aemilius paulus-第5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！


and　halted；　considering　within　himself。　The　young　commanders；　eager　to
fight；　riding　along　by　his　side；　pressed　him　not　to　delay；　and　most　of
all　Nasica；　flushed　with　his　late　success　on　Olympus。　To　whom　Aemilius
answered　with　a　smile：　〃So　would　I　do　were　I　of　your　age；　but　many
victories　have　taught　me　the　ways　in　which　men　are　defeated；　and
forbid　me　to　engage　soldiers　weary　with　a　long　march　against　an　army
drawn　up　and　prepared　for　battle。〃
　　Then　he　gave　command　that　the　front　of　his　army；　and　such　as　were　in
sight　of　the　enemy；　should　form　as　if　ready　to　engage；　and　those　in
the　rear　should　cast　up　the　trenches　and　fortify　the　camp；　so　that　the
hindmost　in　succession　wheeling　off　by　degrees　and　withdrawing；
their　whole　order　was　insensibly　broken　up；　and　the　army　encamped
without　noise　or　trouble。
　　When　it　was　night；　and；　supper　being　over；　all　were　turning　to　sleep
and　rest；　on　a　sudden　the　moon；　which　was　then　at　full　and　high　in　the
heavens；　grew　dark；　and　by　degrees　losing　her　light；　passed　through
various　colours；　and　at　length　was　totally　eclipsed。　The　Romans；
according　to　their　custom；　clattering　brass　pans　and　lifting　up
fire…brands　and　torches　into　the　air；　invoked　the　return　of　her　light；
the　Macedonians　behaved　far　otherwise：　terror　and　amazement　seized
their　whole　army；　and　a　rumour　crept　by　degrees　into　their　camp　that
this　eclipse　portended　even　that　of　their　king。　Aemilius　was　no　novice
in　these　things；　nor　was　ignorant　of　the　nature　of　the　seeming
irregularities　of　eclipses…　that　in　a　certain　revolution　of　time；
the　moon　in　her　course　enters　the　shadow　of　the　earth　and　is　there
obscured；　till；　passing　the　region　of　darkness；　she　is　again
enlightened　by　the　sun。　Yet　being　a　devout　man；　a　religious　observer
of　sacrifices　and　the　art　of　divination；　as　soon　as　he　perceived　the
moon　beginning　to　regain　her　former　lustre；　he　offered　up　to　her
eleven　heifers。　At　the　break　of　day　he　sacrificed　as　many　as　twenty　in
succession　to　Hercules；　without　any　token　that　his　offering　was
accepted；　but　at　the　one…and…twentieth；　the　signs　promised　victory
to　defenders。　He　then　vowed　a　hecatomb　and　solemn　sports　to
Hercules；　and　commanded　his　captains　to　make　ready　for　battle；　staying
only　till　the　sun　should　decline　and　come　round　to　the　west；　lest；
being　in　their　faces　in　the　morning；　it　should　dazzle　the　eyes　of
his　soldiers。　Thus　he　whiled　away　the　time　in　his　tent；　which　was　open
towards　the　plain　where　his　enemies　were　encamped。
　　When　it　grew　towards　evening；　some　tell　us；　Aemilius　himself　used
a　stratagem　to　induce　the　enemy　to　begin　the　fight；　that　he　turned
loose　a　horse　without　a　bridle；　and　sent　some　of　the　Romans　to　catch
him；　upon　whose　following　the　beast　the　battle　began。　Others　relate
that　the　Thracians；　under　the　command　of　one　Alexander；　set　upon　the
Roman　beasts　of　burden　that　were　bringing　forage　to　the　camp；　that
to　oppose　these；　a　party　of　seven　hundred　Ligurians　were　immediately
detached；　and　that；　relief　coming　still　from　both　armies；　the　main
bodies　at　last　engaged。　Aemilius；　like　a　wise　pilot；　foreseeing　by　the
present　waves　and　motion　of　the　armies　the　greatness　of　the
following　storm；　came　out　of　his　tent；　went　through　the　legions；　and
encouraged　his　soldiers。　Nasica；　in　the　meantime；　who　had　ridden　out
to　the　skirmishers；　saw　the　whole　force　of　the　enemy　on　the　point　of
engaging。　First　marched　the　Thracians；　who；　he　himself　tells　us；
inspired　him　with　most　terror；　they　were　of　great　stature；　with　bright
and　glittering　shields　and　black　frocks　under　them；　their　legs　armed
with　greaves；　and　they　brandished；　as　they　moved；　straight　and
heavily…ironed　spears　over　their　right　shoulders。　Next　the　Thracians
marched　the　mercenary　soldiers；　armed　after　different　fashions；　with
these　Paeonians　were　mingled。　These　were　succeeded　by　a　third
division；　of　picked　men；　native　Macedonians；　the　choicest　for
courage　and　strength；　in　the　prime　of　life；　gleaming　with　gilt
armour　and　scarlet　coats。　As　these　were　taking　their　places　they
were　followed　from　the　camp　by　the　troops　in　phalanx　called　the　Brazen
Shields；　so　that　the　whole　plain　seemed　alive　with　the　flashing　of
steel　and　the　glistening　of　brass；　and　the　hills　also　with　their
shouts；　as　they　cheered　each　other　on。　In　this　order　they　marched；　and
with　such　boldness　and　speed；　that　those　that　were　first　slain　died　at
but　two　furlongs　distance　from　the　Roman　camp。
　　The　battle　being　begun；　Aemilius　came　in　and　found　that　the　foremost
of　the　Macedonians　had　already　fixed　the　ends　of　their　spears　into　the
shields　of　his　Romans；　so　that　it　was　impossible　to　come　near　them
with　their　swords。　When　he　saw　this；　and　observed　that　the　rest　of　the
Macedonians　took　the　targets　that　hung　on　their　left　shoulders；　and
brought　them　round　before　them；　and　all　at　once　stooped　their　pikes
against　their　enemies'　shields；　and　considered　the　great　strength　of
this　wall　of　shields；　and　the　formidable　appearance　of　a　front　thus
bristling　with　arms；　he　was　seized　with　amazement　and　alarm；　nothing
he　had　ever　seen　before　had　been　equal　to　it；　and　in　aftertimes　he
frequently　used　to　speak　both　of　the　sight　and　of　his　own
sensations。　These；　however；　he　dissembled；　and　rode　through　his　army
without　either　breastplate　or　helmet；　with　a　serene　and　cheerful
countenance。
　　On　the　contrary；　as　Polybius　relates；　no　sooner　was　the　battle
begun；　but　the　Macedonian　king　basely　withdrew　to　the　city　Pydna；
under　a　pretence　of　sacrificing　to　Hercules；　a　god　that　is　not　wont　to
regard　the　faint　offerings　of　cowards；　or　to　fulfil　unsanctioned　vows。
For　truly　it　can　hardly　be　a　thing　that　heaven　would　sanction；　that　he
that　never　shoots　should　carry　away　the　prize；　he　triumph　that
slinks　from　the　battle；　he　that　takes　no　pains　meet　with　success；　or
the　wicked　man　prosper。　But　to　Aemilius's　petitions　the　god
listened；　he　prayed　for　victory　with　his　sword　in　his　hand；　and　fought
while　entreating　divine　assistance。
　　A　certain　Posidonius；　who　has　at　some　length　written　a　history　of
Perseus；　and　professes　to　have　lived　at　the　time；　and　to　have　been
himself　engaged　in　these　events；　denies　that　Perseus　left　the　field
either　through　fear　or　pretence　of　sacrificing；　but　that；　the　very　day
before　the　fight；　he　received　a　kick　from　a　horse　on　his　thigh；　that
though　very　much　disabled；　and　dissuaded　by　all　his　friends；　he
commanded　one　of　his　riding…horses　to　be　brought；　and　entered　the
field　unarmed；　that　amongst　an　infinite　number　of　darts　that　flew
about　on　all　sides；　one　of　iron　lighted　on　him；　and　though　not　with
the　point；　yet　by　a　glance　struck　him　with　such　force　on　his　left　side
that　it　tore　his　clothes　and　so　bruised　his　flesh　that　the　mark
remained　a　long　time　after。　This　is　what　Posidonius　says　in　defence　of
Perseus。
　　The　Romans　not　being　able　to　make　a　breach　in　the　phalanx；　one
Salius；　a　commander　of　the　Pelignians；　snatched　the　ensign　of　his
company　and　threw　it　amongst　the　enemies；　on　seeing　which；　the
Pelignians　（as　amongst　the　Italians　it　is　always　thought　the
greatest　breach　of　honour　to　abandon　a　standard）　rushed　with　great
violence　towards　the　place；　where　the　conflict　grew　very　fierce　and
the　slaughter　terrible　on　both　sides。　For　these　endeavoured　to　cut　the
spears　asunder　with　their　swords；　or　to　beat　them　back　with　their
shields；　or　put　them　by　with　their　hands；　and；　on　the　other　side；
the　Macedonians　held　their　long　sarissas　in　both　hands；　and　pierced
those　that　came　in　their　way　quite　through　their　armour；　no　shield
or　corslet　being　able　to　resist　the　force　of　that　weapon。　The
Pelignians　and　Marrucinians　were　thrown　headlong　to　the　ground；　having
without　consideration；　with　mere　animal　fury；　rushed　upon　a　certain
death。　Their　first　ranks　being　slain；　those　that　were　behind　were
forced　to　give　back；　it　cannot　be　said　they　fled；　but　they　retreated
towards　Mount　Olocrus。　When；　Aemilius　saw　this；　Posidonius　relates；　he
rent　his　clothes；　some　of　his　men　being　ready　to　fly；　and　the　rest　not
willing　to　engage　with　a　phalanx　into　which　they　could　not　hope　to
make　any　entrance…　a　sort　of　palisade；　as　it　were；　impregnable　and
unapproachable；　with　its　close　array　of　long　spears　every