sylla-第6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！


advantages　are　spoken　of　with　great　admiration　by　Sylla。
　　As　they　lay　thus　encamped；　they　seemed　to　the　enemy　a　contemptible
number；　for　there　were　not　above　fifteen　hundred　horse；　and　less
than　fifteen　thousand　foot。　Therefore　the　rest　of　the　commanders；
over…persuading　Archelaus　and　drawing　up　the　army；　covered　the　plain
with　horses；　chariots；　bucklers；　targets。　The　clamour　and　cries　of
so　many　nations　forming　for　battle　rent　the　air；　nor　was　the　pomp
and　ostentation　of　their　costly　array　altogether　idle　and
unserviceable　for　terror；　for　the　brightness　of　their　armour；
embellished　magnificently　with　gold　and　silver；　and　the　rich　colours
of　their　Median　and　Scythian　coats；　intermixed　with　brass　and
shining　steel；　presented　a　flaming　and　terrible　sight　as　they　swayed
about　and　moved　in　their　ranks；　so　much　so　that　the　Romans　shrunk
within　their　trenches；　and　Sylla；　unable　by　any　arguments　to　remove
their　fear；　and　unwilling　to　force　them　to　fight　against　their
wills；　was　fain　to　sit　down　in　quiet；　ill…brooking　to　become　the
subject　of　barbarian　insolence　and　laughter。　This；　however；　above
all　advantaged　him；　for　the　enemy；　from　contemning　of　him；　fell　into
disorder　amongst　themselves；　being　already　less　thoroughly　under
command；　on　account　of　the　number　of　their　leaders。　Some　few　of　them
remained　within　the　encampment；　but　others；　the　major　part；　lured
out　with　hopes　of　prey　and　rapine；　strayed　about　the　country　many
days'　journey　from　the　camp；　and　are　related　to　have　destroyed　the
city　of　Panope；　to　have　plundered　Lebadea；　and　robbed　the　oracle
without　any　orders　from　their　commanders。
　　Sylla；　all　this　while；　chafing　and　fretting　to　see　the　cities　all
around　destroyed；　suffered　not　the　soldiery　to　remain　idle；　but
leading　them　out；　compelled　them　to　divert　the　Cephisus　from　its
ancient　channel　by　casting　up　ditches；　and　giving　respite　to　none；
showed　himself　rigorous　in　punishing　the　remiss；　that　growing　weary　of
labour；　they　might　be　induced　by　hardship　to　embrace　danger。　Which
fell　out　accordingly；　for　on　the　third　day；　being　hard　at　work　as
Sylla　passed　by；　they　begged　and　clamoured　to　be　led　against　the
enemy。　Sylla　replied；　that　this　demand　of　war　proceeded　rather　from
a　backwardness　to　labour　than　any　forwardness　to　fight；　but　if　they
were　in　good　earnest　martially　inclined；　he　bade　them　take　their
arms　and　get　up　thither；　pointing　to　the　ancient　citadel　of　the
Parapotamians；　of　which　at　present；　the　city　being　laid　waste；　there
remained　only　the　rocky　hill　itself；　steep　and　craggy　on　all　sides；
and　severed　from　Mount　Hedylium　by　the　breadth　of　the　river　Assus；
which；　running　between；　and　at　the　bottom　of　the　same　hill　falling
into　the　Cephisus　with　an　impetuous　confluence；　makes　this　eminence
a　strong　position　for　soldiers　to　occupy。　Observing　that　the　enemy's
division；　called　the　Brazen　Shields；　were　making　their　way　up　thither；
Sylla　was　willing　to　take　first　possession；　and　by　the　vigorous
efforts　of　the　soldiers；　succeeded。　Archelaus；　driven　from　hence；　bent
his　forces　upon　Chaeronea。　The　Chaeroneans　who　bore　arms　in　the
Roman　camp　beseeching　Sylla　not　to　abandon　the　city；　he　despatched
Gabinius；　a　tribune；　with　one　legion；　and　sent　out　also　the
Chaeroneans；　who　endeavoured；　but　were　not　able　to　get　in　before
Gabinius；　so　active　was　he；　and　more　zealous　to　bring　relief　than
those　who　had　entreated　it。　Juba　writes　that　Ericius　was　the　man　sent；
not　Gabinius。　Thus　narrowly　did　our　native　city　escape。
　　From　Lebadea　and　the　cave　of　Trophonius　there　came　favourable
rumours　and　prophecies　of　victory　to　the　Romans；　of　which　the
inhabitants　of　those　places　gave　a　fuller　account；　but　as　Sylla
himself　affirms　in　the　tenth　book　of　his　Memoirs；　Quintus　Titius；　a
man　of　some　repute　among　the　Romans　who　were　engaged　in　mercantile
business　in　Greece；　came　to　him　after　the　battle　won　at　Chaeronea；　and
declared　that　Trophonius　had　foretold　another　fight　and　victory　on　the
place；　within　a　short　time。　After　him　a　soldier；　by　name　Salvenius；
brought　an　account　from　the　god　of　the　future　issue　of　affairs　in
Italy。　As　to　the　vision；　they　both　agreed　in　this；　that　they　had
seen　one　who　in　stature　and　in　majesty　was　similar　to　Jupiter
Olympius。
　　Sylla；　when　he　had　passed　over　the　Assus；　marching　under　the　Mount
Hedylium；　encamped　close　to　Archelaus；　who　had　intrenched　himself
strongly　between　the　mountains　Acontium　and　Hedylium；　close　to　what
are　called　the　Assia。　The　place　of　his　intrenchment　is　to　this　day
named　from　him；　Archelaus。　Sylla；　after　one　day's　respite；　having　left
Murena　behind　him　with　one　legion　and　two　cohorts　to　amuse　the　enemy
with　continual　alarms；　himself　went　and　sacrificed　on　the　banks　of
Cephisus；　and　the　holy　rites　ended；　held　on　towards　Chaeronea　to
receive　the　forces　there　and　view　Mount　Thurium；　where　a　party　of
the　enemy　had　posted　themselves。　This　is　a　craggy　height　running　up　in
a　conical　form　to　a　point　called　by　us　Orthopagus；　at　the　foot　of　it
is　the　river　Morius　and　the　temple　of　Apollo　Thurius。　The　god　had
his　surname　from　Thuro；　mother　of　Chaeron；　whom　ancient　record　makes
founder　of　Chaeronea。　Others　assert　that　the　cow；　which　Apollo　gave　to
Cadmus　for　a　guide；　appeared　there；　and　that　the　place　took　its　name
from　the　beast；　Thor　being　the　Phoenician　word　for　cow。
　　At　Sylla's　approach　to　Chaeronea；　the　tribune　who　had　been　appointed
to　guard　the　city　led　out　his　men　in　arms；　and　met　him　with　a
garland　of　laurel　in　his　hand；　which　Sylla　accepting；　and　at　the
same　time　saluting　the　soldiers　and　animating　them　to　the　encounter；
two　men　of　Chaeronea；　Homoloichus　and　Anaxidamus；　presented　themselves
before　him；　and　offered；　with　a　small　party；　to　dislodge　those　who
were　posted　on　Thurium。　For　there　lay　a　path　out　of　sight　of　the
barbarians；　from　what　is　called　Petrochus　along　by　the　Museum；　leading
right　down　from　above　upon　Thurium。　By　this　way　it　was　easy　to　fall
upon　them　and　either　stone　them　from　above　or　force　them　down　into　the
plain。　Sylla；　assured　of　their　faith　and　courage　by　Gabinius；　bade
them　proceed　with　the　enterprise；　and　meantime　drew　up　the　army；　and
disposing　the　cavalry　on　both　wings；　himself　took　command　of　the
right；　the　left　being　committed　to　the　direction　of　Murena。　In　the
rear　of　all；　Galba　and　Hortensius；　his　lieutenants；　planted　themselves
on　the　upper　grounds　with　the　cohorts　of　reserve；　to　watch　the　motions
of　the　enemy；　who；　with　numbers　of　horse　and　swift…footed；　light…armed
infantry；　were　noticed　to　have　so　formed　their　wing　as　to　allow　it
readily　to　change　about　and　alter　its　position；　and　thus　gave　reason
for　suspecting　that　they　intended　to　carry　it　far　out　and　so　to
inclose　the　Romans。
　　In　the　meanwhile；　the　Chaeroneans；　who　had　Ericius　for　commander
by　appointment　of　Sylla；　covertly　making　their　way　around　Thurium；　and
then　discovering　themselves；　occasioned　a　great　confusion　and　rout
among　the　barbarians；　and　slaughter；　for　the　most　part；　by　their　own
hands。　For　they　kept　not　their　place；　but　making　down　the　steep
descent；　ran　themselves　on　their　own　spears；　and　violently　sent　each
other　over　the　cliffs　the　enemy　from　above　pressing　on　and　wounding
them　where　they　exposed　their　bodies；　insomuch　that　there　fell　three
thousand　about　Thurium。　Some　of　those　who　escaped；　being　met　by　Murena
as　he　stood　in　array；　were　cut　off　and　destroyed。　Others　breaking
through　to　their　friends　and　falling　pell…mell　into　the　ranks；
filled　most　part　of　the　army　with　fear　and　tumult；　and　caused　a
hesitation　and　delay　among　the　generals；　which　was　no　small
disadvantage。　For　immediately　upon　the　discomposure；　Sylla　coming　full
speed　to　the　charge；　and　quickly　crossing　the　interval　between　the
armies；　lost　them　the　service　of　their　armed　chariots；　which　require　a
considerable　space　of　ground　to　gather　strength　and　impetuosity　in
their　career；　a　short　course　being　weak　and　ineffectual；　like　that
of　missiles　without　a　full　swing。　Thus　it　fared　with　the　barbarians　at
present；　whose　first　chariots　came　feebly　on　and　made　but　a　faint
impression；　the　Romans；　repulsing　them　with　shouts　and　laughter；
called　out；　as　they　do　at　the　races　in　the　circus；　for　more　to　come。
By　this　tim