histories-第57章

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woods　and　sacred　groves；　under　the　various　forms　which　each　tribe　is



used　to　follow　into　battle；　and　these　mingled　emblems　of　civil　and



of　foreign　warfare　utterly　confounded　the　besieged。　The　extent　of



the　entrenchment　raised　the　hopes　of　the　besiegers。　Constructed　for



two　legions；　it　was　now　held　by　not　more　than　five　thousand　Roman



soldiers。　But　there　was　with　them　a　great　number　of　camp…followers；



who　had　assembled　there　on　the　disturbance　of　peace；　and　who　could



be　employed　in　the　contest。



　　Part　of　the　camp　occupied　the　gentle　slope　of　a　hill；　to　part　was



a　level　approach。　By　this　encampment　Augustus　had　thought　the　German



tribes　might　be　watched　and　checked；　never　had　he　contemplated　such



a　pitch　of　disaster；　as　that　these　tribes　should　themselves　advance　to



attack　our　legions。　Hence　no　labour　was　bestowed　on　the　ground　or　on



the　defences。　Our　valour　and　our　arms　seemed　defence　enough。　The



Batavians　and　the　Transrhenane　tribes　took　up　their　position；　each



tribe　by　itself；　to　distinguish　and　so　the　better　to　display　the



valour　of　each；　first　annoying　us　by　a　distant　volley；　then；　as　they



found　that　very　many　of　their　missiles　fixed　themselves　harmlessly



in　the　turrets　and　battlements　of　the　walls；　and　they　themselves



suffered　from　the　stones　showered　down　on　them；　they　fell　on　the



entrenchment　with　a　shout　and　furious　rush；　many　placing　their



scaling…ladders　against　the　ramparts；　and　others　mounting　on　a　testudo



formed　by　their　comrades。　Some　were　in　the　act　of　climbing　over　when



they　were　thrust　down　by　the　swords　of　the　enemy；　and　fell　overwhelmed



by　a　storm　of　javelins　and　stakes。　Always　very　daring　at　first　and



excessively　elated　by　success；　they　now　in　their　eagerness　for　plunder



bore　up　against　reverse。　They　also　ventured　to　use　what　to　them　was



a　novelty；　engines　of　war；　they　had　themselves　no　skill　in　handling



them；　but　the　prisoners　and　deserters　taught　them　to　pile　up　timber　in



the　shape　of　a　bridge；　under　which　they　put　wheels；　and　so　propelled



it；　some　standing　on　the　top；　and　fighting　as　they　would　from　an



earth…work；　others　concealing　themselves　within　and　undermining　the



walls。　But　the　stones　thrown　by　the　catapults　prostrated　the



ill…constructed　fabric；　and　when　they　set　themselves　to　prepare



hurdles　and　mantlets；　burning　spears　were　thrown　on　them　by　the



engines；　fire　being　thus　actually　used　against　the　assailants。　At



last；　despairing　of　success　by　force；　they　changed　their　plans；　and



resolved　to　wait；　for　they　were　well　aware　that　only　a　few　days'



provisions　were　in　the　camp；　and　that　there　was　a　great　crowd　on



non…combatants；　and　they　counted　at　the　same　time　on　the　treachery



that　might　follow　on　scarcity；　on　the　wavering　fidelity　of　the　slaves；



and　on　the　chances　of　war。



　　Meanwhile　Flaccus；　who　had　heard　of　the　siege　of　the　camp；　and　had



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