aemilius paulus-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


security；　thinking　by　delay　and　expense　to　weary　out　Aemilius。　But　he；
in　the　meantime；　busy　in　thought；　weighed　all　counsels　and　all　means
of　attack；　and　perceiving　his　soldiers；　from　their　former　want　of
discipline；　to　be　impatient　of　delay；　and　ready　on　all　occasions　to
teach　their　general　his　duty；　rebuked　them；　and　bade　them　not　meddle
with　what　was　not　their　concern；　but　only　take　care　that　they　and
their　arms　were　in　readiness；　and　to　use　their　swords　like　Romans　when
their　commander　should　think　fit　to　employ　them。　Further；　he　ordered
that　the　sentinels　by　night　should　watch　without　javelins；　that　thus
they　might　be　more　careful　and　surer　to　resist　sleep；　having　no　arms
to　defend　themselves　against　any　attacks　of　an　enemy。
　　What　most　annoyed　the　army　was　the　want　of　water；　for　only　a　little；
and　that　foul；　flowed　out；　or　rather　came　by　drops　from　a　spring
adjoining　the　sea；　but　Aemilius；　considering　that　he　was　at　the　foot
of　the　high　and　woody　mountain　Olympus；　and　conjecturing　by　the
flourishing　growth　of　the　trees　that　there　were　springs　that　had　their
course　underground；　dug　a　great　many　holes　and　wells　along　the　foot　of
the　mountain；　which　were　presently　filled　with　pure　water　escaping
from　its　confinement　into　the　vacuum　they　afforded。　Although　there　are
some；　indeed；　who　deny　that　there　are　reservoirs　of　water　lying
ready　provided　out　of　sight；　in　the　places　from　whence　springs　flow；
and　that　when　they　appear；　they　merely　issue　and　run　out；　on　the
contrary；　they　say；　they　are　then　formed　and　come　into　existence　for
the　first　time；　by　the　liquefaction　of　the　surrounding　matter；　and
that　this　change　is　caused　by　density　and　cold；　when　the　moist　vapour；
by　being　closely　pressed　together；　becomes　fluid。　As　women's　breasts
are　not　like　vessels　full　of　milk　always　prepared　and　ready　to　flow
from　them；　but　their　nourishment　being　changed　in　their　breasts；　is
there　made　milk；　and　from　thence　is　pressed　out。　In　like　manner；
places　of　the　earth　that　are　cold　and　full　of　springs；　do　not
contain　any　hidden　waters　or　receptacles　which　are　capable；　as　from
a　source　always　ready　and　furnished；　of　supplying　all　the　brooks　and
deep　rivers；　but　by　compressing　and　condensing　the　vapours　and　air
they　turn　them　into　that　substance。　And　thus　places　that　are　dug　open；
flow　by　that　pressure；　and　afford　the　more　water　（as　the　breasts　of
women　do　milk　by　their　being　sucked）；　the　vapour　thus　moistening　and
becoming　fluid；　whereas　ground　that　remains　idle　and　undug　is　not
capable　of　producing　any　water；　whilst　it　wants　the　motion　which　is
the　cause　of　liquefaction。　But　those　that　assert　this　opinion　give
occasion　to　the　doubtful　to　argue；　that　on　the　same　ground　there
should　be　no　blood　in　living　creatures；　but　that　it　must　be　formed
by　the　wound；　some　sort　of　spirit　or　flesh　being　changed　into　a　liquid
and　flowing　matter。　Moreover；　they　are　refuted　by　the　fact　that　men
who　dig　mines；　either　in　sieges　or　for　metals；　meet　with　rivers；　which
are　not　collected　by　little　and　little　（as　must　necessarily　be；　if
they　had　their　being　at　the　very　instant　the　earth　was　opened）；　but
break　out　at　once　with　violence；　and　upon　the　cutting　through　a
rock；　there　often　gush　out　great　quantities　of　water；　which　then　as
suddenly　cease。　But　of　this　enough。
　　Aemilius　lay　still　for　some　days；　and　it　is　said　that　there　were
never　two　great　armies　so　nigh　that　enjoyed　so　much　quiet。　When　he　had
tried　and　considered　all　things；　he　was　informed　that　there　was　yet
one　passage　left　unguarded；　through　Perrhaebia　by　the　temple　of　Apollo
and　the　Rock。　Gathering；　therefore；　more　hope　from　the　place　being
left　defenceless　than　fear　from　the　roughness　and　difficulty　of　the
passage；　he　proposed　it　for　consultation。　Amongst　those　that　were
present　at　the　council；　Scipio；　surnamed　Nasica；　son…in…law　to
Scipio　Africanus；　who　afterwards　was　so　powerful　in　the
senate…house；　was　the　first　that　offered　himself　to　command　those　that
should　be　sent　to　encompass　the　enemy。　Next　to　him；　Fabius　Maximus；
eldest　son　of　Aemilius；　although　yet　very　young；　offered　himself
with　great　zeal。　Aemilius；　rejoicing；　gave　them；　not　so　many　as
Polybius　states；　but；　as　Nasica　himself　tells　us　in　a　brief　letter
which　he　wrote　to　one　of　the　kings　with　an　account　of　the
expedition；　three　thousand　Italians　that　were　not　Romans；　and　his　left
wing　consisting　of　five　thousand。　Taking　with　him；　besides　these；
one　hundred　and　twenty　horsemen；　and　two　hundred　Thracians　and　Cretans
intermixed　that　Harpalus　had　sent；　he　began　his　journey　towards　the
sea；　and　encamped　near　the　temple　of　Hercules；　as　if　he　designed　to
embark；　and　so　to　sail　round　and　environ　the　enemy。　But　when　the
soldiers　had　supped　and　it　was　dark；　he　made　the　captains　acquainted
with　his　real　intentions；　and　marching　all　night　in　the　opposite
directions　away　from　the　sea；　till　he　came　under　the　temple　of　Apollo；
there　rested　his　army。　At　this　place　Mount　Olympus　rises　in　height
more　than　ten　furlongs；　as　appears　by　the　epigram　made　by　the　man　that
measured　it：…

　　　　　　　　〃The　summit　of　Olympus；　at　the　site
　　　　　　　　　Where　stands　Apollo's　temple；　has　a　height
　　　　　　　　　Of　full　ten　furlongs　by　the　line；　and　more；
　　　　　　　　　Ten　furlongs；　and　one　hundred　feet；　less　four。
　　　　　　　　　Eumelus's　son；　Xenagoras；　reached　the　place。
　　　　　　　　　Adieu；　O　king；　and　do　thy　pilgrim　grace。〃

　　It　is　allowed；　say　the　geometricians；　that　no　mountain　in　height
or　sea　in　depth　exceeds　ten　furlongs；　and　yet　it　seems　probable　that
Xenagoras　did　not　take　his　admeasurement　carelessly；　but　according
to　the　rules　of　art；　and　with　instruments　for　the　purpose。　Here　it　was
that　Nasica　passed　the　night。
　　A　Cretan　deserted；　who　fled　to　the　enemy　during　the　march；
discovered　to　Perseus　the　design　which　the　Romans　had　to　encompass
him：　for　he；　seeing　that　Aemilius　lay　still；　had　not　suspected　any
such　attempt。　He　was　startled　at　the　news；　yet　did　not　put　his　army　in
motion；　but　sent　ten　thousand　mercenary　soldiers；　and　two　thousand
Macedonians；　under　command　of　Milo；　with　order　to　hasten　and　possess
themselves　of　the　passes。　Polybius　relates　that　the　Romans　found　these
men　asleep　when　they　attacked　them；　but　Nasica　says　there　was　a
sharp　and　severe　conflict　on　the　top　of　the　mountain；　that　he
himself　encountered　a　mercenary　Thracian；　pierced　him　through　with　his
javelin；　and　slew　him；　and　that　the　enemy　being　forced　to　retreat；
Milo　stripped　to　his　coat　and　fled　shamefully　without　his　armour；
while　he　followed　without　danger；　and　conveyed　the　whole　army　down
into　the　country。
　　After　this　event；　Perseus；　now　grown　fearful；　and　fallen　from　his
hopes；　removed　his　camp　in　all　haste；　he　was　under　the　necessity
either　to　stop　before　Pydna；　and　there　run　the　hazard　of　a　battle；
or　disperse　his　army　into　cities；　and　there　expect　the　event　of　the
war；　which；　having　once　made　its　way　into　his　country；　could　not　be
driven　out　without　great　slaughter　and　bloodshed。　But　Perseus；　being
told　by　his　friends　that　he　was　much　superior　in　number；　and　that
men　fighting　in　the　defence　of　their　wives　and　children　must　needs
feel　all　the　more　courage；　especially　when　all　was　done　in　the　sight
of　their　king；　who　himself　was　engaged　in　equal　danger；　was　thus　again
encouraged；　and；　pitching　his　camp；　prepared　himself　to　fight；
viewed　the　country；　and　gave　out　the　commands；　as　if　he　designed　to
set　upon　the　Romans　as　soon　as　they　approached。　The　place　was　a
field　fit　for　the　action　of　a　phalanx；　which　requires　smooth
standing　and　even　ground；　and　also　had　divers　little　hills；　one
joining　another；　fit　for　the　motions　whether　in　retreat　or　advance
of　light　troops　and　skirmishers。　Through　the　middle　ran　the　rivers
Aeson　and　Leucus；　which　though　not　very　deep；　it　being　the　latter
end　of　summer；　yet　were　likely　enough　to　give　the　Romans　some　trouble。
　　As　soon　as　Aemilius　had　rejoined　Nasica；　he　advanced　in　battle　array
against　the　enemy；　but　when　he　found　how　they　were　drawn　up；　and　the
number　of　their　forces；　he　regarded　them　with　admiration　and　surprise；
and　halted；　considering　within　himself。　The　young　commanders；　eager　to
fight；　riding　along　by　his　side；　pressed　him　not　to　delay；　and　most　of