histories-第75章

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fight　for　the　defence　of　the　Batavian　capital；　but　carrying　off



property　that　could　be　removed；　and　setting　fire　to　the　remainder；



he　retreated　into　the　island；　aware　that　there　were　not　vessels　enough



for　constructing　a　bridge；　and　that　the　Roman　army　could　not　cross　the



river　in　any　other　way。　He　also　demolished　the　dyke；　constructed　by



Drusus　Germanicus；　and；　by　destroying　this　barrier；　sent　the　river



flowing　down　a　steep　channel　on　the　side　of　Gaul。　The　river　having



been　thus；　so　to　speak；　diverted；　the　narrowness　of　the　channel



between　the　island　and　Germany　created　an　appearance　of　an



uninterrupted　surface　of　dry　ground。　Tutor；　Classicus；　and　one　hundred



and　thirteen　senators　of　the　Treveri；　also　crossed　the　Rhine。　Among



them　was　Alpinius　Montanus；　of　whose　mission　into　Gaul　by　Antonius　I



have　already　spoken。　He　was　accompanied　by　his　brother　Decimus



Alpinius。　His　other　adherents　were　now　endeavouring　to　collect



auxiliaries　among　these　danger…loving　tribes　by　appeals　to　their



pity　and　their　greed。



　　The　war　was　so　far　from　being　at　an　end；　that　Civilis　in　one　day



attacked　on　four　points　the　positions　of　the　auxiliary　infantry　and



cavalry　and　of　the　legions；　assailing　the　tenth　legion　at　Arenacum；



the　second　at　Batavodurum；　and　the　camp　of　the　auxiliary　infantry



and　cavalry　at　Grinnes　and　Vada；　and　so　dividing　his　forces；　that　he



himself；　his　sister's　son　Verax；　Classicus；　and　Tutor；　led　each　his



own　division。　They　were　not　confident　of　accomplishing　all　these



objects；　but　they　hoped　that；　if　they　made　many　ventures；　fortune



would　favour　them　on　some　one　point。　Besides；　Cerialis　was　not



cautious；　and　might　easily　be　intercepted；　as　the　multiplicity　of



tidings　hurried　him　from　place　to　place。　The　force；　which　had　to



attack　the　tenth　legion；　thinking　it　a　hard　matter　to　storm　a



legionary　encampment；　surprised　some　troops；　who　had　gone　out；　and



were　busy　felling　timber；　killed　the　prefect　of　the　camp；　five



centurions　of　the　first　rank；　and　a　few　soldiers；　the　rest　found



shelter　behind　the　fortifications。　At　Batavodurum　the　German　troops



tried　to　break　down　the　bridge　partly　built。　Night　terminated　an



indecisive　conflict。



　　There　was　greater　danger　at　Grinnes　and　Vada。　Civilis　attacked　Vada；



Classicus　Grinnes；　and　they　could　not　be　checked；　for　our　bravest



men　had　fallen；　among　them　Briganticus；　who　commanded　a　squadron　of



cavalry；　and　of　whose　loyalty　to　the　Roman　cause　and　enmity　to　his



uncle　Civilis　I　have　already　spoken。　But　when　Cerialis　came　up　with



a　picked　body　of　cavalry；　the　fortune　of　the　day　changed；　and　the



Germans　were　driven　headlong　into　the　river。　Civilis；　who　was



recognised　while　seeking　to　stop　his　flying　troops；　became　the　mark　of



many　missiles；　left　his　horse；　and　swam　across　the　river。　Verax



escaped　in　the　same　way。　Some　light　vessels　were　brought　up；　and



carried　off　Tutor　and　Classicus。　Even　on　this　occasion　the　Roman　fleet



was　not　present　at　the　engagement；　though　orders　had　been　given　to



that　effect。　Fear　kept　them　away；　and　their　crews　were　dispersed　about



other　military　duties。　Cerialis　in　fact　allowed　too　little　time　for



executing　his　commands；　he　was　hasty　in　his　plans；　though　eminently



successful　in　their　results。　Fortune　helped　him　even　where　skill　had



failed；　and　so　both　the　general　and　his　army　became　less　careful　about



discipline。　A　few　days　after　this　he　escaped　the　peril　of　actual



capture；　but　not　without　great　disgrace。



　　He　had　gone　to　Novesium　and　Bonna；　to　inspect　the　camps　which　were



then　in　course　of　erection　for　the　winter　abode　of　the　legions；　and



was　making　his　way　back　with　the　fleet；　his　escort　being　in



disorder；　and　his　sentries　negligent。　This　was　observed　by　the



Germans；　and　they　planned　a　surprise。　They　chose　a　dark　and　cloudy



night；　and　moving　rapidly　down　the　stream；　entered　the　entrenchments



without　opposition。　The　carnage　was　at　first　helped　on　by　a　cunning



device。　They　cut　the　ropes　of　the　tents；　and　slaughtered　the



soldiers　as　they　lay　buried　beneath　their　own　dwellings。　Another　force



put　the　fleet　into　confusion；　threw　their　grapling　irons　on　the



vessels；　and　dragged　them　away　by　the　sterns。　They　sought　at　first



to　elude　notice　by　silence；　but　when　the　slaughter　was　begun；　by　way



of　increasing　the　panic　they　raised　on　all　sides　a　deafening　shout。



The　Romans；　awakened　by　sounds；　looked　for　their　arms　and　rushed



through　the　passages　of　the　camp；　some　few　with　their　proper



accoutrements；　but　most　with　their　garments　wrapped　round　their



shoulders；　and　with　drawn　swords　in　their　hands。　The　general；　who



was　half　asleep；　and　all　but　naked；　was　saved　by　the　enemy's



mistake。　They　carried　off　the　praetorian　vessel；　which　was



distinguished　by　a　flag；　believing　that　the　general　was　on　board。



Cerialis　indeed　had　passed　the　night　elsewhere；　in　the　company；　as



many　believed；　of　an　Ubian　woman；　Claudia　Sacrata。　The　sentinels



sought　to　excuse　their　own　scandalous　neglect　by　the　disgraceful



conduct　of　the　general；　alleging　that　they　had　been　ordered　to　be



silent；　that　they　might　not　disturb　his　rest；　and　that；　from



omitting　the　watchwords　and　the　usual　challenges；　they　had



themselves　fallen　asleep。　The　enemy　rowed　back　in　broad　daylight



with　the　captured　vessels。　The　praetorian　trireme　they　towed　up　the



river　Lupia　as　a　present　to　Veleda。



　　Civilis　was　seized　by　a　desire　to　make　a　naval　demonstration。　He



manned　all　the　triremes　that　he　had；　and　such　vessels　as　were



propelled　by　a　single　bank　of　oars。　To　these　he　added　a　vast　number　of



boats。　He　put　in　each　three　or　four　hundred　men；　the　usual



complement　of　a　Liburnian　galley。　With　these　were　the　captured



vessels；　in　which；　picturesquely　enough；　plaids　of　various　colours



were　used　for　sails。　The　place　selected　was　an　expanse　of　water；　not



unlike　the　sea；　where　the　mouth　of　the　Mosa　serves　to　discharge　the



Rhine　into　the　ocean。　The　motive　for　equipping　this　fleet　was；　to



say　nothing　of　the　natural　vanity　of　this　people；　a　desire　to



intercept；　by　this　alarming　demonstration；　the　supplies　that　were



approaching　from　Gaul。　Cerialis；　more　in　astonishment　than　alarm；　drew



up　his　fleet　in　line；　and；　though　inferior　in　numbers；　it　had　the



advantage　in　the　experience　of　the　crews；　the　skill　of　the　pilots；　and



the　size　of　the　vessels。　The　Romans　had　the　stream　with　them；　the



enemy's　vessels　were　propelled　by　the　wind。　Thus　passing　each　other；



they　separated　after　a　brief　discharge　of　light　missiles。　Civilis



attempted　nothing　more；　and　retired　to　the　other　side　of　the　Rhine。



Cerialis　mercilessly　ravaged　the　Island　of　the　Batavi；　but；　with　a



policy　familiar　to　commanders；　left　untouched　the　estates　and　houses



of　Civilis。　Meanwhile；　however；　the　autumn　was　far　advanced；　and　the



river；　swollen　by　the　continual　rains　of　the　season；　overflowed　the



island；　marshy　and　low…lying　as　it　is；　till　it　resembled　a　lake。　There



were　no　ships；　no　provisions　at　hand；　and　the　camp；　which　was　situated



on　low　ground；　was　in　process　of　being　carried　away　by　the　force　of



the　stream。



　　That　the　legions　might　then　have　been　crushed；　and　that　the



Germans　wished　to　crush　them；　but　were　turned　from　their　purpose　by



his　own　craft；　was　claimed　as　a　merit　by　Civilis；　nor　is　it　unlike　the



truth；　since　a　capitulation　followed　in　a　few　days。　Cerialis；



sending　secret　emissaries；　had　held　out　the　prospect　of　peace　to　the



Batavi；　and　of　pardon　to　Civilis；　while　he　advised　Veleda　and　her



relatives　to　change　by　a　well…timed　service　to　the　Roman　people　the



fortune　of　war；　which　so　many　disasters　had　shewn　to　be　adverse。　He



reminded　them　that　the　Treveri　had　been　beaten；　that　the　Ubii　had



submitted；　that　the　Batavi　had　had　their　country　taken　from　them；



and　that　from　the　friendship　of　Civilis　nothing　else　had　been　g