histories-第68章

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messages　to　Valentinus；　warning　him　not　to　risk　a　decisive　battle。



This　made　Cerialis　move　with　more　rapidity。　He　sent　to　the



Mediomatrici　persons　commissioned　to　conduct　the　legions　which　were



there　by　the　shortest　route　against　the　enemy；　and；　collecting　such



troops　as　there　were　at　Mogontiacum　and　such　as　he　had　brought　with



himself；　he　arrived　in　three　days'　march　at　Rigodulum。　Valentinus；



at　the　head　of　a　large　body　of　Treveri；　had　occupied　this　position；



which　was　protected　by　hills；　and　by　the　river　Mosella。　He　had　also



strengthened　it　with　ditches　and　breastworks　of　stones。　These



defences；　however；　did　not　deter　the　Roman　general　from　ordering　his



infantry　to　the　assault；　and　making　his　cavalry　advance　up　the　hill；



he　scorned　the　enemy；　whose　forces；　hastily　levied；　could　not；　he



knew；　derive　any　advantage　from　their　position；　but　what　would　be　more



than　counterbalanced　by　the　courage　of　his　own　men。　There　was　some



little　delay　in　the　ascent；　while　the　troops　were　passing　through



the　range　of　the　enemy's　missiles。　As　soon　as　they　came　to　close



fighting；　the　barbarians　were　dislodged　and　hurled　like　a　falling



house　from　their　position。　A　detachment　of　the　cavalry　rode　round



where　the　hills　were　less　steep；　and　captured　the　principal　Belgic



chiefs；　and　among　them　Valentinus；　their　general。



　　On　the　following　day　Cerialis　entered　the　Colony　of　the　Treveri。　The



soldiers　were　eager　to　destroy　the　city。　〃This；〃　they　said；　〃is　the



birthplace　of　Classicus　and　Tutor；　it　was　by　the　treason　of　these



men　that　our　legions　were　besieged　and　massacred。　What　had　Cremona



done　like　this；　Cremona　which　was　torn　from　the　very　bosom　of　Italy；



because　it　had　occasioned　to　the　conquerors　the　delay　of　a　single



night？　Here　on　the　borders　of　Germany　stands　unharmed　a　city　which



exults　in　the　spoils　of　our　armies　and　the　blood　of　our　generals。



Let　the　plunder　be　brought　into　the　Imperial　treasury；　we　shall　be



satisfied　with　the　fire　that　will　destroy　a　rebellious　colony　and



compensate　for　the　overthrow　of　so　many　camps。〃　Cerialis；　fearing



the　disgrace　of　being　thought　to　have　imbued　his　soldiers　with　a



spirit　of　licence　and　cruelty；　checked　their　fury。　They　submitted；



for；　now　that　civil　war　was　at　an　end；　they　were　tractable　enough　in



dealing　with　an　enemy。　Their　thoughts　were　then　diverted　by　the



pitiable　aspect　of　the　legions　which　had　been　summoned　from　the



Mediomatrici。　They　stood　oppressed　by　the　consciousness　of　guilt；



their　eyes　fixed　on　the　earth。　No　friendly　salutations　passed



between　the　armies　as　they　met；　they　made　no　answer　to　those　who　would



console　or　encourage　them；　but　hid　themselves　in　their　tents；　and



shrank　from　the　very　light　of　day。　Nor　was　it　so　much　their　peril　or



their　alarm　that　confounded　them；　as　their　shame　and　humiliation。　Even



the　conquerors　were　struck　dumb；　and　dared　not　utter　a　word　of



entreaty；　but　pleaded　for　pardon　by　their　silent　tears；　till



Cerialis　at　last　soothed　their　minds　by　declaring　that　destiny　had



brought　about　all　that　had　happened　through　the　discords　of　soldiers



and　generals　or　through　the　treachery　of　the　foe。　They　must　consider



that　day　as　the　first　of　their　military　service　and　of　their



allegiance。　Their　past　crimes　would　be　remembered　neither　by　the



Emperor　nor　by　himself。　They　were　thus　admitted　into　the　same　camp



with　the　rest；　and　an　order　was　read　in　every　company；　that　no　soldier



was　in　any　contention　or　altercation　to　reproach　a　comrade　with　mutiny



or　defeat。



　　Cerialis　then　convoked　an　assembly　of　the　Treveri　and　Lingones；



and　thus　addressed　them：　〃I　have　never　cultivated　eloquence；　it　is



by　my　sword　that　I　have　asserted　the　excellence　of　the　Roman　people。



Since；　however；　words　have　very　great　weight　with　you；　since　you



estimate　good　and　evil；　not　according　to　their　real　value；　but



according　to　the　representations　of　seditious　men；　I　have　resolved



to　say　a　few　words；　which；　as　the　war　is　at　an　end；　it　may　be　useful



for　you　to　have　heard　rather　than　for　me　to　have　spoken。　Roman



generals　and　Emperors　entered　your　territory；　as　they　did　the　rest



of　Gaul；　with　no　ambitious　purposes；　but　at　the　solicitation　of　your



ancestors；　who　were　wearied　to　the　last　extremity　by　intestine　strife；



while　the　Germans；　whom　they　had　summoned　to　their　help；　had　imposed



their　yoke　alike　on　friend　and　foe。　How　many　battles　we　have　fought



against　the　Cimbri　and　Teutones；　at　the　cost　of　what　hardships　to



our　armies；　and　with　what　result　we　have　waged　our　German　wars；　is



perfectly　well　known。　It　was　not　to　defend　Italy　that　we　occupied



the　borders　of　the　Rhine；　but　to　insure　that　no　second　Ariovistus



should　seize　the　empire　of　Gaul。　Do　you　fancy　yourselves　to　be



dearer　in　the　eyes　of　Civilis　and　the　Batavi　and　the　Transrhenane



tribes；　than　your　fathers　and　grandfathers　were　to　their　ancestors？



There　have　ever　been　the　same　causes　at　work　to　make　the　Germans　cross



over　into　Gaul；　lust；　avarice；　and　the　longing　for　a　new　home；



prompting　them　to　leave　their　own　marshes　and　deserts；　and　to



possess　themselves　of　this　most　fertile　soil　and　of　you　its



inhabitants。　Liberty；　indeed；　and　the　like　specious　names　are　their



pretexts；　but　never　did　any　man　seek　to　enslave　his　fellows　and　secure



dominion　for　himself；　without　using　the　very　same　words。



　　〃Gaul　always　had　its　petty　kingdoms　and　intestine　wars；　till　you



submitted　to　our　authority。　We；　though　so　often　provoked；　have　used



the　right　of　conquest　to　burden　you　only　with　the　cost　of



maintaining　peace。　For　the　tranquillity　of　nations　cannot　be　preserved



without　armies；　armies　cannot　exist　without　pay；　pay　cannot　be



furnished　without　tribute；　all　else　is　common　between　us。　You　often



command　our　legions。　You　rule　these　and　other　provinces。　There　is　no



privilege；　no　exclusion。　From　worthy　Emperors　you　derive　equal



advantage；　though　you　dwell　so　far　away；　while　cruel　rulers　are　most



formidable　to　their　neighbours。　Endure　the　passions　and　rapacity　of



your　masters；　just　as　you　bear　barren　seasons　and　excessive　rains



and　other　natural　evils。　There　will　be　vices　as　long　as　there　are　men。



But　they　are　not　perpetual；　and　they　are　compensated　by　the　occurrence



of　better　things。　Perhaps；　however；　you　expect　a　milder　rule　under



Tutor　and　Classicus；　and　fancy　that　armies　to　repel　the　Germans　and



the　Britons　will　be　furnished　by　less　tribute　than　you　now　pay。　Should



the　Romans　be　driven　out　（which　God　forbid）　what　can　result　but　wars



between　all　these　nations？　By　the　prosperity　and　order　of　eight



hundred　years　has　this　fabric　of　empire　been　consolidated；　nor　can



it　be　overthrown　without　destroying　those　who　overthrow　it。　Yours　will



be　the　worst　peril；　for　you　have　gold　and　wealth；　and　these　are　the



chief　incentives　to　war。　Give　therefore　your　love　and　respect　to　the



cause　of　peace；　and　to　that　capital　in　which　we；　conquerors　and



conquered；　claim　an　equal　right。　Let　the　lessons　of　fortune　in　both



its　forms　teach　you　not　to　prefer　rebellion　and　ruin　to　submission　and



safety。〃　With　words　to　this　effect　he　quieted　and　encouraged　his



audience；　who　feared　harsher　treatment。



　　The　territory　of　the　Treveri　was　occupied　by　the　victorious　army；



when　Civilis　and　Classicus　sent　letters　to　Cerialis；　the　purport　of



which　was　as　follows：　〃Vespasian；　though　the　news　is　suppressed；　is



dead。　Rome　and　Italy　are　thoroughly　wasted　by　intestine　war。



Mucianus　and　Domitian　are　mere　empty　and　powerless　names。　If



Cerialis　wishes　for　the　empire　of　Gaul；　we　can　be　content　with　the



boundaries　of　our　own　States。　If　he　prefers　to　fight；　we　do　not　refuse



that　alternative。〃　Cerialis　sent　no　answer　to　Civilis　and　Classicus；



but　despatched　the　bearer　and　the　letter　itself　to　Domitian。　The　enemy



advanced　from　every　quarter　in　several　bodies。　Cerialis　was