histories-第58章

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！




battle；　constructing　fortifications；　making　entrenchments；　and



whatever　else　might　train　them　for　war。　In　the　hope　that　they　might　be



fired　to　courage　by　the　delights　of　plunder；　Vocula　led　the　army



against　the　nearest　villages　of　the　Gugerni；　who　had　accepted　the



alliance　of　Civilis。　Some　of　the　troops　remained　permanently　with



Herennius　Gallus。



　　One　day　it　happened　that　at　no　great　distance　from　the　camp　the



Germans　were　endeavouring　to　drag　off　to　their　own　bank　a　vessel　laden



with　corn；　which　had　run　aground　in　the　shallows。　Gallus　could　not



endure　this；　and　sent　a　cohort　to　help。　The　numbers　of　the　Germans



also　increased；　as　fresh　troops　continued　to　join　both　sides；　a



regular　battle　ensued。　The　Germans；　besides　inflicting　great　loss　on



our　men；　carried　off　the　vessel。　The　vanquished　troops；　following　what



had　become　a　regular　practice；　laid　the　blame　not　on　their　own



cowardice；　but　on　supposed　treachery　in　the　legate。　Dragged　out　of　his



tent；　his　garments　torn；　and　his　person　severely　beaten；　he　was



commanded　to　declare　for　what　bribe　and　with　what　accomplices　he　had



betrayed　the　army。　Their　old　hatred　of　Hordeonius　reappeared。　He；　they



declared；　was　the　instigator　of　the　crime；　Gallus　his　tool。　At　last；



utterly　terrified　by　their　threats　of　instant　death；　the　legate



himself　charged　Hordeonius　with　treachery。　He　was　then　put　in　irons；



and　only　released　on　the　arrival　of　Vocula；　who　the　next　day　inflicted



capital　punishment　on　the　ringleaders　of　the　mutiny；　such　wide



extremes　of　license　and　of　subordination　were　to　be　found　in　that



army。　The　common　soldiers　were　undoubtedly　loyal　to　Vitellius；　but　all



the　most　distinguished　men　were　in　favour　of　Vespasian。　The　result　was



an　alternation　of　outbreaks　and　executions；　and　a　strange　mixture　of



obedience　and　frenzy；　which　made　it　impossible　to　restrain　the　men



whom　it　was　yet　possible　to　punish。



　　Meanwhile　all　Germany　was　raising　the　power　of　Civilis　by　vast



additions　of　strength；　and　the　alliance　was　secured　by　hostages　of　the



noblest　rank。　He　directed　that　the　territories　of　the　Ubii　and　the



Treveri　should　be　ravaged　by　the　several　tribes　on　which　they



bordered；　and　that　another　detachment　should　cross　the　river　Mosa；



to　threaten　the　Menapii　and　the　Morini　and　the　frontiers　of　Gaul。　In



both　quarters　plunder　was　collected；　with　peculiar　hostility　in　the



case　of　the　Ubii；　because；　this　nation；　being　of　German　origin；　had



forsworn　its　native　country；　and　assumed　the　Roman　name　of　the



Agrippinenses。　Their　cohorts　were　cut　up　at　the　village　of　Marcodurum；



where　they　lay　in　careless　security；　presuming　on　their　distance



from　the　river…bank。　The　Ubii　did　not　remain　quiet；　but　made　predatory



excursions　into　Germany；　escaping　at　first　with　impunity；　though



they　were　afterwards　cut　off。　Throughout　the　whole　of　this　war；　they



were　more　loyal　than　fortunate。　Civilis；　grown　more　formidable　now



that　the　Ubii　had　been　crushed；　and　elated　by　the　success　of　his



operations；　pressed　on　the　siege　of　the　legions；　keeping　a　strict



watch　to　prevent　any　secret　intelligence　of　advancing　succours　from



reaching　them。　He　entrusted　to　the　Batavians　the　care　of　the



machines　and　the　vast　siege…works；　and　when　the　Transrhenane　tribes



clamoured　for　battle；　he　bade　them　go　and　cut　through　the　ramparts；



and；　if　repulsed；　renew　the　struggle；　their　numbers　were　superfluously



large；　and　their　loss　was　not　felt。　Even　darkness　did　not　terminate



the　struggle。



　　Piling　up　logs　of　wood　round　the　walls　and　lighting　them；　they　sat



feasting；　and　rushed　to　the　conflict；　as　each　grew　heated　with　wine；



with　a　useless　daring。　Their　missiles　were　discharged　without　effect



in　the　darkness；　but　to　the　Romans　the　ranks　of　the　barbarians　were



plainly　discernible；　and　they　singled　out　with　deliberate　aim　anyone



whose　boldness　or　whose　decorations　made　him　conspicuous。　Civilis



saw　this；　and；　extinguishing　the　fires；　threw　the　confusion　of



darkness　over　the　attack。　Then　ensued　a　scene　of　discordant　clamour；



of　accident；　and　uncertainty；　where　no　one　could　see　how　to　aim　or



to　avoid　a　blow。　Wherever　a　shout　was　heard；　they　wheeled　round　and



strained　hand　and　foot。　Valour　was　of　no　avail；　accident　disturbed



every　plan；　and　the　bravest　frequently　were　struck　down　by　the



missiles　of　the　coward。　The　Germans　fought　with　inconsiderate　fury；



our　men；　more　alive　to　the　danger；　threw；　but　not　at　random；　stakes



shod　with　iron　and　heavy　stones。　Where　the　noise　of　the　assailants　was



heard；　or　where　the　ladders　placed　against　the　walls　brought　the　enemy



within　reach　of　their　hands；　they　pushed　them　back　with　their　shields；



and　followed　them　with　their　javelins。　Many；　who　had　struggled　on　to



the　walls；　they　stabbed　with　their　short　swords。　After　a　night　thus



spent；　day　revealed　a　new　method　of　attack。



　　The　Batavians　had　raised　a　tower　two　stories　high；　which　they



brought　up　to　the　Praetorian　gate　of　the　camp；　where　the　ground　was



most　level。　But　our　men；　pushing　forward　strong　poles；　and　battering



it　with　beams；　broke　it　down；　causing　great　destruction　among　the



combatants　on　the　top。　The　enemy　were　attacked　in　their　confusion　by　a



sudden　and　successful　sally。　All　this　time　many　engines　were



constructed　by　the　legionaries；　who　were　superior　to　the　enemy　in



experience　and　skill。　Peculiar　consternation　was　caused　by　a



machine；　which；　being　poised　in　the　air　over　the　heads　of　the　enemy；



suddenly　descended；　and　carried　up　one　or　more　of　them　past　the



faces　of　their　friends；　and　then；　by　a　shifting　of　the　weights；



projected　them　within　the　limits　of　the　camp。　Civilis；　giving　up　all



hope　of　a　successful　assault；　again　sat　down　to　blockade　the　camp　at



his　leisure；　and　undermined　the　fidelity　of　the　legions　by　the



promises　of　his　emissaries。



　　All　these　events　in　Germany　took　place　before　the　battle　of　Cremona；



the　result　of　which　was　announced　in　a　despatch　from　Antonius；



accompanied　by　Caecina's　proclamation。　Alpinius　Montanus；　prefect　of　a



cohort　in　the　vanquished　army；　was　on　the　spot；　and　acknowledged　the



fate　of　his　party。　Various　were　the　emotions　thus　excited；　the



Gallic　auxiliaries；　who　felt　neither　affection　nor　hatred　towards



either　party；　and　who　served　without　attachment；　at　once；　at　the



instance　of　their　prefects；　deserted　Vitellius。　The　veteran　soldiers



hesitated。　Nevertheless；　when　Hordeonius　administered　the　oath；



under　a　strong　pressure　from　their　tribunes；　they　pronounced　the



words；　which　their　looks　and　their　temper　belied；　and　while　they



adopted　every　other　expression；　they　hesitated　at　the　name　of



Vespasian；　passing　it　over　with　a　slight　murmur；　and　not



unfrequently　in　absolute　silence。



　　After　this；　certain　letters　from　Antonius　to　Civilis　were　read　in



full　assembly；　and　provoked　the　suspicions　of　the　soldiery；　as　they



seemed　to　be　addressed　to　a　partisan　of　the　cause　and　to　be　unfriendly



to　the　army　of　Germany。　Soon　the　news　reached　the　camp　at　Gelduba；　and



the　same　language　and　the　same　acts　were　repeated。　Montanus　was　sent



with　a　message　to　Civilis；　bidding　him　desist　from　hostilities；　and



not　seek　to　conceal　the　designs　of　an　enemy　by　fighting　under　false



colours；　and　telling　him　that；　if　he　had　been　attempting　to　assist



Vespasian；　his　purpose　had　been　fully　accomplished。　Civilis　at　first



replied　in　artful　language；　but　soon　perceiving　that　Montanus　was　a



man　of　singularly　high　spirit　and　was　himself　disposed　for　change；



he　began　with　lamenting　the　perils　through　which　he　had　struggled



for　five…and…twenty　years　in　the　camps　of　Rome。　〃It　is；〃　he　said；　〃a



noble　reward　that　I　have　received　for　my　toils；　my　brother　murdered；



myself　imprisoned；　and　the　savage　clamour　of　this　army；　a　clamour



which　demanded　my　execution；　and　for　which　by　the　law　of　nations　I