histories-第42章

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sent　into　all　parts　of　Gaul　to　collect　auxiliaries；　put　under



command　of　Dillius　Vocula；　legate　of　the　18th　legion；　some　troops



picked　from　the　legions　with　orders　to　hasten　by　forced　marches



along　the　banks　of　the　Rhine。　Flaccus　himself；　who　was　weak　in



health　and　disliked　by　his　troops；　travelled　with　the　fleet。　The



troops　indeed　complained　in　unmistakable　language　that　their　general



had　despatched　the　Batavian　cohorts　from　Mogontiacum；　had　feigned



ignorance　of　the　plans　of　Civilis；　and　was　inviting　the　German



tribes　to　join　the　league。　〃This；〃　they　said；　〃has　strengthened



Vespasian　no　less　than　the　exertions　of　Primus　Antonius　and



Mucianus。　Declared　enmity　and　hostility　may　be　openly　repulsed；　but



treachery　and　fraud　work　in　darkness；　and　so　cannot　be　avoided。



Civilis　stands　in　arms　against　us；　and　arranges　the　order　of　his



battle；　Hordeonius　from　his　chamber　or　his　litter　gives　such　orders　as



may　best　serve　the　enemy。　The　swords　of　thousands　of　brave　men　are



directed　by　one　old　man's　sick　caprice。　How　much　better　by　slaying　the



traitor；　to　set　free　our　valour　and　our　fortune　from　these　evil



auspices！〃　The　passions　already　kindled　by　the　language　which　they



thus　held　among　themselves　were　yet　more　inflamed　by　a　despatch　from



Vespasian；　which　Flaccus；　finding　that　it　could　not　be　concealed；　read



before　an　assembly　of　the　troops；　sending　the　persons　who　had



brought　it　in　chains　to　Vitellius。



　　With　feelings　somewhat　appeased；　they　arrived　at　Bonna；　the



winter…camp　of　the　first　legion。　The　troops　there　were　even　more



enraged　against　Hordeonius；　and　laid　on　him　the　blame　of　the　late



disaster。　They　said　that　it　was　by　his　orders　that　they　had　offered



battle　to　the　Batavians；　supposing　that　the　legions　from　Mogontiacum



were　following　them；　that　it　was　through　his　treachery　that　they　had



been　slaughtered；　no　reinforcements　coming　up；　that　all　these　events



were　unknown　to　the　other　legions；　and　were　not　told　to　their　Emperor；



though　the　sudden　outburst　of　treason　might　have　been　crushed　by　the



prompt　action　of　so　many　provinces。　Hordeonius　read　to　the　army　copies



of　all　the　letters　which　he　had　sent　about　Gaul；　begging　for



reinforcements；　and　established　as　a　precedent　a　most　disgraceful



practice；　namely；　the　handing　over　the　despatches　to　the



standard…bearers　of　the　legions；　through　whose　means　they　were　read　by



the　soldiers　sooner　than　by　the　generals。　He　then　ordered　one　of　the



mutineers　to　be　put　in　irons；　more　for　the　sake　of　asserting　his



authority　than　because　any　one　man　was　in　fault。　The　army　was　then



moved　from　Bonna　to　the　Colonia　Agrippinensis；　while　auxiliaries



from　Gaul　continued　to　flow　in；　for　at　first　that　nation　zealously



supported　the　cause　of　Rome。　Soon　indeed　as　the　Germans　increased　in



power；　many　of　the　states　took　up　arms　against　us；　moved　by　the　hope



of　freedom　and；　could　they　once　shake　off　the　yoke；　even　by　the　lust



of　empire。　The　irritation　of　the　legions　still　increased；　nor　had



the　imprisonment　of　a　single　soldier　struck　them　with　terror。　This



fellow　indeed　actually　charged　the　general　with　complicity；　he　had；　he



said；　acted　as　a　messenger　between　Civilis　and　Flaccus；　and　because　he



might　tell　the　truth　he　was　now　being　crushed　under　a　false　charge。



With　wonderful　firmness　Vocula　ascended　the　tribunal；　and　ordered



the　man；　who　had　been　seized　by　the　lictors；　and　was　loudly



remonstrating；　to　be　led　off　to　execution。　All　the　best　men　acquiesced



in　the　order；　while　the　ill…affected　were　struck　with　terror。　Then；　as



all　with　common　consent　demanded　that　Vocula　should　be　their



general；　Hordeonius　handed　over　to　him　the　supreme　command。



　　But　there　were　many　things　to　exasperate　the　already　divided



feelings　of　the　soldiery。　Pay　and　provisions　were　scanty；　Gaul　was



rebelling　against　conscription　and　taxes；　while　the　Rhine；　owing　to



a　drought　unexampled　in　that　climate；　would　hardly　admit　of



navigation；　and　thus　supplies　were　straitened　at　the　same　time　that



outposts　had　to　be　established　along　the　entire　bank　to　keep　the



Germans　from　fording　the　stream；　the　self…same　cause　thus　bringing



about　a　smaller　supply　of　grain　and　a　greater　number　of　consumers。



Among　ignorant　persons　the　very　failure　of　the　stream　was　regarded



as　a　prodigy；　as　if　the　very　rivers；　the　old　defences　of　the　Empire；



were　deserting　us。　What；　in　peace；　would　have　seemed　chance　or　nature；



was　now　spoken　of　as　destiny　and　the　anger　of　heaven。　As　the　army



entered　Novesium　the　sixteenth　legion　joined　it；　Herennius　Gallus；　its



legate；　was　associated　with　Vocula　in　the　responsibilities　of　command。



As　they　did　not　venture　to　advance　upon　the　enemy；　they　constructed



a　camp　at　a　place　called　Gelduba。　Here　the　generals　sought　to　give



steadiness　to　the　troops　by　such　exercises　as　forming　in　order　of



battle；　constructing　fortifications；　making　entrenchments；　and



whatever　else　might　train　them　for　war。　In　the　hope　that　they　might　be



fired　to　courage　by　the　delights　of　plunder；　Vocula　led　the　army



against　the　nearest　villages　of　the　Gugerni；　who　had　accepted　the



alliance　of　Civilis。　Some　of　the　troops　remained　permanently　with



Herennius　Gallus。



　　One　day　it　happened　that　at　no　great　distance　from　the　camp　the



Germans　were　endeavouring　to　drag　off　to　their　own　bank　a　vessel　laden



with　corn；　which　had　run　aground　in　the　shallows。　Gallus　could　not



endure　this；　and　sent　a　cohort　to　help。　The　numbers　of　the　Germans



also　increased；　as　fresh　troops　continued　to　join　both　sides；　a



regular　battle　ensued。　The　Germans；　besides　inflicting　great　loss　on



our　men；　carried　off　the　vessel。　The　vanquished　troops；　following　what



had　become　a　regular　practice；　laid　the　blame　not　on　their　own



cowardice；　but　on　supposed　treachery　in　the　legate。　Dragged　out　of　his



tent；　his　garments　torn；　and　his　person　severely　beaten；　he　was



commanded　to　declare　for　what　bribe　and　with　what　accomplices　he　had



betrayed　the　army。　Their　old　hatred　of　Hordeonius　reappeared。　He；　they



declared；　was　the　instigator　of　the　crime；　Gallus　his　tool。　At　last；



utterly　terrified　by　their　threats　of　instant　death；　the　legate



himself　charged　Hordeonius　with　treachery。　He　was　then　put　in　irons；



and　only　released　on　the　arrival　of　Vocula；　who　the　next　day　inflicted



capital　punishment　on　the　ringleaders　of　the　mutiny；　such　wide



extremes　of　license　and　of　subordination　were　to　be　found　in　that



army。　The　common　soldiers　were　undoubtedly　loyal　to　Vitellius；　but　all



the　most　distinguished　men　were　in　favour　of　Vespasian。　The　result　was



an　alternation　of　outbreaks　and　executions；　and　a　strange　mixture　of



obedience　and　frenzy；　which　made　it　impossible　to　restrain　the　men



whom　it　was　yet　possible　to　punish。



　　Meanwhile　all　Germany　was　raising　the　power　of　Civilis　by　vast



additions　of　strength；　and　the　alliance　was　secured　by　hostages　of　the



noblest　rank。　He　directed　that　the　territories　of　the　Ubii　and　the



Treveri　should　be　ravaged　by　the　several　tribes　on　which　they



bordered；　and　that　another　detachment　should　cross　the　river　Mosa；



to　threaten　the　Menapii　and　the　Morini　and　the　frontiers　of　Gaul。　In



both　quarters　plunder　was　collected；　with　peculiar　hostility　in　the



case　of　the　Ubii；　because；　this　nation；　being　of　German　origin；　had



forsworn　its　native　country；　and　assumed　the　Roman　name　of　the



Agrippinenses。　Their　cohorts　were　cut　up　at　the　village　of　Marcodurum；



where　they　lay　in　careless　security；　presuming　on　their　distance



from　the　river…bank。　The　Ubii　did　not　remain　quiet；　but　made　predatory



excursions　into　Germany；　escaping　at　first　with　impunity；　though



they　were　afterwards　cut　off。　Throughout　the　whole　of　this　war；　they



were　more　loyal　than　fortunate。　Civilis；　grown　more　formidable　now



that　the　Ubii　had　been　crushed；　and　elated　by　the　success　of　his



operations；　pressed　on　the　siege　of　the　legions；　keeping　a　strict



watch　to　prevent　any　secret　intelligence　of　advancing　succours　from



reaching　them。　He　entrusted　to　the　Batavians　the　care　of　the



machines　and　the　vast　siege…works；　and　when　the　Transrhenane　tribes



clamoured　for　battle；　he　bade　them　go　and　cut　through　the　ramparts；



and；　if　repulsed；　renew　the　struggle；　their　numbers　were　superfluously



large；　and　their　loss　was　not　felt。　Even　darkness　did　not　terminate



the　struggle。



　　Piling　up　logs　of　wood　round　the　walls　and　lighting　them；　they　sat



feasting；　and　rushed　to　the　conflict；　as　each　grew　heated　with　wine；



with　a　useless　daring。　Their　missiles　were　discharged　without　effect



in　the　darkness；　but　to　the　Romans　the　ranks　of　the　barbarians　were



plainly　discernible；　and　they　singled　out　with　deliberate　aim　anyone



whose　boldness　or　whose　decorations　made　him　conspicuous。　Civilis



saw　this；　and；　extinguishing　the　fires；　threw　the　confusion　of



darkness　over　the　attack。　Then　ensued　a　scene　of　discordant　clamour；



of　accident；　and　uncertainty；　where　no　one　could　see　how　to　aim　or



to　avoid　a　blow。　Wherever　a　shout　was　heard；　they　wheeled　round　and



strained　hand　and　foot。　Valour　was　of　no　avail；　accident　disturbed



every　plan；　and　the　bravest　frequently　were　struck　down　by　the



missiles　of　the　coward。　The　Germans　fought　with　inconsiderate　fury；



our　men；　more　alive　to　the　danger；　threw；　but　not　at　random；　stakes



shod　with　iron　and　heavy　stones。　Where　the　noise　of　the　assailants　was



heard；　or　where　the　ladders　placed　against　the　walls　brought　the　enemy



within　reach　of　their　hands；　they　pushed　them　back　with　their　shields；



and　followed　them　with　their　javelins。　Many；　who　had　struggled　on　to



the　walls；　they　stabbed　with　their　short　swords。　After　a　night　thus



spent；　day　revealed　a　new　method　of　attack。



　　The　Batavians　had　raised　a　tower　two　stories　high；　which　they



brought　up　to　the　Praetorian　gate　of　the　camp；　where　the　ground　was



most　level。　But　our　men；　pushing　forward　strong　poles；　and　battering



it　with　beams；　broke　it　down；　causing　great　destruction　among　the



combatants　on　the　top。　The　enemy　were　attacked　in　their　confusion　by　a



sudden　and　successful　sally。　All　this　time　many　engines　were



constructed　by　the　legionaries；　who　were　superior　to　the　enemy　in



experience　and　skill。　Peculiar　consternation　was　caused　by　a



machine；　which；　being　poised　in　the　air　over　the　heads　of　the　enemy；



suddenly　descended；　and　carried　up　one　or　more　of　them　past　the



faces　of　their　friends；　and　then；　by　a　shifting　of　the　weights；



projected　them　within　the　limits　of　the　camp。　Civilis；　giving　up　all



hope　of　a　successful　assault；　again　sat　down　to　blockade　the　camp　at



his　leisure；　and　undermined　the　fidelity　of　the　legions　by　the



promises　of　his　emissaries。



　　All　these　events　in　Germany　took　place　before　the　battle　of　Cremona；