histories-第64章

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which　any　conspiracy　could　be　discovered。　After　his　death；



messengers　passed　to　and　fro　between　Civilis　and　Classicus；



commander　of　the　cavalry　of　the　Treveri。　Classicus　was　first　among　his



countrymen　in　rank　and　wealth；　he　was　of　a　royal　house；　of　a　race



distinguished　both　in　peace　and　war；　and　he　himself　claimed　to　be　by



family　tradition　the　foe　rather　than　the　ally　of　the　Romans。　Julius



Tutor　and　Julius　Sabinus　joined　him　in　his　schemes。　One　was　a



Trever；　the　other　a　Lingon。　Tutor　had　been　made　by　Vitellius



guardian　of　the　banks　of　the　Rhine。　Sabinus；　over　and　above　his



natural　vanity；　was　inflamed　with　the　pride　of　an　imaginary　descent；



for　he　asserted　that　his　great…grandmother　had；　by　her　personal



charms；　attracted　the　admiration　of　the　divine　Julius；　when　he　was



campaigning　in　Gaul。　These　two　men　held　secret　conferences　to　sound



the　views　of　the　rest　of　their　countrymen；　and　when　they　had　secured



as　accomplices　such　as　they　thought　suitable　for　their　purpose；　they



met　together　in　a　private　house　in　the　Colonia　Agrippinensis；　for



the　State　in　its　public　policy　was　strongly　opposed　to　all　such



attempts。　Some；　however；　of　the　Ubii　and　Tungri　were　present　but　the



Treveri　and　Lingones　had　the　greatest　weight　in　the　matter。　Nor



could　they　endure　the　delay　of　deliberation；　they　rivalled　each



other　in　vehement　assertions　that　the　Romans　were　in　a　frenzy　of



discord；　that　their　legions　had　been　cut　to　pieces；　that　Italy　was



laid　waste；　that　Rome　itself　was　at　that　very　moment　undergoing



capture；　while　all　her　armies　were　occupied　by　wars　of　their　own。　If



they　were　but　to　secure　the　passes　of　the　Alps　with　bodies　of



troops；　Gaul；　with　her　own　freedom　firmly　established；　might　look



about　her；　and　fix　the　limits　of　her　dominion。



　　These　views　were　no　sooner　stated　than　approved。　As　to　the　survivors



of　the　Vitellianist　army；　they　doubted　what　to　do；　many　voted　for



putting　to　death　men　so　turbulent　and　faithless；　stained　too　with



the　blood　of　their　generals。　Still　the　policy　of　mercy　prevailed。　To



cut　off　all　hope　of　quarter　might　provoke　an　obstinate　resistance。



It　would　be　better　to　draw　them　into　friendly　union。　If　only　the



legates　of　the　legions　were　put　to　death；　the　remaining　multitude；



moved　by　the　consciousness　of　guilt　and　the　hope　of　escape；　would



readily　join　their　cause。



　　Such　was　the　outline　of　their　original　plan。　Emissaries　were



likewise　despatched　throughout　Gaul　to　stir　up　war；　while　they



themselves　feigned　submission；　that　they　might　be　the　better　able　to



crush　the　unsuspecting　Vocula。　Persons；　however；　were　found　to



convey　information　to　him；　but　he　had　not　sufficient　strength　to



suppress　the　movement；　as　the　legions　were　incomplete　in　numbers　and



disloyal。　So；　what　with　soldiers　of　doubtful　fidelity　and　secret



enemies；　he　thought　it　best；　under　the　circumstances；　to　make　his



way　by　meeting　deceit　with　deceit；　and　by　using　the　same　arts　with



which　he　was　himself　assailed。　He　therefore　went　down　to　the　Colonia



Agrippinenses。　Thither　Claudius　Labeo；　who；　as　I　have　related；　had



been　taken　prisoner　and　sent　out　of　the　province　into　the　country　of



the　Frisii；　made　his　escape　by　bribing　his　gaolers。　This　man



undertook；　if　a　force　were　given　him；　to　enter　the　Batavian



territory　and　bring　back　to　the　Roman　alliance　the　more　influential



part　of　that　State；　but；　though　he　obtained　a　small　force　of



infantry　and　cavalry；　he　did　not　venture　to　attempt　anything　among　the



Batavi；　but　only　induced　some　of　the　Nervii　and　Betasii　to　take　up



arms；　and　made　continual　attacks　on　the　Canninefates　and　the　Marsaci



more　in　the　way　of　robbery　than　of　war。



　　Lured　on　by　the　treacherous　representations　of　the　Gauls；　Vocula



marched　against　the　enemy。　He　was　near　the　Old　Camp；　when　Classicus



and　Tutor；　who　had　gone　on　in　advance　under　the　pretence　of



reconnoitring；　concluded　an　agreement　with　the　German　chiefs。　They



then　for　the　first　time　separated　themselves　from　the　legions；　and



formed　a　camp　of　their　own；　with　a　separate　line　of　entrenchment；



while　Vocula　protested　that　the　power　of　Rome　was　not　so　utterly



shaken　by　civil　war　as　to　have　become　contemptible　even　to　Treveri　and



Lingones。　〃There　are　still；〃　he　said；　〃faithful　provinces；



victorious　armies；　the　fortune　of　the　Empire；　and　avenging　Gods。



Thus　it　was　that　Sacrovir　and　the　Aedui　in　former　days；　Vindex　and　the



Gauls　in　more　recent　times；　were　crushed　in　a　single　battle。　The



breakers　of　treaties　may　look　for　the　vengeance　of　the　same　Deities；



and　the　same　doom。　Julius　and　Augustus　understood　far　better　the



character　of　the　people。　Galba's　policy　and　the　diminution　of　their



tribute　have　inspired　them　with　hostile　feelings。　They　are　now



enemies；　because　their　yoke　is　easy；　when　they　have　been　plundered　and



stripped；　they　will　be　friends。〃　After　uttering　this　defiance；　finding



that　Classicus　and　Tutor　persisted　in　their　treachery；　he　changed



his　line　of　march；　and　retired　to　Novesium。　The　Gauls　encamped　at　a



distance　of　two　miles；　and　plied　with　bribes　the　centurions　and



soldiers　who　visited　them　there；　striving　to　make　a　Roman　army



commit　the　unheard　of　baseness　of　swearing　allegiance　to　foreigners；



and　pledge　itself　to　the　perpetration　of　this　atrocious　crime　by



murdering　or　imprisoning　its　officers。　Vocula；　though　many　persons



advised　him　to　escape；　thought　it　best　to　be　bold；　and；　summoning　an



assembly；　spoke　as　follows：



　　〃Never；　when　I　have　addressed　you；　have　I　felt　more　anxious　for　your



welfare；　never　more　indifferent　about　my　own。　Of　the　destruction



that　threatens　me　I　can　hear　with　cheerfulness；　and　amid　so　many　evils



I　look　forward　to　death　as　the　end　of　my　sufferings。　For　you　I　feel



shame　and　compassion。　Against　you　indeed　no　hostile　ranks　are



gathering。　That　would　be　but　the　lawful　course　of　war；　and　the　right



which　an　enemy　may　claim。　But　Classicus　hopes　to　wage　with　your



strength　his　war　against　Rome；　and　proudly　offers　to　your　allegiance



an　empire　of　Gaul。　Though　our　fortune　and　courage　have　for　the



moment　failed　us；　have　we　so　utterly　forgotten　the　old　memories　of



those　many　times　when　the　legions　of　Rome　resolved　to　perish　but　not



to　be　driven　from　their　post？　Often　have　our　allies　endured　to　see



their　cities　destroyed；　and　with　their　wives　and　children　to　die　in



the　flames；　with　only　this　reward　in　their　death；　the　glory　of



untarnished　loyalty。　At　this　very　moment　our　legions　at　the　Old　Camp



are　suffering　the　horrors　of　famine　and　of　siege；　and　cannot　be　shaken



by　threats　or　by　promises。　We；　besides　our　arms；　our　numbers；　and



the　singular　strength　of　our　fortifications；　have　corn　and　supplies



sufficient　for　a　campaign　however　protracted。　We　had　lately　money



enough　even　to　furnish　a　donative；　and；　whether　you　choose　to　refer



the　bounty　to　Vitellius　or　Vespasian；　it　was　at　any　rate　from　a



Roman　Emperor　that　you　received　it。　If　you；　who　have　been　victorious



in　so　many　campaigns；　who　have　so　often　routed　the　enemy　at　Gelduba



and　at　the　Old　Camp；　yet　shrink　from　battle；　this　indeed　is　an



unworthy　fear。　Still　you　have　an　entrenched　camp；　you　have



fortifications　and　the　means　of　prolonging　the　war；　till　succouring



armies　pour　in　from　the　neighbouring　provinces。　It　may　be　that　I　do



not　satisfy　you；　you　may　fall　back　on　other　legates　or　tribunes；　on



some　centurion；　even　on　some　common　soldier。　Let　not　this　monstrous



news　go　forth　to　the　whole　world；　that　with　you　in　their　train　Civilis



and　Classicus　are　about　to　invade　Italy。　Should　the　Germans　and　the



Gauls　lead　you　to　the　walls　of　the　capital；　will　you　lift　up　arms



against　your　Country？　My　soul　shudders　at　the　imagination　of　so



horrible　a　crime。　Will　you　mount　guard　for　Tutor；　the　Trever？　Shall



a　Batavian　give　the　signal　for　battle？　Will　you　serve　as　recrui