histories-第66章

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of　their　march；　and　encamped　under　the　walls　of　the　colony　of　the



Treveri。



　　Elated　with　their　success；　Civilis　and　Classicus　doubted　whether



they　should　not　give　up　the　Colonia　Agrippinensis　to　be　plundered　by



their　troops。　Their　natural　ferocity　and　lust　for　spoil　prompted



them　to　destroy　the　city；　but　the　necessities　of　war；　and　the



advantage　of　a　character　for　clemency　to　men　founding　a　new　empire；



forbade　them　to　do　so。　Civilis　was　also　influenced　by　recollections　of



kindness　received；　for　his　son；　who　at　the　beginning　of　the　war　had



been　arrested　in　the　Colony；　had　been　kept　in　honourable　custody。



But　the　tribes　beyond　the　Rhine　disliked　the　place　for　its　wealth



and　increasing　power；　and　held　that　the　only　possible　way　of　putting



an　end　to　war　would　be；　either　to　make　it　an　open　city　for　all



Germans；　or　to　destroy　it　and　so　disperse　the　Ubii。



　　Upon　this　the　Tencteri；　a　tribe　separated　by　the　Rhine　from　the



Colony；　sent　envoys　with　orders　to　make　known　their　instructions　to



the　Senate　of　the　Agrippinenses。　These　orders　the　boldest　spirit　among



the　ambassadors　thus　expounded：　〃For　your　return　into　the　unity　of　the



German　nation　and　name　we　give　thanks　to　the　Gods　whom　we　worship　in



common　and　to　Mars；　the　chief　of　our　divinities；　and　we　congratulate



you　that　at　length　you　will　live　as　free　men　among　the　free。　Up　to



this　day　have　the　Romans　closed　river　and　land　and；　in　a　way；　the　very



air；　that　they　may　bar　our　converse　and　prevent　our　meetings；　or；　what



is　a　still　worse　insult　to　men　born　to　arms；　may　force　us　to



assemble　unarmed　and　all　but　stripped；　watched　by　sentinels；　and　taxed



for　the　privilege。　But　that　our　friendship　and　union　may　be



established　for　ever；　we　require　of　you　to　strip　your　city　of　its



walls；　which　are　the　bulwarks　of　slavery。　Even　savage　animals；　if



you　keep　them　in　confinement；　forget　their　natural　courage。　We　require



of　you　to　massacre　all　Romans　within　your　territory；　liberty　and　a



dominant　race　cannot　well　exist　together。　Let　the　property　of　the



slain　come　into　a　common　stock；　so　that　no　one　may　be　able　to



secrete　anything；　or　to　detach　his　own　interest　from　ours。　Let　it　be



lawful　for　us　and　for　you　to　inhabit　both　banks　of　the　Rhine；　as　it



was　of　old　for　our　ancestors。　As　nature　has　given　light　and　air　to　all



men；　so　has　she　thrown　open　every　land　to　the　brave。　Resume　the



manners　and　customs　of　your　country；　renouncing　the　pleasures；　through



which；　rather　than　through　their　arms；　the　Romans　secure　their　power



against　subject　nations。　A　pure　and　untainted　race；　forgetting　your



past　bondage；　you　will　be　the　equals　of　all；　or　will　even　rule　over



others。〃



　　The　inhabitants　of　the　Colony　took　time　for　deliberation；　and；　as



dread　of　the　future　would　not　allow　them　to　accept　the　offered



terms；　while　their　actual　condition　forbade　an　open　and　contemptuous



rejection；　they　replied　to　the　following　effect：　〃The　very　first



chance　of　freedom　that　presented　itself　we　seized　with　more



eagerness　than　caution；　that　we　might　unite　ourselves　with　you　and　the



other　Germans；　our　kinsmen　by　blood。　With　respect　to　our



fortifications；　as　at　this　very　moment　the　Roman　armies　are



assembling；　it　is　safer　for　us　to　strengthen　than　to　destroy　them。　All



strangers　from　Italy　or　the　provinces；　that　may　have　been　in　our



territory；　have　either　perished　in　the　war；　or　have　fled　to　their



own　homes。　As　for　those　who　in　former　days　settled　here；　and　have　been



united　to　us　by　marriage；　and　as　for　their　offspring；　this　is　their



native　land。　We　cannot　think　you　so　unjust　as　to　wish　that　we　should



slay　our　parents；　our　brothers；　and　our　children。　All　duties　and



restrictions　on　trade　we　repeal。　Let　there　be　a　free　passage　across



the　river；　but　let　it　be　during　the　day…time　and　for　persons



unarmed；　till　the　new　and　recent　privileges　assume　by　usage　the



stability　of　time。　As　arbiters　between　us　we　will　have　Civilis　and



Veleda；　under　their　sanction　the　treaty　shall　be　ratified。〃　The



Tencteri　were　thus　appeased；　and　ambassadors　were　sent　with　presents



to　Civilis　and　Veleda；　who　settled　everything　to　the　satisfaction　of



the　inhabitants　of　the　Colony。　They　were　not；　however；　allowed　to



approach　or　address　Veleda　herself。　In　order　to　inspire　them　with　more



respect　they　were　prevented　from　seeing　her。　She　dwelt　in　a　lofty



tower；　and　one　of　her　relatives；　chosen　for　the　purpose；　conveyed；



like　the　messenger　of　a　divinity；　the　questions　and　answers。



　　Thus　strengthened　by　his　alliance　with　the　Colonia　Agrippinensis；



Civilis　resolved　to　attach　to　himself　the　neighbouring　States；　or　to



make　war　on　them　if　they　offered　any　opposition。　He　occupied　the



territory　of　the　Sunici；　and　formed　the　youth　of　the　country　into



regular　cohorts。　To　hinder　his　further　advance；　Claudius　Labeo



encountered　him　with　a　hastily　assembled　force　of　Betasii；　Tungri；　and



Nervii；　relying　on　the　strength　of　his　position；　as　he　had　occupied



a　bridge　over　the　river　Mosa。　They　fought　in　a　narrow　defile　without



any　decided　result；　till　the　Germans　swam　across　and　attacked



Labeo's　rear。　At　the　same　moment；　Civilis；　acting　either　on　some



bold　impulse　or　by　a　preconcerted　plan；　rushed　into　the　Tungrian



column；　exclaiming　in　a　loud　voice；　〃We　have　not　taken　up　arms　in



order　that　the　Batavi　and　Treveri　may　rule　over　the　nations。　Far



from　us　be　such　arrogance！　Accept　our　alliance。　I　am　ready　to　join



your　ranks；　whether　you　would　prefer　me　to　be　your　general　or　your



comrade。〃　The　multitude　was　moved　by　the　appeal；　and　were　beginning　to



sheathe　their　swords；　when　Campanus　and　Juvenalis；　two　of　the　Tungrian



chieftains；　surrendered　the　whole　tribe　to　Civilis。　Labeo　made　his



escape　before　he　could　be　intercepted。　The　Betasii　and　Nervii；　also



capitulating；　were　incorporated　by　Civilis　into　his　army。　He　now



commanded　vast　resources；　as　the　States　were　either　completely



cowed；　or　else　were　naturally　inclined　in　his　favour。



　　Meanwhile　Julius　Sabinus；　after　having　thrown　down　the　pillars



that　recorded　the　treaty　with　Rome；　bade　his　followers　salute　him　as



Emperor；　and　hastened　at　the　head　of　a　large　and　undisciplined　crowd



of　his　countrymen　to　attack　the　Sequani；　a　neighbouring　people；



still　faithful　to　Rome。　The　Sequani　did　not　decline　the　contest。



Fortune　favoured　the　better　cause；　and　the　Lingones　were　defeated。



Sabinus　fled　from　the　battle　with　a　cowardice　equal　to　the　rashness



with　which　he　had　precipitated　it；　and；　in　order　to　spread　a　report　of



his　death；　he　set　fire　to　a　country…house　where　he　had　taken　refuge。



It　was　believed　that　he　there　perished　by　a　death　of　his　own



seeking。　The　various　shifts　by　which　he　contrived　to　conceal　himself



and　to　prolong　his　life　for　nine　years；　the　firm　fidelity　of　his



friends；　and　the　noble　example　of　his　wife　Epponina；　I　shall　relate　in



their　proper　place。　By　this　victory　of　the　Sequani　the　tide　of　war　was



stayed。　The　States　began　by　degrees　to　recover　their　senses；　and　to



reflect　on　the　claims　of　justice　and　of　treaties。　The　Remi　were



foremost　in　this　movement；　announcing　throughout　Gaul　that　deputies



were　to　be　sent　to　consult　in　common　assembly　whether　they　should　make



freedom　or　peace　their　object。



　　At　Rome　report　exaggerated　all　these　disasters；　and　disturbed



Mucianus　with　the　fear　that　the　generals；　though　distinguished　men



（for　he　had　already　appointed　Gallus　Annius　and　Petilius　Cerialis　to



the　command）；　would　be　unequal　to　the　weight　of　so　vast　a　war。　Yet　the



capital　could　not　be　left　without　a　ruler；　and　men　feared　the



ungoverned　passions　of　Domitian；　while　Primus　Antonius　and　Varus



Arrius　were　also；　as　I　have　said；　objects　of　suspicion。　Varus；　who　had



been　made　commander　of　the　Praetorian　Guard；　had　still　at　his　disposal



much　military　strength。　Mucianus　ejected　him　from　h