histories-第59部分

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afterwards　the　enemy　retreated。　During　the　following　days　they



fought　a　series　of　engagements　in　front　of　the　gates；　till　they　were



driven　within　the　walls　by　continual　defeats。　The　Romans　then　began　to



prepare　for　an　assault。　It　seemed　beneath　them　to　await　the　result



of　famine。　The　army　demanded　the　more　perilous　alternative；　some



prompted　by　courage；　many　by　sheer　ferocity　and　greed　of　gain。　Titus



himself　had　Rome　with　all　its　wealth　and　pleasures　before　his　eyes。



Jerusalem　must　fall　at　once；　or　it　would　delay　his　enjoyment　of



them。　But　the　commanding　situation　of　the　city　had　been　strengthened



by　enormous　works　which　would　have　been　a　thorough　defence　even　for



level　ground。　Two　hills　of　great　height　were　fenced　in　by　walls



which　had　been　skilfully　obliqued　or　bent　inwards；　in　such　a　manner



that　the　flank　of　an　assailant　was　exposed　to　missiles。　The　rock



terminated　in　a　precipice；　the　towers　were　raised　to　a　height　of　sixty



feet；　where　the　hill　lent　its　aid　to　the　fortifications；　where　the



ground　fell；　to　a　height　of　one　hundred　and　twenty。　They　had　a



marvellous　appearance；　and　to　a　distant　spectator　seemed　to　be　of



uniform　elevation。　Within　were　other　walls　surrounding　the　palace；



and；　rising　to　a　conspicuous　height；　the　tower　Antonia；　so　called　by



Herod；　in　honour　of　Marcus　Antonius。



　　The　temple　resembled　a　citadel；　and　had　its　own　walls；　which　were



more　laboriously　constructed　than　the　others。　Even　the　colonnades　with



which　it　was　surrounded　formed　an　admirable　outwork。　It　contained　an



inexhaustible　spring；　there　were　subterranean　excavations　in　the　hill；



and　tanks　and　cisterns　for　holding　rain　water。　The　founders　of　the



state　had　foreseen　that　frequent　wars　would　result　from　the



singularity　of　its　customs；　and　so　had　made　every　provision　against



the　most　protracted　siege。　After　the　capture　of　their　city　by



Pompey；　experience　and　apprehension　taught　them　much。　Availing



themselves　of　the　sordid　policy　of　the　Claudian　era　to　purchase　the



right　of　fortification；　they　raised　in　time　of　peace　such　walls　as



were　suited　for　war。　Their　numbers　were　increased　by　a　vast　rabble



collected　from　the　overthrow　of　the　other　cities。　All　the　most



obstinate　rebels　had　escaped　into　the　place；　and　perpetual　seditions



were　the　consequence。　There　were　three　generals；　and　as　many　armies。



Simon　held　the　outer　and　larger　circuit　of　walls。　John；　also　called



Bargioras；　occupied　the　middle　city。　Eleazar　had　fortified　the　temple。



John　and　Simon　were　strong　in　numbers　and　equipment；　Eleazar　in



position。　There　were　continual　skirmishes；　surprises；　and　incendiary



fires；　and　a　vast　quantity　of　corn　was　burnt。　Before　long　John　sent



some　emissaries；　who；　under　pretence　of　sacrificing；　slaughtered



Eleazar　and　his　partisans；　and　gained　possession　of　the　temple。　The



city　was　thus　divided　between　two　factions；　till；　as　the　Romans



approached；　war　with　the　foreigner　brought　about　a　reconciliation。



　　Prodigies　had　occurred；　which　this　nation；　prone　to　superstition；



but　hating　all　religious　rites；　did　not　deem　it　lawful　to　expiate　by



offering　and　sacrifice。　There　had　been　seen　hosts　joining　battle　in



the　skies；　the　fiery　gleam　of　arms；　the　temple　illuminated　by　a　sudden



radiance　from　the　clouds。　The　doors　of　the　inner　shrine　were



suddenly　thrown　open；　and　a　voice　of　more　than　mortal　tone　was　heard



to　cry　that　the　Gods　were　departing。　At　the　same　instant　there　was　a



mighty　stir　as　of　departure。　Some　few　put　a　fearful　meaning　on　these



events；　but　in　most　there　was　a　firm　persuasion；　that　in　the　ancient



records　of　their　priests　was　contained　a　prediction　of　how　at　this



very　time　the　East　was　to　grow　powerful；　and　rulers；　coming　from



Judaea；　were　to　acquire　universal　empire。　These　mysterious



prophecies　had　pointed　to　Vespasian　and　Titus；　but　the　common



people；　with　the　usual　blindness　of　ambition；　had　interpreted　these



mighty　destinies　of　themselves；　and　could　not　be　brought　even　by



disasters　to　believe　the　truth。　I　have　heard　that　the　total　number



of　the　besieged；　of　every　age　and　both　sexes；　amounted　to　six



hundred　thousand。　All　who　were　able　bore　arms；　and　a　number；　more　than



proportionate　to　the　population；　had　the　courage　to　do　so。　Men　and



women　showed　equal　resolution；　and　life　seemed　more　terrible　than



death；　if　they　were　to　be　forced　to　leave　their　country。　Such　was　this



city　and　nation；　and　Titus　Caesar；　seeing　that　the　position　forbad



an　assault　or　any　of　the　more　rapid　operations　of　war；　determined　to



proceed　by　earthworks　and　covered　approaches。　The　legions　had　their



respective　duties　assigned　to　them；　and　there　was　a　cessation　from



fighting；　till　all　the　inventions；　used　in　ancient　warfare；　or　devised



by　modern　ingenuity　for　the　reduction　of　cities；　were　constructed。



　　Meanwhile　Civilis；　having　recruited　his　army　from　Germany　after



his　defeat　among　the　Treveri；　took　up　his　position　at　the　Old　Camp；



where　his　situation　would　protect　him；　and　where　the　courage　of　his



barbarian　troops　would　be　raised　by　the　recollection　of　successes



gained　on　the　spot。　He　was　followed　to　this　place　by　Cerialis；　whose



forces　had　now　been　doubled　by　the　arrival　of　the　2nd；　6th；　and　14th



legions。　The　auxiliary　infantry　and　cavalry；　summoned　long　before；　had



hastened　to　join　him　after　his　victory。　Neither　of　the　generals



loved　delay。　But　a　wide　extent　of　plain　naturally　saturated　with　water



kept　them　apart。　Civilis　had　also　thrown　a　dam　obliquely　across　the



Rhine；　so　that　the　stream；　diverted　by　the　obstacle；　might　overflow



the　adjacent　country。　Such　was　the　character　of　the　district；　full



of　hidden　perils　from　the　varying　depth　of　the　fords；　and　unfavourable



to　our　troops。　The　Roman　soldier　is　heavily　armed　and　afraid　to



swim；　while　the　German；　who　is　accustomed　to　rivers；　is　favoured　by



the　lightness　of　his　equipment　and　the　height　of　his　stature。



　　The　Batavi　provoking　a　conflict；　the　struggle　was　at　once　begun　by



all　the　boldest　spirits　among　our　troops；　but　a　panic　arose；　when　they



saw　arms　and　horses　swallowed　up　in　the　vast　depths　of　the　marshes。



The　Germans　leapt　lightly　through　the　well…known　shallows；　and



frequently；　quitting　the　front；　hung　on　the　rear　and　flanks　of　our



army。　It　was　neither　the　close　nor　the　distant　fighting　of　a



land…battle；　it　was　more　like　a　naval　contest。　Struggling　among　the



waters；　or　exerting　every　limb　where　they　found　any　firm　footing；



the　wounded　and　the　unhurt；　those　who　could　swim　and　those　who　could



not；　were　involved　in　one　common　destruction。　The　loss　however　was



less　than　might　have　been　expected　from　the　confusion；　for　the



Germans；　not　venturing　to　leave　the　morass；　returned　to　their　camp。



The　result　of　this　battle　roused　both　generals；　though　from



different　motives；　to　hasten　on　the　final　struggle。　Civilis　was



anxious　to　follow　up　his　success；　Cerialis　to　wipe　out　his　disgrace。



The　Germans　were　flushed　with　success；　the　Romans　were　thoroughly



roused　by　shame。　The　barbarians　spent　the　night　in　singing　and



shouting；　our　men　in　rage　and　threats　of　vengeance。



　　Next　morning　Cerialis　formed　his　front　with　the　cavalry　and



auxiliary　infantry；　in　the　second　line　were　posted　the　legions；　the



general　reserving　a　picked　force　for　unforeseen　contingencies。　Civilis



confronted　him　with　his　troops　ranged；　not　in　line；　but　in　columns。　On



the　right　were　the　Batavi　and　the　Gugerni；　the　left；　which　was



nearer　the　river；　was　occupied　by　the　Transrhenane　tribes。　The



exhortations　of　the　generals　were　not　addressed　as　formal　harangues　to



the　assembled　armies；　but　to　the　divisions　separately；　as　they　rode



along　the　line。　Cerialis　spoke　of　the　old　glory　of　the　Roman　name；



of　former　and　of　recent　victories；　he　told　them　that　in　destroying　for



ever　their　treacherous；　cowardly；　and　beaten　foe；　they　had　to



execute　a　punishment；　rather　than　to　fight　a　battle。　They　had　lately



contended　with　a　superior　force；　and　yet　the　Germans；　the　strength



of　the　hostile　army；　had　been　routed；　a　few　were　left；　who　carried



terror　in　their　hearts　and　scars　upon　their　backs。　He　addressed　to　the



several　legions　appropriate　appeals。　The　14th　were　styled　the



〃Conquerors　of　Britain〃；　the　powerful　influence　of　the　6th　had　made



Galba　Emperor；　the　men　of　the　2nd　were　in　that　battle　first　to



consecrate　their　new　standards　and　new　eagle。　Then　riding　up　to　the



army　of　Germany；　he　stretched　forth　his　hand；　and　implored　them　to



recover　their　river　bank　and　their　camp　by　the　slaughter　of　the　foe。　A



joyful　shout　arose　from　the　whole　army；　some　of　whom　after　long



peace　lusted　for　battle；　while　others；　weary　of　war；　desired　peace；



all　were　looking　for　rewards　and　for　future　repose。



　　Nor　did　Civilis　marshal　his　army　in　silence。　He　called　the　field



of　battle　to　bear　witness　to　their　valour。　He　told　the　Germans　and



Batavians　that　they　were　standing　on　the　monuments　of　their　glory；



that　they　were　treading　under　foot　the　ashes　and　bones　of　legions。



〃Wherever；〃　he　said；　〃the　Roman　turns　his　eyes；　captivity；　disaster；



and　everything　that　is　terrible；　confront　him。　Do　not　be　alarmed　by



the　adverse　result　of　the　battle　among　the　Treveri。　There；　their　own



success　proved　hurtful　to　the　Germans；　for；　throwing　away　their



arms；　they　hampered　their　hands　with　plunder。　Since　then　everything



has　been　favourable　to　us；　and　against　the　foe。　All　precautions；　which



the　skill　of　a　general　should　take；　have　been　taken。　Here　are　these



flooded　plains　which　we　know　so　well；　here　the　marshes　so　fatal　to　the



enemy。　The　Rhine　and　the　Gods　of　Germany　are　in　your　sight。　Under



their　auspices　give　battle；　remembering　your　wives；　your　parents；



and　your　father…land。　This　day　will　either　be　the　most　glorious



among　the　deeds　of　the　past；