pompey-第16章

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somewhat　above　twice　as　many。　When　the　signal　of　battle　was　given　on
both　sides；　and　the　trumpets　began　to　sound　a　charge；　most　men　of
course　were　fully　occupied　with　their　own　matters；　only　some　few　of
the　noblest　Romans；　together　with　certain　Greeks　there　present；
standing　as　spectators　without　the　battle；　seeing　the　armies　now　ready
to　join；　could　not　but　consider　in　themselves　to　what　a　pass　private
ambition　and　emulation　had　brought　the　empire。　Common　arms；　and
kindred　ranks　drawn　up　under　the　selfsame　standards；　the　whole
flower　and　strength　of　the　same　single　city　here　meeting　in
collision　with　itself；　offered　plain　proof　how　blind　and　how　mad　a
thing　human　nature　is　when　once　possessed　with　any　passion；　for　if
they　had　been　desirous　only　to　rule；　and　enjoy　in　peace　what　they
had　conquered　in　war；　the　greatest　and　best　part　of　the　world　was
subject　to　them　both　by　sea　and　land。　But　if　there　was　yet　a　thirst　in
their　ambition；　that　must　still　be　fed　with　new　trophies　and　triumphs；
the　Parthian　and　German　wars　would　yield　matter　enough　to　satisfy
the　most　covetous　of　honour。　Scythia；　moreover；　was　yet　unconquered；
and　the　Indians　too；　where　their　ambition　might　be　coloured　over
with　the　specious　pretext　of　civilizing　barbarous　nations。　And　what
Scythian　horse；　Parthian　arrows；　or　Indian　riches　could　be　able　to
resist　seventy　thousand　Roman　soldiers；　well　appointed　in　arms；
under　the　command　of　two　such　generals　as　Pompey　and　Caesar；　whose
names　they　had　heard　of　before　that　of　the　Romans；　and　whose
prowess；　by　their　conquests　of　such　wild；　remote；　savage；　and
brutish　nations；　was　spread　further　than　the　fame　of　the　Romans
themselves？　To…day　they　met　in　conflict；　and　could　no　longer　be
induced　to　spare　their　country；　even　out　of　regard　for　their　own　glory
or　the　fear　of　losing　the　name　which　till　this　day　both　had　held；　of
having　never　yet　been　defeated。　As　for　their　former　private　ties；
and　the　charms　of　Julia；　and　the　marriage　that　had　made　them　near
connections；　these　could　now　only　be　looked　upon　as　tricks　of　state；
the　mere　securities　of　a　treaty　made　to　serve　the　needs　of　an
occasion；　not　the　pledges　of　any　real　friendship。
　　Now；　therefore；　as　soon　as　the　plains　of　Pharsalia　were　covered　with
men；　horse；　and　armour；　and　that　the　signal　of　battle　was　raised　on
either　side；　Caius　Crassianus；　a　centurion；　who　commanded　a　company　of
one　hundred　and　twenty　men；　was　the　first　that　advanced　out　of
Caesar's　army　to　give　the　charge　and　acquit　himself　of　a　solemn
engagement　that　he　had　made　to　Caesar。　He　had　been　the　first　man
that　Caesar　had　seen　going　out　of　the　camp　in　the　morning；　and　Caesar；
after　saluting　him；　had　asked　him　what　he　thought　of　the　coming
battle。　To　which　he；　stretching　out　his　right　hand；　replied　aloud；
〃Thine　is　the　victory；　O　Caesar；　thou　shalt　conquer　gloriously；　and
I　myself　this　day　will　be　the　subject　of　thy　praise　either　alive　or
dead。〃　In　pursuance　of　this　promise　he　hastened　forward；　and　being
followed　by　many　more；　charged　into　the　midst　of　the　enemy。　There　they
came　at　once　to　a　close　fight　with　their　swords；　and　made　a　great
slaughter；　but　as　he　was　still　pressing　forward；　and　breaking　the
ranks　of　the　vanguard；　one　of　Pompey's　soldiers　ran　him　in　at　the
mouth；　so　that　the　point　of　the　sword　came　out　behind　at　his　neck；　and
Crassianus　being　thus　slain；　the　fight　became　doubtful；　and
continued　equal　on　that　part　of　the　battle。
　　Pompey　had　not　yet　brought　on　the　right　wing；　but　stayed　and
looked　about；　waiting　to　see　what　execution　his　cavalry　would　do　on
the　left。　They　had　already　drawn　out　their　squadrons　in　form；
designing　to　turn　Caesar's　flank；　and　force　those　few　horse；　which
he　had　placed　in　the　front；　to　give　back　upon　the　battalion　of　foot。
But　Caesar；　on　the　other　side；　having　given　the　signal；　his　horse
retreated　back　a　little；　and　gave　way　to　those　six　subsidiary　cohorts；
which　had　been　posted　in　the　rear；　as　a　reserve　to　cover　the　flank；
and　which　now　came　out；　three　thousand　men　in　number；　and　met　the
enemy；　and　when　they　came　up；　standing　by　the　horses；　struck　their
javelins　upwards；　according　to　their　instructions；　and　hit　the
horsemen　full　in　their　faces。　They；　unskillful　in　any　manner　of　fight；
and　least　of　all　expecting　or　understanding　such　a　kind　as　this；　had
not　courage　enough　to　endure　the　blows　upon　their　faces　but　turning
their　backs；　and　covering　their　eyes　with　their　hands；　shamefully　took
to　flight。　Caesar's　men；　however；　did　not　follow　them；　but　marched
upon　the　foot；　and　attacked　the　wing；　which　the　flight　of　the
cavalry　had　left　unprotected；　and　liable　to　be　turned　and　taken　in　the
rear；　so　that　this　wing　now　being　attacked　in　the　flank　by　these；
and　charged　in　the　front　by　the　tenth　legion；　was　not　able　to　abide
the　charge；　or　make　any　longer　resistance；　especially　when　they　saw
themselves　surrounded　and　circumvented　in　the　very　way　in　which　they
had　designed　to　invest　the　enemy。　Thus　these　being　likewise　routed　and
put　to　flight；　when　Pompey；　by　the　dust　flying　in　the　air；　conjectured
the　fate　of　his　horse；　it　were　very　hard　to　say　what　his　thoughts　or
intentions　were；　but　looking　like　one　distracted　and　beside　himself；
and　without　any　recollection　or　reflection　that　he　was　Pompey　the
Great；　he　retired　slowly　towards　his　camp；　without　speaking　a　word
to　any　man；　exactly　according　to　the　description　in　the　verses…

　　　　　　　　　〃But　Jove　from　heaven　struck　Ajax　with　a　fear；
　　　　　　　　　　Ajax　the　bold　then　stood　astonished　there；
　　　　　　　　　　Flung　o'er　his　back　the　mighty　sevenfold　shield；
　　　　　　　　　　And　trembling　gazed　and　spied　about　the　field。〃

　　In　this　state　and　condition　he　went　into　his　own　tent　and　sat
down；　speechless　still；　until　some　of　the　enemy　fell　in　together
with　his　men　that　were　flying　into　the　camp；　and　then　he　let　fall　only
this　one　word；　〃What！　into　the　very　camp？〃　and　said　no　more；　but
rose　up；　and　putting　on　a　dress　suitable　to　his　present　fortune；
made　his　way　secretly　out。
　　By　this　time　the　rest　of　the　army　was　put　to　flight；　and　there　was　a
great　slaughter　in　the　camp　among　the　servants　and　those　that
guarded　the　tents；　but　of　the　soldiers　themselves　there　were　not　above
six　thousand　slain；　as　is　stated　by　Asinius　Pollio；　who　himself　fought
in　this　battle　on　Caesar's　side。　When　Caesar's　soldiers　had　taken
the　camp；　they　saw　clearly　the　folly　and　vanity　of　the　enemy；　for
all　their　tents　and　pavilions　were　richly　set　out　with　garlands　of
myrtle；　embroidered　carpets　and　hangings；　and　tables　laid　and
covered　with　goblets。　There　were　large　bowls　of　wine　ready；　and
everything　prepared　and　put　in　array；　in　the　manner　rather　of　people
who　had　offered　sacrifice　and　were　going　to　celebrate　a　holiday；
than　of　soldiers　who　had　armed　themselves　to　go　out　to　battle；　so
possessed　with　the　expectation　of　success　and　so　full　of　empty
confidence　had　they　gone　out　that　morning。
　　When　Pompey　had　got　a　little　way　from　the　camp；　he　dismounted　and
forsook　his　horse；　having　but　a　small　retinue　with　him；　and　finding
that　no　man　pursued　him；　walked　on　softly　afoot；　taken　up　altogether
with　thoughts；　such　as　probably　might　possess　a　man　that　for　the　space
of　thirty…four　years　together　had　been　accustomed　to　conquest　and
victory；　and　was　then　at　last；　in　his　old　age；　learning　for　the
first　time　what　defeat　and　flight　were。　And　it　was　no　small　affliction
to　consider　that　he　had　lost　in　one　hour　all　that　glory　and　power
which　he　had　been　getting　in　so　many　wars　and　bloody　battles；　and　that
he　who　but　a　little　before　was　guarded　with　such　an　army　of　foot；　so
many　squadrons　of　horse；　and　such　a　mighty　fleet；　was　now　flying　in　so
mean　a　condition；　and　with　such　a　slender　retinue；　that　his　very
enemies　who　fought　him　could　not　know　him。　Thus；　when　he　had　passed　by
the　city　of　Larissa；　and　came　into　the　pass　of　Tempe；　being　very
thirsty；　he　kneeled　down　and　drank　out　of　the　river；　then　rising　up
again；　he　passed　through　Tempe；　until　he　came　to　the　seaside；　and
there　he　betook　himself　to　a　poor　fisherman's　cottage；　where　he　rested
the　remainder　of　the　night。　The　next　morning　about　break　of　day　he
went　into　one　of　the　river　boats；　and　taking　none　of　those　that
followed　him　except　such　as　were　free；　dismissed　his　servants；
advising　them　to　go　boldly　to　Caesar　and　not　be　afraid。　As　he　was
rowing　up　and　down　near　the　shore；　he　chanced　to　spy　a　large
merchant　ship；　lying　off。　just　ready　to　set　sail；　the　master　of
which　was　a　Roman　citizen；　named　Peticius；　who；　though　he　was　not
familiarly　acquainted　with　Pompey；　yet　knew　him　well　by　sight。　Now
it　happened　that　this　Peticius　dreamed；　the　night　before；　that　he
saw　Pompey；　not　like　the　man　he　had　often　seen　him；　but　in　a　humble
and　dejected　condition；　and　in　that　posture　discoursing　with　him。　He
was　then　telling　his　dream　to　the　people　on　board；　as　men　do　when　at
leisure；　and　especially　dreams　of　that　consequence；　when　of　a　sudden
one　of　the　mariners　told　him　he　saw　a　river　boat　with　oars　putting　off
from　shore；　and　that　some　of　the　men　there　shook　their　garments；　and
held　out　their　hands；　with　signs　to　take　them　in；　thereupon
Peticius；　looking　attentively；　at　once　recognized　Pompey；　just　as　he
appeared　in　his　dream；　and　smiting　his　hand　on　his　head；　ordered　the
mariners　to　let　down　the　ship's　boat；　he　himself　waving　his　hand；
and　calling　to　him　by　his　name；　already　assured　of　his　change　and
the　change　of　his　fortune　by　that　of　his　garb。　So　that　without　waiting
for　any　further　entreaty　or　discourse　he　took　him　into　his　ship；
together　with　as　many　of　his　company　as　he　thought　fit；　and　hoisted
sail。　There　were　with　him　the　two　Lentuli　and　Favonius；　and　a　little
after　they　spied　King　Deiotarus；　making　up　towards　them　from　the
shore；　so　they　stayed　and　took　him　in　along　with　them。　At　supper　time；
the　master　of　the　ship　having　made　ready　such　provisions　as　he　had
aboard；　Pompey；　for　want　of　his　servants；　began　to　undo　his　shoes
himself；　which　Favonius　noticing；　ran　to　him　and　undid　them；　and
helped　him　to　anoint　himself；　and　always　after　continued　to　wait　upon；
and　attended　him　in　all　things；　as　servants　do　their　masters；　even
to　the　washing　of　his　feet　and　preparing　his　supper。　Insomuch　that　any
one　there　present；　observing　the　free　and　unaffected　courtesy　of　these
services；　might　have　well　exclaimed…

　　　　　　　　　〃O　heavens；　in　those　that　noble　are；
　　　　　　　　　　Whate'er　they　do　is　fit　and　fair。〃

　　Pompey；　sailing　by　the　city　of　Amphipolis；　crossed　over　from
thence　to　Mitylene；　with　a　design　to　take　in　Cornelia　and　his　son；　and
as　soon　as　he　arrived　at　the　port　in　that　island；　he　despatched　a
messenger　into　the　city　with　news　very　different　from　Cornelia's
expectation。　For　she；　by　all　the　former　messages　and　letters　sent　to
please　her；　had　been　put　in　hopes　that　the　war　was　ended　at
Dyrrhachium；　and　that　there　was　nothing　more　remaining　for　Pompey
but　the　pursuit　of　Caesar。　The　messenger；　finding　her　in　the　same
hopes　still；　was　not　able　to　salute　or　speak　to　her；　but　declaring　the
greatness　of　her　misfortune　by　his　tears　rather　than　his　words；
desired　her　to　make　haste　if　she　would　see　Pompey；　with　one　ship　only；
and　that　not　of　his　own。　The　young　lady　hearing　this；　fell　down　in　a
swoon；　and　c