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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　Classicus；　who



had　been　left　with　them　as　pledges　for　the　maintenance　of　the



alliance。　In　the　meanwhile　they　had　massacred　all　the　Germans　who　were



scattered　throughout　their　dwellings。　Hence　their　alarm　and　reasonable



importunity　in　begging　for　help；　before　the　enemy；　recovering　their



strength；　could　raise　their　spirits　for　a　new　effort　or　for　thoughts



of　revenge。　And　indeed　Civilis　had　marched　in　their　direction；　nor　was



he　by　any　means　weak；　as　he　had　still；　in　unbroken　force；　the　most



warlike　of　his　cohorts；　which　consisted　of　Chauci　and　Frisii；　and



which　was　posted　at　Tolbiacum；　on　the　frontiers　of　the



Agrippinenses。　He　was；　however；　diverted　from　his　purpose　by　the



deplorable　news　that　this　cohort　had　been　entirely　destroyed　by　a



stratagem　of　the　Agrippinenses；　who；　having　stupefied　the　Germans　by　a



profuse　entertainment　and　abundance　of　wine；　fastened　the　doors；　set



fire　to　the　houses；　and　burned　them。　At　the　same　time　Cerialis



advanced　by　forced　marches；　and　relieved　the　city。　Civilis　too　was



beset　by　other　fears。　He　was　afraid　that　the　14th　legion；　supported　by



the　fleet　from　Britain；　might　do　mischief　to　the　Batavi　along　their



line　of　coast。　The　legion　was；　however；　marched　overland　under　the



command　of　Fabius　Priscus　into　the　territory　of　the　Nervii　and　Tungri；



and　these　two　states　were　allowed　to　capitulate。　The　Canninefates；



taking　the　offensive；　attacked　our　fleet；　and　the　larger　part　of　the



ships　was　either　sunk　or　captured。　The　same　tribe　also　routed　a



crowd　of　Nervii；　who　by　a　spontaneous　movement　had　taken　up　arms　on



the　Roman　side。　Classicus　also　gained　a　victory　over　some　cavalry；　who



had　been　sent　on　to　Novesium　by　Cerialis。　These　reverses；　which；



though　trifling；　came　in　rapid　succession；　destroyed　by　degrees　the



prestige　of　the　recent　victory。



　　About　the　same　time　Mucianus　ordered　the　son　of　Vitellius　to　be



put　to　death；　alleging　that　dissension　would　never　cease；　if　he　did



not　destroy　all　s