histories-第16章

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populace　of　the　town；　always　inclined　to　be　suspicious；　believed



that　combustibles　had　been　purposely　introduced　into　the　building　by



certain　persons　from　the　neighbouring　colonies；　who　viewed　it　with



envious　and　jealous　eyes；　because　there　was　not　in　Italy　another



building　so　capacious。　Whatever　the　cause　of　the　accident；　it　was



thought　of　but　little　moment　as　long　as　more　terrible　disasters　were



apprehended；　but　as　soon　as　they　again　felt　secure；　they　lamented　it



as　though　they　could　not　have　endured　a　heavier　calamity。　In　the　end



Caecina　was　repulsed　with　great　slaughter　among　his　troops；　and　the



night　was　spent　in　the　preparation　of　siege…works。　The　Vitellianists



constructed　mantlets；　hurdles；　and　sheds；　for　undermining　the　walls



and　screening　the　assailants；　the　Othonianists　busied　themselves　in



preparing　stakes　and　huge　masses　of　stone　and　of　lead　and　brass；



with　which　to　break　and　overwhelm　the　hostile　ranks。　The　shame　of



failure；　the　hope　of　renown；　wrought　on　both　armies；　both　were



appealed　to　by　different　arguments；　on　the　one　side　they　extolled



the　strength　of　the　legions　and　of　the　army　of　Germany；　on　the



other；　the　distinctions　of　the　soldiery　of　the　capital　and　the



Praetorian　cohorts；　the　one　reviled　their　foes　as　slothful　and



indolent　soldiers；　demoralized　by　the　circus　and　the　theatres；　the



others　retorted　with　the　names　of　foreigner　and　barbarian。　At　the　same



time　they　lauded　or　vituperated　Otho　and　Vitellius；　but　found　indeed　a



more　fruitful　source　of　mutual　provocation　in　invective　than　in



praise。



　　Almost　before　dawn　of　day　the　walls　were　crowded　with　combatants；



and　the　plains　glittered　with　masses　of　armed　men。　The　close　array



of　the　legions；　and　the　skirmishing　parties　of　auxiliaries　assailed



with　showers　of　arrows　and　stones　the　loftier　parts　of　the　walls；



attacking　them　at　close　quarters　where　they　were　undefended；　or　old



and　decayed。　The　Othonianists；　who　could　take　a　more　deliberate　and



certain　aim；　poured　down　their　javelins　on　the　German　cohorts　as



they　recklessly　advanced　to　the　attack　with　fierce　war…cries；



brandishing　their　shields　above　their　shoulders　after　the　manner　of



their　country；　and　leaving　their　bodies　unprotected。　The　soldiers　of



the　legions；　working　under　cover　of　mantlets　and　hurdles；　undermined



the　walls；　threw　up　earth…works；　and　endeavoured　to　burst　open　the



gates。　The　Praetorians　opposed　them　by　rolling　down　with　a



tremendous　crash　ponderous　masses　of　rock；　placed　for　the　purpose。



Beneath　these　many　of　the　assailants　were　buried；　and　many；　as　the



slaughter　increased　with　the　confusion；　and　the　attack　from　the



walls　became　fiercer；　retreated　wounded；　fainting；　and　mangled；　with



serious　damage　to　the　prestige　of　the　party。　Caecina；　ashamed　of　the



assault　on　which　he　had　so　rashly　ventured；　and　unwilling；　ridiculed



and　baffled　as　he　was；　to　remain　in　the　same　position；　again　crossed



the　Padus；　and　resolved　on　marching　to　Cremona。　As　he　was　going；



Turullius　Cerialis　with　a　great　number　of　the　levies　from　the　fleet；



and　Julius　Briganticus　with　a　few　troopers；　gave　themselves　up　to　him。



Julius　commanded　a　squadron　of　horse；　he　was　a　Batavian。　Turullius　was



a　centurion　of　the　first　rank；　not　unfriendly　to　Caecina；　as　he　had



commanded　a　company　in　Germany。



　　Spurinna；　on　discovering　the　enemy's　route；　informed　Annius　Gallus



by　letter　of　the　successful　defence　of　Placentia；　of　what　had



happened；　and　of　what　Caecina　intended　to　do。　Gallus　was　then　bringing



up　the　first　legion　to　the　relief　of　Placentia；　he　hardly　dared



trust　so　few　cohorts；　fearing　that　they　could　not　sustain　a



prolonged　siege　or　the　formidable　attack　of　the　German　army。　On



hearing　that　Caecina　had　been　repulsed；　and　was　making　his　way　to



Cremona；　though　the　legion　could　hardly　be　restrained；　and　in　its



eagerness　for　action；　even　went　to　the　length　of　open　mutiny；　he



halted　at　Bedriacum。　This　is　a　village　situated　between　Verona　and



Cremona；　and　has　now　acquired　an　ill…omened　celebrity　by　two　great



days　of　disaster　to　Rome。　About　the　same　time　Martius　Macer　fought　a



successful　battle　not　far　from　Cremona。　Martius；　who　was　a　man　of



energy；　conveyed　his　gladiators　in　boats　across　the　Padus；　and



suddenly　threw　them　upon　the　opposite　bank。　The　Vitellianist



auxiliaries　on　the　spot　were　routed；　those　who　made　a　stand　were　cut



to　pieces；　the　rest　directing　their　flight　to　Cremona。　But　the



impetuosity　of　the　victors　was　checked；　for　it　was　feared　that　the



enemy　might　be　strengthened　by　reinforcements；　and　change　the



fortune　of　the　day。　This　policy　excited　the　suspicions　of　the



Othonianists；　who　put　a　sinister　construction　on　all　the　acts　of　their



generals。　Vying　with　each　other　in　an　insolence　of　language



proportioned　to　their　cowardice　of　heart；　they　assailed　with　various



accusations　Annius　Gallus；　Suetonius　Paullinus；　and　Marius　Celsus。　The



murderers　of　Galba　were　the　most　ardent　promoters　of　mutiny　and



discord。　Frenzied　with　fear　and　guilt；　they　sought　to　plunge



everything　into　confusion；　resorting；　now　to　openly　seditious



language；　now　to　secret　letters　to　Otho；　and　he；　ever　ready　to　believe



the　meanest　of　men　and　suspicious　of　the　good；　irresolute　in



prosperity；　but　rising　higher　under　reverses；　was　in　perpetual



alarm。　The　end　of　it　was　that　he　sent　for　his　brother　Titianus；　and



intrusted　him　with　the　direction　of　the　campaign。



　　Meanwhile；　brilliant　successes　were　gained　under　the　command　of



Celsus　and　Paullinus。　Caecina　was　greatly　annoyed　by　the　fruitlessness



of　all　his　undertakings；　and　by　the　waning　reputation　of　his　army。



He　had　been　repulsed　from　Placentia；　his　auxiliaries　had　been　recently



cut　up；　and　even　when　the　skirmishers　had　met　in　a　series　of



actions；　frequent　indeed；　but　not　worth　relating；　he　had　been　worsted；



and　now　that　Valens　was　coming　up；　fearful　that　all　the　distinctions



of　the　campaign　would　centre　in　that　general；　he　made　a　hasty



attempt　to　retrieve　his　credit；　but　with　more　impetuosity　than



prudence。　Twelve　miles　from　Cremona　（at　a　place　called　the　Castors）　he



posted　some　of　the　bravest　of　his　auxiliaries；　concealed　in　the



woods　that　there　overhang　the　road。　The　cavalry　were　ordered　to　move



forward；　and；　after　provoking　a　battle；　voluntarily　to　retreat；　and



draw　on　the　enemy　in　hasty　pursuit；　till　the　ambuscade　could　make　a



simultaneous　attack。　The　scheme　was　betrayed　to　the　Othonianist



generals；　and　Paullinus　assumed　the　command　of　the　infantry；　Celsus　of



the　cavalry。　The　veterans　of　the　13th　legion；　four　cohorts　of



auxiliaries；　and　500　cavalry；　were　drawn　up　on　the　left　side　of　the



road；　the　raised　causeway　was　occupied　by　three　Praetorian　cohorts；



ranged　in　deep　columns；　on　the　right　front　stood　the　first　legion　with



two　cohorts　of　auxiliaries　and　500　cavalry。　Besides　these；　a



thousand　cavalry；　belonging　to　the　Praetorian　guard　and　to　the



auxiliaries；　were　brought　up　to　complete　a　victory　or　to　retrieve　a



repulse。



　　Before　the　hostile　lines　engaged；　the　Vitellianists　began　to



retreat；　but　Celsus；　aware　of　the　stratagem；　kept　his　men　back。　The



Vitellianists　rashly　left　their　position；　and　seeing　Celsus



gradually　give　way；　followed　too　far　in　pursuit；　and　themselves　fell



into　an　ambuscade。　The　auxiliaries　assailed　them　on　either　flank；



the　legions　were　opposed　to　them　in　front；　and　the　cavalry；　by　a



sudden　movement；　had　surrounded　their　rear。　Suetonius　Paullinus　did



not　at　once　give　the　infantry　the　signal　to　engage。　He　was　a　man



naturally　tardy　in　action；　and　one　who　preferred　a　cautious　and



scientific　plan　of　operations　to　any　success　which　was　the　result　of



accident。　He　ordered　the　trenches　to　be　filled　up；　the　plain　to　be



cleared；　and　the　line　to　be　extended；　holding　that　it　would　be　time



enough　to　begin　his　victory　when　he　had　provided　against　being



vanquished。　This　delay　gave　the　Vitellianists　time　to　retreat　into



some　vineyards；　which　were　obstructed　by　the　interlacing　layers　of　the



vines；　and　close　to　which　was　a　small　wood。　From　this　place　they　again



ventured　to　emerge；　slaughtering　the　foremost　of　the　Praetorian



cavalry。　King　Epiphanes　was　wounded；　while　he　was　zealously　cheering



on　the　troops　for　Otho。



　　Then　the　Othonianist　infantry　charged。　The　enemy's　line　was



completely　crushed；　and　the　reinforcements　who　were　coming　up　to　their



aid　were　also　put　to　flight。　Caecina　indeed　had　not　brought　up　his



cohorts　in　a　body；　but　one　by　one；　as　this　was　done　during　the　battle；



it　increased　the　general　confusion；　because　the　troops　who　were　thus



divided；　not　being　strong　at　any　one　point；　were　borne　away　by　the



panic　of　the　fugitives。　Besides　this；　a　mutiny　broke　out　in　the　camp



because　the　whole　army　was　not　led　into　action。　Julius　Gratus；　prefect



of　the　camp；　was　put　in　irons；　on　a　suspicion　of　a　treacherous



understanding　with　his　brother　who　was　serving　with　Otho's　army；　at



the　very　time　that　the　Othonianists　had　done　the　same　thing　and　on　the



same　grounds　to　that　brother　Julius　Fronto；　a　tribune。　In　fact　such



was　the　panic　everywhere；　among　the　fugitives　and　among　the　troops



coming　up；　in　the　lines　and　in　front　of　the　entrenchments；　that　it　was



very　commonly　said　on　both　sides；　that　Caecina　and　his　whole　army



might　have　been　destroyed；　had　not　Suetonius　Paullinus　given　the



signal　of　recall。　Paullinus　alleged　that　he　feared　the　effects　of　so



much　additional　toil　and　so　long　a　march；　apprehending　that　the



Vitellianists　might　issue　fresh　from　their　camp；　and　attack　his



wearied　troops；　who；　once　thrown　into　confusion；　would　have　no



reserves　to　fall　back　upon。　A　few　approved　the　general's　policy；　but



it　was　unfavourably　canvassed　by　the　army　at　large。



　　The　effect　of　this　disaster　on　the　Vitellianists　was　not　so　much



to　drive　them　to　fear　as　to　draw　them　to　obedience。　Nor　was　this　the



case　only　among　the　troops　of　Caecina；　who　indeed　laid　all　the　blame



upon　his　soldiers；　more　ready；　as　he　said；　for　mutiny　than　for　battle。



The　forces　also　of　Fabius　Valens；　who　had　now　reached　Ticinum；　laid



aside　their　contempt　for　the　enemy；　and　anxious　to　retrieve　their



credit　began　to　yield　a　more　respectful　and　uniform　obedience　to　their



general。　A　serious　mutiny；　however；　had　raged　among　them；　of　which；　as



it　was　not　convenient　to　interrupt　the　orderly　narrative　of



Caecina's　operations；　I　shall　take　up　the　history　at　an　earlier



period。　I　have　already　described　how　the　Batavian　cohorts　who



separated　from　the　14th　legion　during　the　Neronian　war；　hearing　on



their　way　to　Britain　of　the　rising　of　Vitellius；　joined　Fabius



Valens　in　the　country　of　the　Lingones。　They　behaved　themselves



insolently；　boasting；　as　they　visited　the　quarters　of　the　severa