histories-第59章

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



demand　vengeance。　You；　Treveri；　and　other　enslaved　creatures；　what



reward　do　you　expect　for　the　blood　which　you　have　shed　so　often？



What　but　a　hateful　service；　perpetual　tribute；　the　rod；　the　axe；　and



the　passions　of　a　ruling　race？　See　how　I；　the　prefect　of　a　single



cohort；　with　the　Batavians　and　the　Canninefates；　a　mere　fraction　of



Gaul；　have　destroyed　their　vast　but　useless　camps；　or　are　pressing



them　with　the　close　blockade　of　famine　and　the　sword。　In　a　word；



either　freedom　will　follow　on　our　efforts；　or；　if　we　are　vanquished；



we　shall　but　be　what　we　were　before。〃　Having　thus　fired　the　man's



ambition；　Civilis　dismissed　him；　but　bade　him　carry　back　a　milder



answer。　He　returned；　pretending　to　have　failed　in　his　mission；　but　not



revealing　the　other　facts；　these　indeed　soon　came　to　light。



　　Civilis；　retaining　a　part　of　his　forces；　sent　the　veteran　cohorts



and　the　bravest　of　his　German　troops　against　Vocula　and　his　army；



under　the　command　of　Julius　Maximus　and　Claudius　Victor；　his



sister's　son。　On　their　march　they　plundered　the　winter　camp　of　a



body　of　horse　stationed　at　Ascibergium；　and　they　fell　on　Vocula's　camp



so　unexpectedly　that　he　could　neither　harangue　his　army；　nor　even



get　it　into　line。　All　that　he　could　do　in　the　confusion　was　to　order



the　veteran　troops　to　strengthen　the　centre。　The　auxiliaries　were



dispersed　in　every　part　of　the　field。　The　cavalry　charged；　but；



received　by　the　orderly　array　of　the　enemy；　fled　to　their　own　lines。



What　ensued　was　a　massacre　rather　than　a　battle。　The　Nervian　infantry；



from　panic　or　from　treachery；　exposed　the　flank　of　our　army。　Thus



the　attack　fell　upon　the　legions；　who　had　lost　their　standards　and



were　being　cut　down　within　the　entrenchments；　when　the　fortune　of



the　day　was　suddenly　changed　by　a　reinforcement　of　fresh　troops。



Some　Vascon　infantry；　levied　by　Galba；　which　had　by　this　time　been



sent　for；　heard　the　noise　of　the　combatants　as　they　approached　the



camp；　attacked　the　rear　of　the　preoccupied　enemy；　and　spread　a　panic



more　than　proportionate　to　their　numbers；　some　believing　that　all



the　troops　from　Novesium；　others　that　all　from　Mogontiacum；　had　come



up。　This　delusion　restored　the　courage　of　the　Romans；　and　in　relying



on　the　strength　of　others　they　recovered　their　own。　All　the　bravest　of



the　Batavians；　of　the　infantry　at　least；　fell；　but　the　cavalry　escaped



with　the　standards　and　with　the　prisoners　whom　they　had　secured　in　the



early　part　of　the　engagement。　Of　the　slain　on　that　day　the　greater



number　belonged　to　our　army；　but　to　its　less　effective　part。　The



Germans　lost　the　flower　of　their　force。



　　The　two　generals　were　equally　blameworthy；　they　deserved　defeat；



they　did　not　make　the　most　of　success。　Had　Civilis　given　battle　in



greater　force；　he　could　not　have　been　outflanked　by　so　small　a



number　of　cohorts；　and　he　might　have　destroyed　the　camp　after　once



forcing　an　entrance。　As　for　Vocula；　he　did　not　reconnoitre　the



advancing　enemy；　and　consequently　he　was　vanquished　as　soon　as　be　left



the　camp；　and　then；　mistrusting　his　victory；　he　fruitlessly　wasted



several　days　before　marching　against　the　enemy；　though；　had　he　at　once



resolved　to　drive　them　back；　and　to　follow　up　his　success；　he　might；



by　one　and　the　same　movement；　have　raised　the　siege　of　the　legions。



Meanwhile　Civilis　had　tried　to　work　on　the　feelings　of　the　besieged　by



representing　that　with　the　Romans　all　was　lost；　and　that　victory　had



declared　for　his　own　troops。　The　standards　and　colours　were　carried



round　the　ramparts；　and　the　prisoners　also　were　displayed。　One　of



them；　with　noble　daring；　declared　the　real　truth　in　a　loud　voice；　and；



as　he　was　cut　down　on　the　spot　by　the　Germans；　all　the　more　confidence



was　felt　in　his　information。　At　the　same　time　it　was　becoming　evident；



from　the　devastation　of　the　country　and　from　the　flames　of　burning



houses；　that　the　victorious　army　was　approaching。　Vocula　issued　orders



that　the　standards　should　be　planted　within　sight　of　the　camp；　and



should　be　surrounded　with　a　ditch　and　rampart；　where　his　men　might



deposit　their　knapsacks；　and　so　fight　without　encumbrance。　On　this；



the　General　was　assailed　by　a　clamorous　demand　for　instant　battle。



They　had　now　grown　used　to　threaten。　Without　even　taking　time　to



form　into　line；　disordered　and　weary　as　they　were；　they　commenced



the　action。　Civilis　was　on　the　field；　trusting　quite　as　much　to　the



faults　of　his　adversaries　as　to　the　valour　of　his　own　troops。　With　the



Romans　the　fortune　of　the　day　varied；　and　the　most　violently



mutinous　shewed　themselves　cowards。　But　some；　remembering　their　recent



victory；　stood　their　ground　and　struck　fiercely　at　the　foe；　now



encouraging　each　other　and　their　neighbours；　and　now；　while　they



re…formed　their　lines；　imploring　the　besieged　not　to　lose　the



opportunity。　These　latter；　who　saw　everything　from　the　walls；



sallied　out　from　every　gate。　It　so　happened　that　Civilis　was　thrown　to



the　ground　by　the　fall　of　his　horse。　A　report　that　he　had　been



either　wounded　or　slain　gained　belief　throughout　both　armies；　and



spread　incredible　panic　among　his　own　troops；　and　gave　as　great



encouragement　to　their　opponents。　But　Vocula；　leaving　the　flying



foe；　began　to　strengthen　the　rampart　and　the　towers　of　the　camp；　as　if



another　siege　were　imminent。　He　had　misused　success　so　often　that　he



was　rightly　suspected　of　a　preference　for　war。



　　Nothing　distressed　our　troops　so　much　as　the　scarcity　of　supplies。



The　baggage　of　the　legions　was　therefore　sent　to　Novesium　with　a　crowd



of　non…combatants　to　fetch　corn　from　that　place　overland；　for　the



enemy　commanded　the　river。　The　march　of　the　first　body　was



accomplished　in　security；　as　Civilis　had　not　yet　recovered。　But　when



he　heard　that　officers　of　the　commissariat　had　been　again　sent　to



Novesium；　and　that　the　infantry　detached　as　an　escort　were　advancing



just　as　if　it　were　a　time　of　profound　peace；　with　but　few　soldiers



round　the　standards；　the　arms　stowed　away　in　the　wagons；　and　all



wandering　about　at　their　pleasure；　he　attacked　them　in　regular　form；



having　first　sent　on　troops　to　occupy　the　bridges　and　the　defiles　in



the　road。　The　battle　extended　over　a　long　line　of　march；　lasting



with　varying　success　till　night　parted　the　combatants。　The　infantry



pushed　on　to　Gelduba；　while　the　camp　remained　in　the　same　state　as



before；　garrisoned　by　such　troops　as　had　been　left　in　it。　There



could　be　no　doubt　what　peril　a　convoy；　heavily　laden　and



panic…stricken；　would　have　to　encounter　in　attempting　to　return。



Vocula　added　to　his　force　a　thousand　picked　men　from　the　fifth　and



fifteenth　legions　besieged　in　the　Old　Camp；　a　body　of　troops



undisciplined　and　ill…affected　to　their　officers。　But　more　than　the



number　specified　came　forward；　and　openly　protested；　as　they



marched；　that　they　would　not　endure　any　longer　the　hardships　of　famine



and　the　treachery　of　the　legates。　On　the　other　hand；　those　who　had



stayed　behind　complained　that　they　were；　being　left　to　their　fate　by



this　withdrawal　of　a　part　of　the　legions。　A　twofold　mutiny　was　the



result；　some　calling　upon　Vocula　to　come　back；　while　the　others



refused　to　return　to　the　camp。



　　Meanwhile　Civilis　blockaded　the　Old　Camp。　Vocula　retired　first　to



Gelduba；　after；　wards　to　Novesium；　Civilis　took　possession　of　Gelduba；



and　not　long　after　was　victorious　in　a　cavalry　engagement　near



Novesium。　But　reverses　and　successes　seemed　equally　to　kindle　in　the



troops　the　one　desire　of　murdering　their　officers。　The　legions；



increased　in　number　by　the　arrival　of　the　men　from　the　fifth　and



fifteenth；　demanded　a　donative；　for　they　had　discovered　that　some



money　had　been　sent　by　Vitellius。　After　a　short　delay　Hordeonius



gave　the　donative　in　the　name　o