histories-第49章

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much　military　strength。　Mucianus　ejected　him　from　his　office；　and；　not



to　leave　him　without　consolation；　made　him　superintendent　of　the



sale　of　corn。　To　pacify　the　feelings　of　Domitian；　which　were　not



unfavourable　to　Varus；　he　appointed　Arretinus　Clemens；　who　was　closely



connected　with　the　house　of　Vespasian；　and　who　was　also　a　great



favourite　with　Domitian；　to　the　command　of　the　Praetorian　Guard；



alleging　that　his　father；　in　the　reign　of　Caligula；　had　admirably



discharged　the　duties　of　that　office。　The　old　name　he　said；　would



please　the　soldiers；　and　Clemens　himself；　though　on　the　roll　of



Senators；　would　be　equal　to　both　duties。　He　selected　the　most



eminent　men　in　the　State　to　accompany　him；　while　others　were　appointed



through　interest。　At　the　same　time　Domitian　and　Mucianus　prepared　to



set　out；　but　in　a　very　different　mood；　Domitian　in　all　the　hope　and



impatience　of　youth；　Mucianus　ever　contriving　delays　to　check　his



ardent　companion；　who；　he　feared；　were　he　to　intrude　himself　upon



the　army；　might　be　led　by　the　recklessness　of　youth　or　by　bad　advisers



to　compromise　at　once　the　prospects　of　war　and　of　peace。　Two　of　the



victorious　legions；　the　6th　and　8th；　the　21st；　which　belonged　to　the



Vitellianist　army；　the　2nd；　which　consisted　of　new　levies；　were



marched　into　Gaul；　some　over　the　Penine　and　Cottian；　some　over　the



Graian　Alps。　The　14th　legion　was　summoned　from　Britain；　and　the　6th



and　10th　from　Spain。　Thus　rumours　of　an　advancing　army；　as　well　as



their　own　temper；　inclined　the　States　of　Gaul　which　assembled　in　the



country　of　the　Remi　to　more　peaceful　counsels。　Envoys　from　the　Treveri



were　awaiting　them　there；　and　among　them　Tullius　Valentinus；　the



most　vehement　promoter　of　the　war；　who　in　a　set　speech　poured　forth



all　the　charges　usually　made　against　great　empires；　and　levelled



against　the　Roman　people　many　insulting　and　exasperating



expressions。　The　man　was　a　turbulent　fomenter　of　sedition；　and　pleased



many　by　his　frantic　eloquence。



　　On　the　other　hand　Julius　Auspex；　one　of　the　leading　chieftains　among



the　Remi；　dwelt　on　the　power　of　Rome　and　the　advantages　of　peace。



Pointing　out　that　war　might　be　commenced　indeed　by　cowards；　but　must



be　carried　on　at　the　peril　of　the　braver　spirits；　and　that　the　Roman



legions　were　close　at　hand；　he　restrained　the　most　prudent　by



considerations　of　respect　and　loyalty；　and　held　back　the　younger　by



representations　of　danger　and　appeals　to　fear。　The　result　was；　that；



while　they　extolled　the　spirit　of　Valentinus；　they　followed　the



counsels　of　Auspex。　It　is　certain　that　the　Treveri　and　Lingones　were



injured　in　the　eyes　of　the　Gallic　nations　by　their　having　sided　with



Verginius　in　the　movement　of　Vindex。　Many　were　deterred　by　the



mutual　jealousy　of　the　provinces。　〃Where；〃　they　asked；　〃could　a　head



be　found　for　the　war？　Where　could　they　look　for　civil　authority；　and



the　sanction　of　religion？　If　all　went　well　with　them；　what　city



could　they　select　as　the　seat　of　empire？〃　The　victory　was　yet　to　be



gained；　dissension　had　already　begun。　One　State　angrily　boasted　of　its



alliances；　another　of　its　wealth　and　military　strength；　or　of　the



antiquity　of　its　origin。　Disgusted　with　the　prospect　of　the　future；



they　acquiesced　in　their　present　condition。　Letters　were　written　to



the　Treveri　in　the　name　of　the　States　of　Gaul；　requiring　them　to



abstain　from　hostilities；　and　reminding　them　that　pardon　might　yet



be　obtained；　and　that　friends　were　ready　to　intercede　for　them；　should



they　repent。　Valentinus　still　opposed；　and　succeeded　in　closing　the



ears　of　his　countrymen　to　this　advice；　though　he　was　not　so　diligent



in　preparing　for　war　as　he　was　assiduous　in　haranguing。



　　Accordingly　neither　the　Treveri；　the　Lingones；　nor　the　other



revolted　States；　took　measures　at　all　proportioned　to　the　magnitude　of



the　peril　they　had　incurred。　Even　their　generals　did　not　act　in



concert。　Civilis　was　traversing　the　pathless　wilds　of　the　Belgae　in



attempting　to　capture　Claudius　Labeo；　or　to　drive　him　out　of　the



country。　Classicus　for　the　most　part　wasted　his　time　in　indolent



repose；　as　if　he　had　only　to　enjoy　an　empire　already　won。　Even　Tutor



made　no　haste　to　occupy　with　troops　the　upper　bank　of　the　Rhine　and



the　passes　of　the　Alps。　Meanwhile　the　21st　legion；　by　way　of



Vindonissa；　and　Sextilius　Felix　with　the　auxiliary　infantry；　by　way　of



Rhaetia；　penetrated　into　the　province。　They　were　joined　by　the



Singularian　Horse；　which　had　been　raised　some　time　before　by



Vitellius；　and　had　afterwards　gone　over　to　the　side　of　Vespasian。



Their　commanding　officer　was　Julius　Briganticus。　He　was　sister's　son



to　Civilis；　and　he　was　hated　by　his　uncle　and　hated　him　in　return　with



all　the　extreme　bitterness　of　a　family　feud。　Tutor；　having　augmented



the　army　of　the　Treveri　with　fresh　levies　from　the　Vangiones；　the



Caeracates；　and　the　Triboci；　strengthened　it　with　a　force　of　veteran



infantry　and　cavalry；　men　from　the　legions　whom　he　had　either



corrupted　by　promises　or　overborne　by　intimidation。　Their　first　act



was　to　cut　to　pieces　a　cohort；　which　had　been　sent　on　in　advance　by



Sextilius　Felix；　soon　afterwards；　however；　on　the　approach　of　the



Roman　generals　at　the　head　of　their　army；　they　returned　to　their



duty　by　an　act　of　honourable　desertion；　and　the　Triboci；　Vangiones；



and　Caeracates；　followed　their　example。　Avoiding　Mogontiacum；　Tutor



retired　with　the　Treveri　to　Bingium；　trusting　to　the　strength　of　the



position；　as　he　had　broken　down　the　bridge　over　the　river　Nava。　A



sudden　attack；　however；　was　made　by　the　infantry　under　the　command



of　Sextilius；　a　ford　was　discovered；　and　he　found　himself　betrayed　and



routed。　The　Treveri　were　panicstricken　by　this　disaster；　and　the



common　people　threw　down　their　arms；　and　dispersed　themselves



through　the　country。　Some　of　the　chiefs；　anxious　to　seem　the　first



to　cease　from　hostilities；　fled　to　those　States　which　had　not



renounced　the　Roman　alliance。　The　legions；　which　had　been　removed；



as　I　have　before　related；　from　Novesium　and　Bonna　to　the　territory



of　the　Treveri；　voluntarily　swore　allegiance　to　Vespasian。　These



proceedings　took　place　in　the　absence　of　Valentinus。　When　he　returned；



full　of　fury　and　bent　on　again　throwing　everything　into　confusion



and　ruin；　the　legions　withdrew　to　the　Mediomatrici；　a　people　in



alliance　with　Rome。　Valentinus　and　Tutor　again　involved　the　Treveri　in



war；　and　murdered　the　two　legates；　Herennius　and　Numisius；　that　by



diminishing　the　hope　of　pardon　they　might　strengthen　the　bond　of



crime。



　　Such　was　the　state　of　the　war；　when　Petilius　Cerialis　reached



Mogontiacum。　Great　expectations　were　raised　by　his　arrival。　Eager



for　battle；　and　more　ready　to　despise　than　to　be　on　his　guard



against　the　enemy；　he　fired　the　spirit　of　the　troops　by　his　bold



language；　for　he　would；　he　said；　fight　without　a　moment's　delay；　as



soon　as　it　was　possible　to　meet　the　foe。　The　levies　which　had　been



raised　in　Gaul　he　ordered　back　to　their　respective　States；　with



instructions　to　proclaim　that　the　legions　sufficed　to　defend　the



Empire；　and　that　the　allies　might　return　to　the　duties　of　peace；



secure　in　the　thought　that　a　war　which　Roman　arms　had　undertaken　was



finished。　This　proceeding　strengthened　the　loyalty　of　the　Gauls。　Now



that　their　youth　were　restored　to　them　they　could　more　easily　bear　the



burden　of　the　tribute；　and；　finding　themselves　despised；　they　were



more　ready　to　obey。　Civilis　and　Classicus；　having　heard　of　the



defeat　of　Tutor　and　of　the　rout　of　the　Treveri；　and　indeed　of　the



complete　success　of　the　enemy；　hastened　in　their　alarm　to



concentrate　their　own　scattered　forces；　and　meanwhile　sent　repeated



messages　to　Valentinus；　warning　him　not　to　risk　a　decisive　battle。



This　made　Cerialis　move　with　more　rapidity。　He　sent　to　the



Mediomatrici　persons　commissioned　to　conduct　the　legions　which　were



there　by　the　shortest　route　against　the　enemy；　and；　collecting　such



troops　as　there　were　at　Mogontiacum　and　such　as　he　had　brought　with



himself；　he　arrived　in　three　days'　march　at　Rigodulum。　Valentinus；



at　the　head　of　a　large　body　of　Treveri；　had　occupied　this　position；



which　was　protected　by　hills；　and　by　the　river　Mosella。　He　had　also



strengthened　it　with　ditches　and　breastworks　of　stones。　These



defences；　however；　did　not　deter　the　Roman　general　from　ordering　his



infantry　to　the　assault；　and　making　his　cavalry　advance　up　the　hill；



he　scorned　the　enemy；　whose　forces；　hastily　levied；　could　not；　he



knew；　derive　any　advantage　from　their　position；　but　what　would　be　more



than　counterbalanced　by　the　courage　of　his　own　men。　There　was　some



little　delay　in　the　ascent；　while　the　troops　were　passing　through



the　range　of　the　enemy's　missiles。　As　soon　as　they　came　to　close



fighting；　the　barbarians　were　dislodged　and　hurled　like　a　falling



house　from　their　position。　A　detachment　of　the　cavalry　rode　round



where　the　hills　were　less　steep；　and　captured　the　principal　Belgic



chiefs；　and　among　them　Valentinus；　their　general。



　　On　the　following　day　Cerialis　entered　the　Colony　of　the　Treveri。　The



soldiers　were　eager　to　destroy　the　city。　〃This；〃　they　said；　〃is　the



birthplace　of　Classicus　and　Tutor；　it　was　by　the　treason　of　these



men　that　our　legions　were　besieged　and　massacred。　What　had　Cremona



done　like　this；　Cremona　which　was　torn　from　the　very　bosom　of　Italy；



because　it　had　occasioned　to　the　conquerors　the　delay　of　a　single



night？　Here　on　the　borders　of　Germany　stands　unharmed　a　city　which



exults　in　the　spoils　of　our　armies　and　the　blood　of　our　generals。



Let　the　plunder　be　brought　into　the　Imperial　treasury；　we　shall　be



satisfied　with　the　fire　that　will　destroy　a　rebellious　colony　and



compensate　for　the　overthrow　of　so　many　camps。〃　Cerialis；　fearing



the　disgrace　of　being　thought　to　have　imbued　his　soldiers　with　a



spirit　of　licence　and　cruelty；　checked　their　fury。　They　submitted；



for；　now　that　civil　war　was　at　an　end；　they　were　tractable　enough　in



dealing　with　an　enemy。　Their　thoughts　were　then　diverted　by　the



pitiable　aspect　of　the　legions　which　had　been　summoned　from　the



Mediomatrici。　They　stood　oppressed　by　the　consciousness　of　guilt；



their　eyes　fixed　on　the　earth。　No　friendly　salutations　passed



between　the　armies　as　they　met；　they　made　no　answer　to　those　who　would



console　or　encourage　them；　but　hid　themselves　in　their　tents；　and



shrank　from　the　very　light　of　day。　Nor　was　it　so　much　their　peril　or



their　alarm　that　confounded　them；　as　their　shame　and　humiliation。　Even



the　conquerors　were　struck　dumb；　and　dared　not　utter　a　word　of



entreaty；　but　pleaded　for　pardon　by　their　silent　tears；　till



Cerialis　at　last　soothed　their　minds　by　declaring　that　destiny　had



brought　abou