histories-第30章

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parricide。　〃This　guilt；〃　he　said；　〃is　shared　by　all；　how　small　a



part　of　a　civil　war　is　a　single　soldier！〃　With　these　words　he　raised



the　body；　opened　a　grave；　and　discharged　the　last　duties　for　his



father。　This　was　noticed　by　those　who　were　on　the　spot；　then　by　many



others；　astonishment　and　indignation　ran　through　the　whole　army；　and



they　cursed　this　most　horrible　war。　Yet　as　eagerly　as　ever　they



stripped　the　bodies　of　slaughtered　kinsfolk；　connexions；　and　brothers。



They　talk　of　an　impious　act　having　been　done；　and　they　do　it



themselves。



　　When　they　reached　Cremona　a　fresh　work　of　vast　difficulty



presented　itself。　During　the　war　with　Otho　the　legions　of　Germany



had　formed　their　camp　round　the　walls　of　the　city；　round　this　camp　had



drawn　an　entrenchment；　and　had　again　strengthened　these　defences。　At



this　sight　the　victorious　army　hesitated；　while　the　generals　doubted



what　orders　they　should　give。　To　attempt　an　assault　with　troops



exhausted　by　the　toil　of　a　day　and　a　night　would　be　difficult；　and



with　no　proper　reserves　might　be　perilous。　Should　they　return　to



Bedriacum；　the　fatigue　of　so　long　a　march　would　be　insupportable；



and　their　victory　would　result　in　nothing。　To　entrench　a　camp　with　the



enemy　so　close　at　hand　would　be　dangerous；　as　by　a　sudden　sortie



they　might　cause　confusion　among　them　while　dispersed　and　busied



with　the　work。　Above　all；　they　were　afraid　of　their　soldiers；　who　were



more　patient　of　danger　than　delay。　Cautious　measures　they　disliked；



their　rashness　inspired　them　with　hope；　and　eagerness　for　plunder



outweighed　all　the　horrors　of　carnage；　wounds；　and　bloodshed。



　　Antonius　himself　was　this　way　inclined；　and　he　ordered　the



entrenched　camp　to　be　invested。　At　first　they　fought　from　a　distance



with　arrows　and　stones；　the　Flavianists　suffering　most；　as　the　enemy's



missiles　were　aimed　at　them　from　a　superior　height。　Antonius　then



assigned　to　each　legion　the　attack　on　some　portion　of　the



entrenchments；　and　on　one　particular　gate；　seeking　by　this　division　of



labour　to　distinguish　the　cowardly　from　the　brave；　and　to　stimulate



his　men　by　an　honourable　rivalry。　The　3rd　and　7th　legions　took　up　a



position　close　to　the　road　from　Bedriacum；　more　to　the　right　of　the



entrenchments　were　stationed　the　8th　and　the　7th　（Claudius'）。　The　13th



were　carried　by　the　impetuosity　of　their　attack　as　far　as　the　gate



looking　towards　Brixia。　There　ensued　a　little　delay；　while　from　the



neighbouring　fields　some　were　collecting　spades　and　pickaxes；　others



hooks　and　ladders。　Then　raising　their　shields　over　their　heads；　they



advanced　to　the　rampart　in　a　dense　〃testudo。〃　Both　used　the　arts　of



Roman　warfare；　the　Vitellianists　rolled　down　ponderous　stones；　and



drove　spears　and　long　poles　into　the　broken　and　tottering　〃testudo；〃



till　the　dense　array　of　shields　was　loosened；　and　the　ground　was



strewn　with　a　vast　number　of　lifeless　and　mangled　bodies。



　　28。　Some　hesitation　had　shewn　itself；　when　the　generals；　seeing　that



the　weary　troops　would　not　listen　to　what　seemed　to　them　unmeaning



encouragement；　pointed　to　Cremona。　Whether　this　was；　as　Messalla



relates；　the　device　of　Hormus；　or　whether　Caius　Plinius　be　the



better　authority　when　he　charges　it　upon　Antonius；　I　cannot　easily



determine。　All　I　can　say　is　this；　that　neither　in　Antonius　nor　in



Hormus　would　this　foulest　of　crimes　have　been　a　degeneracy　from　the



character　of　their　former　lives。　Wounds　or　bloodshed　no　longer　kept



the　men　back　from　undermining　the　rampart　and　battering　the　gates。



Supported　on　the　shoulders　of　comrades；　and　forming　a　second



〃testudo；〃　they　clambered　up　and　seized　the　weapons　and　even　the　hands



of　the　enemy。　The　unhurt　and　the　wounded；　the　half…dead　and　the　dying；



were　mingled　together　with　every　incident　of　slaughter　and　death　in



every　form。



　　The　fiercest　struggle　was　maintained　by　the　3rd　and　7th　legions；　and



Antonius　in　person　with　some　chosen　auxiliaries　concentrated　his



efforts　on　the　same　point。　The　Vitellianists；　unable　to　resist　the



combined　and　resolute　attack；　and　finding　that　their　missiles　glided



off　the　〃testudo；〃　at　last　threw　the　engine　itself　on　the



assailants；　for　a　moment　it　broke　and　overwhelmed　those　on　whom　it



fell；　but　it　drew　after　it　in　its　fall　the　battlements　and　upper



part　of　the　rampart。　At　the　same　time　an　adjoining　tower　yielded　to



the　volleys　of　stones；　and；　while　the　7th　legion　in　wedge…like　array



was　endeavouring　to　force　an　entrance；　the　3rd　broke　down　the　gate



with　axes　and　swords。　All　authors　are　agreed　that　Caius　Volusius；　a



soldier　of　the　3rd　legion；　entered　first。　Beating　down　all　who　opposed



him；　he　mounted　the　rampart；　waved　his　hand；　and　shouted　aloud　that



the　camp　was　taken。　The　rest　of　the　legion　burst　in；　while　the



troops　of　Vitellius　were　seized　with　panic；　and　threw　themselves



from　the　rampart。　The　entire　space　between　the　camp　and　the　walls　of



Cremona　was　filled　with　slain。



　　Difficulties　of　another　kind　presented　themselves　in　the　lofty　walls



of　the　town；　its　stone　towers；　its　iron…barred　gates；　in　the



garrison　who　stood　brandishing　their　weapons；　in　its　numerous



population　devoted　to　the　interests　of　Vitellius；　and　in　the　vast



conflux　from　all　parts　of　Italy　which　had　assembled　at　the　fair



regularly　held　at　that　time。　The　besieged　found　a　source　of　strength



in　these　large　numbers；　the　assailants　an　incentive　in　the　prospect　of



booty。　Antonius　gave　orders　that　fire　should　instantly　be　set　to　the



finest　buildings　without　the　city；　to　see　whether　the　inhabitants　of



Cremona　might　not　be　induced　by　the　loss　of　their　property　to　transfer



their　allegiance。　Some　houses　near　the　walls；　which　overtopped　the



fortifications；　he　filled　with　the　bravest　of　his　soldiers；　who；　by



hurling　beams；　tiles；　and　flaming　missiles；　dislodged　the　defenders



from　the　ramparts。



　　The　legions　now　began　to　form　themselves　into　a　〃testudo；〃　and　the



other　troops　to　discharge　volleys　of　stones　and　darts；　when　the



courage　of　the　Vitellianists　began　to　flag。　The　higher　their　rank；　the



more　readily　they　succumbed　to　fortune；　fearing　that　when　Cremona



had　fallen　quarter　could　no　longer　be　expected；　and　that　all　the



fury　of　the　conqueror　would　be　turned；　not　on　the　penniless　crowd；　but



on　the　tribunes　and　centurions；　by　whose　slaughter　something　was　to　be



gained。　The　common　soldiers；　careless　of　the　future　and　safer　in　their



obscurity；　still　held　out。　Roaming　through　the　streets　or　concealed　in



the　houses；　they　would　not　sue　for　peace　even　when　they　had



abandoned　the　contest。　The　principal　officers　of　the　camp　removed



the　name　and　images　of　Vitellius；　Caecina；　who　was　still　in



confinement；　they　released　from　his　chains；　imploring　him　to　plead



their　cause。　When　he　haughtily　rejected　their　suit；　they　entreated　him



with　tears；　and　it　was　indeed　the　last　aggravation　of　misery；　that



many　valiant　men　should　invoke　the　aid　of　a　traitor。　Then　they



displayed　from　the　walls　the　olive　branches　and　chaplets　of



suppliants；　and　when　Antonius　had　ordered　that　the　discharge　of



missiles　should　cease；　they　brought　out　the　eagles　and　standards。　Then



followed；　with　eyes　bent　on　the　ground；　a　dismal　array　of　unarmed　men。



The　conquerors　had　gathered　round；　at　first　they　heaped　reproaches



on　them　and　pointed　at　them　their　weapons；　then　seeing　how　they



offered　their　cheeks　to　insulting　blows；　how；　with　all　their　high



spirit　departed；　they　submitted；　as　vanquished　men；　to　every



indignity；　it　suddenly　occurred　to　their　recollection；　that　these　were



the　very　soldiers　who　but　shortly　before　had　used　with　moderation



their　victory　at　Bedriacum。　Yet；　when　Caecina　the　consul；



conspicuous　in　his　robes　of　state　and　with　his　train　of　lictors；



came　forward　thrusting　aside　the　crowd；　the　victors　were　fired　with



indignation；　and　reproached　him　with　his　tyranny；　his　cruelty；　and；　so



hateful　are　such　crimes；　even　with　his　treason。　Antonius　checked　them；



gave　him　an　escort；　and　sent　him　to　Vespasian。



　　Meanwhile　the　population　of　Cremona　was　roughly　handled　by　the



soldiers；　who　were　just　beginning　a　massacre；　when　their　fury　was



mitigated　by　the　entreaties　of　the　generals。　Antonius　summoned　them　to



an　assembly；　extolled　the　conquerors；　spoke　kindly　to　the　conquered；



but　said　nothing　either　way　of　Cremona。　Over　and　above　the　innate　love



of　plunder；　there　was　an　old　feud　which　made　the　army　bent　on　the



destruction　of　the　inhabitants。　It　was　generally　believed　that　in



the　war　with　Otho；　as　well　as　in　the　present；　they　had　supported　the



cause　of　Vitellius。　Afterwards；　when　the　13th　legion　had　been　left



to　build　an　amphitheatre；　with　the　characteristic　insolence　of　a



city　population；　they　had　wantonly　provoked　and　insulted　them。　The



ill…feeling　had　been　aggravated　by　the　gladiatorial　show　exhibited



there　by　Caecina；　by　the　circumstance　that　their　city　was　now　for



the　second　time　the　seat　of　war；　and　by　the　fact　that　they　had



supplied　the　Vitellianists　with　provisions　in　the　field；　and　that　some



of　their　women；　taken　by　party…zeal　into　the　battle；　had　there　been



slain。　The　occurrence　of　the　fair　filled　the　colony；　rich　as　it　always



was；　with　an　appearance　of　still　greater　wealth。　The　other　generals



were　unnoticed；　Antonius　from　his　success　and　high　reputation　was



observed　of　all。　He　had　hastened　to　the　baths　to　wash　off　the　blood；



and　when　he　found　fault　with　the　temperature　of　the　water；　an　answer



was　heard；　〃that　it　would　soon　be　warm　enough。　Thus　the　words　of　a



slave　brought　on　him　the　whole　odium　of　having　given　the　signal　for



firing　the　town；　which　was　indeed　already　in　flames。



　　Forty　thousand　armed　men　burst　into　Cremona；　and　with　them　a　body　of



sutlers　and　camp…followers；　yet　more　numerous　and　yet　more　abandoned



to　lust　and　cruelty。　Neither　age　nor　rank　were　any　protection　from



indiscriminate　slaughter　and　violation。　Aged　men　and　women　past



their　prime；　worthless　as　booty；　were　dragged　about　in　wanton



insult。　Did　a　grown　up　maiden　or　youth　of　marked　beauty　fall　in



their　way；　they　were　torn　in　pieces　by　the　violent　hands　of　ravishers；



and　in　the　end　the　destroyers　themselves　were　provoked　into　mutual



slaughter。　Men；　as　they　carried　off　for　themselves　coin　or



temple…offerings　of　massive　gold；　were　cut　down　by　others　of



superior　strength。　Some；　scorning　what　met　the　eye；　searched　for



hidden　wealth；　and　dug　up　buried　treasures；　applying　the　scourge　and



the　torture　to　the　owners。　In　their　hands　were　flaming　torches；　which；



as　soon　as　they　had　carried　out　the　spoil；　they　wantonly　hurled　into



the　gutted　houses　and　plundered　temples。　In　an　army　which　included



such　varieties　of　language　and　character；　an　army　comprising　Roman



citizens；