histories-第47章

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putting　to　death　men　so　turbulent　and　faithless；　stained　too　with



the　blood　of　their　generals。　Still　the　policy　of　mercy　prevailed。　To



cut　off　all　hope　of　quarter　might　provoke　an　obstinate　resistance。



It　would　be　better　to　draw　them　into　friendly　union。　If　only　the



legates　of　the　legions　were　put　to　death；　the　remaining　multitude；



moved　by　the　consciousness　of　guilt　and　the　hope　of　escape；　would



readily　join　their　cause。



　　Such　was　the　outline　of　their　original　plan。　Emissaries　were



likewise　despatched　throughout　Gaul　to　stir　up　war；　while　they



themselves　feigned　submission；　that　they　might　be　the　better　able　to



crush　the　unsuspecting　Vocula。　Persons；　however；　were　found　to



convey　information　to　him；　but　he　had　not　sufficient　strength　to



suppress　the　movement；　as　the　legions　were　incomplete　in　numbers　and



disloyal。　So；　what　with　soldiers　of　doubtful　fidelity　and　secret



enemies；　he　thought　it　best；　under　the　circumstances；　to　make　his



way　by　meeting　deceit　with　deceit；　and　by　using　the　same　arts　with



which　he　was　himself　assailed。　He　therefore　went　down　to　the　Colonia



Agrippinenses。　Thither　Claudius　Labeo；　who；　as　I　have　related；　had



been　taken　prisoner　and　sent　out　of　the　province　into　the　country　of



the　Frisii；　made　his　escape　by　bribing　his　gaolers。　This　man



undertook；　if　a　force　were　given　him；　to　enter　the　Batavian



territory　and　bring　back　to　the　Roman　alliance　the　more　influential



part　of　that　State；　but；　though　he　obtained　a　small　force　of



infantry　and　cavalry；　he　did　not　venture　to　attempt　anything　among　the



Batavi；　but　only　induced　some　of　the　Nervii　and　Betasii　to　take　up



arms；　and　made　continual　attacks　on　the　Canninefates　and　the　Marsaci



more　in　the　way　of　robbery　than　of　war。



　　Lured　on　by　the　treacherous　representations　of　the　Gauls；　Vocula



marched　against　the　enemy。　He　was　near　the　Old　Camp；　when　Classicus



and　Tutor；　who　had　gone　on　in　advance　under　the　pretence　of



reconnoitring；　concluded　an　agreement　with　the　German　chiefs。　They



then　for　the　first　time　separated　themselves　from　the　legions；　and



formed　a　camp　of　their　own；　with　a　separate　line　of　entrenchment；



while　Vocula　protested　that　the　power　of　Rome　was　not　so　utterly



shaken　by　civil　war　as　to　have　become　contemptible　even　to　Treveri　and



Lingones。　〃There　are　still；〃　he　said；　〃faithful　provinces；



victorious　armies；　the　fortune　of　the　Empire；　and　avenging　Gods。



Thus　it　was　that　Sacrovir　and　the　Aedui　in　former　days；　Vindex　and　the



Gauls　in　more　recent　times；　were　crushed　in　a　single　battle。　The



breakers　of　treaties　may　look　for　the　vengeance　of　the　same　Deities；



and　the　same　doom。　Julius　and　Augustus　understood　far　better　the



character　of　the　people。　Galba's　policy　and　the　diminution　of　their



tribute　have　inspired　them　with　hostile　feelings。　They　are　now



enemies；　because　their　yoke　is　easy；　when　they　have　been　plundered　and



stripped；　they　will　be　friends。〃　After　uttering　this　defiance；　finding



that　Classicus　and　Tutor　persisted　in　their　treachery；　he　changed



his　line　of　march；　and　retired　to　Novesium。　The　Gauls　encamped　at　a



distance　of　two　miles；　and　plied　with　bribes　the　centurions　and



soldiers　who　visited　them　there；　striving　to　make　a　Roman　army



commit　the　unheard　of　baseness　of　swearing　allegiance　to　foreigners；



and　pledge　itself　to　the　perpetration　of　this　atrocious　crime　by



murdering　or　imprisoning　its　officers。　Vocula；　though　many　persons



advised　him　to　escape；　thought　it　best　to　be　bold；　and；　summoning　an



assembly；　spoke　as　follows：



　　〃Never；　when　I　have　addressed　you；　have　I　felt　more　anxious　for　your



welfare；　never　more　indifferent　about　my　own。　Of　the　destruction



that　threatens　me　I　can　hear　with　cheerfulness；　and　amid　so　many　evils



I　look　forward　to　death　as　the　end　of　my　sufferings。　For　you　I　feel



shame　and　compassion。　Against　you　indeed　no　hostile　ranks　are



gathering。　That　would　be　but　the　lawful　course　of　war；　and　the　right



which　an　enemy　may　claim。　But　Classicus　hopes　to　wage　with　your



strength　his　war　against　Rome；　and　proudly　offers　to　your　allegiance



an　empire　of　Gaul。　Though　our　fortune　and　courage　have　for　the



moment　failed　us；　have　we　so　utterly　forgotten　the　old　memories　of



those　many　times　when　the　legions　of　Rome　resolved　to　perish　but　not



to　be　driven　from　their　post？　Often　have　our　allies　endured　to　see



their　cities　destroyed；　and　with　their　wives　and　children　to　die　in



the　flames；　with　only　this　reward　in　their　death；　the　glory　of



untarnished　loyalty。　At　this　very　moment　our　legions　at　the　Old　Camp



are　suffering　the　horrors　of　famine　and　of　siege；　and　cannot　be　shaken



by　threats　or　by　promises。　We；　besides　our　arms；　our　numbers；　and



the　singular　strength　of　our　fortifications；　have　corn　and　supplies



sufficient　for　a　campaign　however　protracted。　We　had　lately　money



enough　even　to　furnish　a　donative；　and；　whether　you　choose　to　refer



the　bounty　to　Vitellius　or　Vespasian；　it　was　at　any　rate　from　a



Roman　Emperor　that　you　received　it。　If　you；　who　have　been　victorious



in　so　many　campaigns；　who　have　so　often　routed　the　enemy　at　Gelduba



and　at　the　Old　Camp；　yet　shrink　from　battle；　this　indeed　is　an



unworthy　fear。　Still　you　have　an　entrenched　camp；　you　have



fortifications　and　the　means　of　prolonging　the　war；　till　succouring



armies　pour　in　from　the　neighbouring　provinces。　It　may　be　that　I　do



not　satisfy　you；　you　may　fall　back　on　other　legates　or　tribunes；　on



some　centurion；　even　on　some　common　soldier。　Let　not　this　monstrous



news　go　forth　to　the　whole　world；　that　with　you　in　their　train　Civilis



and　Classicus　are　about　to　invade　Italy。　Should　the　Germans　and　the



Gauls　lead　you　to　the　walls　of　the　capital；　will　you　lift　up　arms



against　your　Country？　My　soul　shudders　at　the　imagination　of　so



horrible　a　crime。　Will　you　mount　guard　for　Tutor；　the　Trever？　Shall



a　Batavian　give　the　signal　for　battle？　Will　you　serve　as　recruits　in



the　German　battalions？　What　will　be　the　issue　of　your　wickedness



when　the　Roman　legions　are　marshalled　against　you？　Will　you　be　a



second　time　deserters；　a　second　time　traitors；　and　brave　the　anger



of　heaven　while　you　waver　between　your　old　and　your　new　allegiance？



I　implore　and　entreat　thee；　O　Jupiter；　supremely　good　and　great；　to



whom　through　eight　hundred　and　twenty　years　we　have　paid　the　honours



of　so　many　triumphs；　and　thou；　Quirinus；　father　of　Rome；　that；　if　it



be　not　your　pleasure　that　this　camp　should　be　preserved　pure　and



inviolate　under　my　command；　you　will　at　least　not　suffer　it　to　be



polluted　and　defiled　by　a　Tutor　and　a　Classicus。　Grant　that　the



soldiers　of　Rome　may　either　be　innocent　of　crime；　or　at　least



experience　a　repentance　speedy　and　without　remorse。〃



　　They　received　his　speech　with　feelings　that　varied　between　hope；



fear；　and　shame。　Vocula　then　left　them；　and　was　preparing　to　put　an



end　to　his　life；　when　his　freedmen　and　slaves　prevented　him　from



anticipating　by　his　own　act　a　most　miserable　death。　Classicus



despatched　one　Aemilius　Longinus；　a　deserter　from　the　first　legion；



and　speedily　accomplished　the　murder。　With　respect　to　the　two　legates；



Herennius　and　Numisius；　it　was　thought　enough　to　put　them　in　chains。



Classicus　then　assumed　the　insignia　of　Roman　Imperial　power；　and



entered　the　camp。　Hardened　though　he　was　to　every　sort　of　crime；　he



could　only　find　words　enough　to　go　through　the　form　of　oath。　All　who



were　present　swore　allegiance　to　the　empire　of　Gaul。　He



distinguished　the　murderer　of　Vocula　by　high　promotion；　and　the　others



by　rewards　proportioned　to　their　services　in　crime。



　　Tutor　and　Classicus　then　divided　the　management　of　the　war　between



them。　Tutor；　investing　the　Colonia　Agrippinensis　with　a　strong



force；　compelled　the　inhabitants　and　all　the　troops　on　the　Upper　Rhine



to　take　the　same　oath。　He　did　this　after　having　first　put　to　death　the



tribunes　at　Mogontiacum；　and　driven　away　the　prefect　of　the　camp；



because　they　refused　obedience。　Classicus　picked　out　all　the　most



unprincipled　men　from　the　troops　who　had　capitulated；　and　bade　them　go



to　the　besieged；　and　offer　them　quarter；　if　they　would　accept　the



actual　state　of　affairs；　otherwise　there　was　no　hope　for　them；　they



would　have　to　endure　famine；　the　sword；　and　the　direst　extremities。



The　messengers　whom　he　sent　supported　their　representations　by　their



own　example。



　　The　ties　of　loyalty　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　necessities　of　famine



on　the　other；　kept　the　besieged　wavering　between　the　alternatives　of



glory　and　infamy。　While　they　thus　hesitated；　all　usual　and　even



unusual　kinds　of　food　failed　them；　for　they　had　consumed　their



horses　and　beasts　of　burden　and　all　the　other　animals；　which；　though



unclean　and　disgusting；　necessity　compelled　them　to　use。　At　last



they　tore　up　shrubs　and　roots　and　the　grass　that　grew　between　the



stones；　and　thus　shewed　an　example　of　patience　under　privations；



till　at　last　they　shamefully　tarnished　the　lustre　of　their　fame　by



sending　envoys　to　Civilis　to　beg　for　their　lives。　Their　prayers　were



not　heard；　till　they　swore　allegiance　to　the　empire　of　Gaul。　Civilis



then　stipulated　for　the　plunder　of　the　camp；　and　appointed　guards



who　were　to　secure　the　treasure；　the　camp…followers；　and　the



baggage；　and　accompany　them　as　they　departed；　stripped　of



everything。　About　five　miles　from　the　spot　the　Germans　rose　upon　them；



and　attacked　them　as　they　marched　without　thought　of　danger。　The



bravest　were　cut　down　where　they　stood；　the　greater　part；　as　they　were



scattered　in　flight。　The　rest　made　their　escape　to　the　camp；　while



Civilis　certainly　complained　of　the　proceeding；　and　upbraided　the



Germans　with　breaking　faith　by　this　atrocious　act。　Whether　this　was



mere　hypocrisy；　or　whether　he　was　unable　to　restrain　their　fury；　is



not　positively　stated。　They　plundered　and　then　fired　the　camp；　and　all



who　survived　the　battle　the　flames　destroyed。



　　Then　Civilis　fulfilled　a　vow　often　made　by　barbarians；　his　hair；



which　he　had　let　grow　long　and　coloured　with　a　red　dye　from　the　day　of



taking　up　arms　against　Rome；　he　now　cut　short；　when　the　destruction　of



the　legions　had　been　accomplished。　It　was　also　said　that　he　set　up



some　of　the　prisoners　as　marks　for　his　little　son　to　shoot　at　with　a



child's　arrows　and　javelins。　He　neither　took　the　oath　of　allegiance　to



Gaul　himself；　nor　obliged　any　Batavian　to　do　so；　for　he　relied　on



the　resources　of　Germany；　and　felt　that；　should　it　be　necessary　to



fight　for　empire　with　the　Gauls；　he　should　have　on　his　side　a　great



name　and　superior　strength。　Munius　Lupercus；　legate　of　one　of　the



legions；　was　sent　along　with　other　gifts　to　Veleda；　a　maiden　of　the



tribe　of　the　Bructeri；　who　possessed　extensive　dominion；　for　by



ancient　usage　t