histories-第50章

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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



generally　censured　for　allowing　them　to　unite；　when　he　might　have



destroyed　them　in　detail。　The　Roman　army　surrounded　their　camp　with



a　fosse　and　rampart；　for　up　to　that　time　they　had　been　rash　enough



to　occupy　it　without　any　defence。　Among　the　Germans　there　was　a



conflict　of　opinions。



　　Civilis　said：　〃We　must　await　the　arrival　of　the　Transrhenane　tribes；



the　terror　of　whose　name　will　break　down　the　shattered　strength　of



Rome。　As　for　the　Gauls；　what　are　they　but　the　prey　of　the　conqueror？



And　yet　the　chief　strength　of　the　nation；　the　Belgae；　are　with　us；



either　openly；　or　in　heart。〃　Tutor　maintained　that　the　power　of　Rome



would　only　increase　with　delay；　as　her　armies　were　assembling　from　all



quarters。　〃One　legion；〃　he　said；　〃has　already　been　brought　over　from



Britain；　others　have　been　summoned　from　Spain；　or　are　advancing　from



Italy。　Nor　are　these　troops　newly　raised　levies；　but　they　are



veteran　soldiers；　experienced　in　war。　But　the　Germans；　whom　we　are



expecting；　do　not　obey　orders；　and　cannot　be　controlled；　but　always



act　according　to　their　own　caprice。　The　money　too　and　other　presents



by　which　alone　they　can　be　bribed　are　more　plentiful　among　the　Romans；



and　no　one　can　be　so　bent　on　fighting　as　not　to　prefer　repose　to



peril；　when　the　profit　is　the　same。　But　if　we　at　once　meet　the　foe；



Cerialis　has　no　legions　but　those　that　survive　from　the　wreck　of　the



German　army；　and　these　are　bound　by　treaties　to　the　States　of　Gaul。



And　the　very　fact　of　their　having；　contrary　to　their　expectations；



lately　routed　the　undisciplined　force　of　Valentinus　will　confirm　in



their　rashness　both　them　and　their　general。　They　will　venture　again；



and　will　find　themselves　in　the　hands；　not　of　an　ignorant　stripling；



whose　thoughts　were　of　speeches　and　harangues　rather　than　of　battle



and　the　sword；　but　in　those　of　Civilis　and　Classicus；　whom　when　they



once　behold　they　will　be　reminded　of　panic；　of　flight；　of　famine；



and　of　the　many　times　when　as　captives　they　had　to　beg　for　life。　Nor



are　the　Treveri　and　Lingones　bound　by　any　ties　of　affection；　once



let　their　fear　cease；　and　they　will　resume　their　arms。〃　Classicus



put　an　end　to　these　differences　of　opinion　by　giving　his　approval　to



the　suggestions　of　Tutor；　which　were　at　once　acted　on。



　　The　centre　was　the　post　assigned　to　the　Ubii　and　Lingones。　On　the



right　were　the　Batavian　cohorts；　on　the　left　the　Bructeri　and　the



Tencteri。　One　division　marching　over　the　hills；　another　passing



between　the　highroad　and　the　river　Mosella；　made　the　attack　with



such　suddenness；　that　Cerialis；　who　had　not　slept　in　the　camp；　was



in　his　chamber　and　even　in　his　bed；　when　he　heard　at　the　same　moment



that　the　battle　had　begun；　and　that　his　men　were　being　worsted。　He



rebuked　the　alarm　of　the　messengers；　till　the　whole　extent　of　the



disaster　became　visible；　and　he　saw　that　the　camp　of　the　legions　had



been　forced；　that　the　cavalry　were　routed；　that　the　bridge　over　the



Mosella；　which　connected　the　farther　bank　of　the　river　with　the



Colony；　was　held　by　the　Germans。　Undismayed　by　the　confusion；　Cerialis



held　back　the　fugitives　with　his　own　hand；　and　readily　exposing



himself；　with　his　person　entirely　unprotected；　to　the　missiles　of



the　enemy；　he　succeeded　by　a　daring　and　successful　effort；　with　the



prompt　aid　of　his　bravest　soldiers；　in　recovering　the　bridge　and



holding　it　with　a　picked　force。　Then　returning　to　the　camp；　he　saw　the



broken　companies　of　the　legions；　which　had　been　captured　at　Bonna



and　Novesium；　with　but　few　soldiers　round　the　standards；　and　the



eagles　all　but　surrounded　by　the　foe。　Fired　with　indignation；　he



exclaimed；　〃It　is　not　Flaccus　or　Vocula；　whom　you　are　thus　abandoning。



There　is　no　treachery　here；　I　have　nothing　to　excuse　but　that　I　rashly



believed　that　you；　forgetting　your　alliance　with　Gaul；　had　again



recollected　your　allegiance　to　Rome。　I　shall　be　added　to　the　number　of



the　Numisii　and　Herennii；　so　that　all　your　commanders　will　have　fallen



by　the　hands　of　their　soldiers　or　of　the　enemy。　Go；　tell　Vespasian；



or；　since　they　are　nearer；　Civilis　and　Classicus；　that　you　have



deserted　your　general　on　the　battlefield。　Legions　will　come　who　will



not　leave　me　unavenged　or　you　unpunished。〃



　　All　this　was　true；　and　the　tribunes　and　prefects　heaped　on　their　men



the　same　reproaches。　The　troops　formed　themselves　in　cohorts　and



companies；　for　they　could　not　deploy　into　line；　as　the　enemy　were



scattered　everywhere；　while　from　the　fact　that　the　battle　was　raging



within　the　entrenchments；　they　were　themselves　hampered　with　their



tents　and　baggage。　Tutor；　Classicus；　and　Civilis；　each　at　his　post；



animated　the　combatants；　the　Gauls　they　urged　to　fight　for　freedom；



the　Batavi　for　glory；　the　Germans　for　plunder。　Everything　seemed　in



favour　of　the　enemy；　till　the　21st　legion；　having　more　room　than　the



others；　formed　itself　into　a　compact　body；　withstood；　and　soon　drove



back　the　assailants。　Nor　was　it　without　an　interposition　of　heaven；



that　by　a　sudden　change　of　temper　the　conquerors　turned　their　backs



and　fled。　Their　own　account　was；　that　they　were　alarmed　by　the　sight



of　the　cohorts；　which；　after　being　broken　at　the　first　onset；



rallied　on　the　top　of　the　hills；　and　presented　the　appearance　of



reinforcements。　What　checked　them　in　their　course　of　victory　was　a



mischievous　struggle　among　themselves　to　secure　plunder　while　they



forgot　the　enemy。　Cerialis；　having　thus　all　but　ruined　everything　by



his　carelessness；　restored　the　day　by　his　resolution；　following　up　his



success；　he　took　and　destroyed　the　enemy's　camp　on　the　same　day。



　　No　long　time　was　allowed　to　the　soldiers　for　repose。　The



Agrippinenses　were　begging　for　help；　and　were　offering　to　give　up



the　wife　and　sister　of　Civilis　and　the　daughter　of　Classicu