax；　had　left　at　home　a　son　of



tender　age。　The　lad　grew　up　to　manhood；　and　was　enrolled　by　Galba　in



the　7th　legion。　Now　chancing　to　meet　his　father；　he　brought　him　to　the



ground　with　a　wound；　and；　as　he　rifled　his　dying　foe；　recognized



him；　and　was　himself　recognized。　Clasping　the　expiring　man　in　his



arms；　in　piteous　accents　he　implored　the　spirit　of　his　father　to　be



propitious　to　him；　and　not　to　turn　from　him　with　loathing　as　from　a



parricide。　〃This　guilt；〃　he　said；　〃is　shared　by　all；　how　small　a



part　of　a　civil　war　is　a　single　soldier！〃　With　these　words　he　raised



the　body；　opened　a　grave；　and　discharged　the　last　duties　for　his



father。　This　was　noticed　by　those　who　were　on　the　spot；　then　by　many



others；　astonishment　and　indignation　ran　through　the　whole　army；　and



they　cursed　this　most　horrible　war。　Yet　as　eagerly　as　ever　they



stripped　the　bodies　of　slaughtered　kinsfolk；　connexions；　and　brothers。



They　talk　of　an　impious　act　having　been　done；　and　they　do　it



themselves。



　　When　they　reached　Cremona　a　fresh　work　of　vast　difficulty



presented　itself。　During　the　war　with　Otho　the　legions　of　Germany



had　formed　their　camp　round　the　walls　of　the　city；　round　this　camp　had



drawn　an　entrenchment；　and　had　again　strengthened　these　defences。　At



this　sight　the　victorious　army　hesitated；　while　the　generals　doubted



what　orders　they　should　give。　To　attempt　an　assault　with　troops



exhausted　by　the　toil　of　a　day　and　a　night　would　be　difficult；　and



with　no　proper　reserves　might　be　perilous。　Should　they　return　to