33Retaining a portion of his force, Civilis sent the veteran cohorts with the most efficient of the German troops against Vocula and his army.320 He gave the command to Julius Maximus and his nephew Claudius Victor. After rushing the winter-quarters of a cavalry13 regiment14 at Asciburgium321 on their way, they fell upon the Roman camp and so completely surprised it that Vocula had no time to address his army or to form it for battle. The only precaution he could take in the general panic was to mass the legionaries in the centre with the auxiliaries scattered15 on either flank. Our cavalry charged, but found the enemy in good order ready to receive them, and came flying back on to their own infantry16. What followed was 137more of a massacre17 than a battle. The Nervian cohorts, either from panic or treachery, left our flanks exposed; thus the legions had to bear the brunt. They had already lost their standards and were being cut down in the trenches18, when a fresh reinforcement suddenly changed the fortune of the fight. Some Basque auxiliaries,322 originally levied20 by Galba, who had now been summoned to the rescue, on nearing the camp heard the sound of fighting, and while the enemy were occupied, came charging in on their rear. This caused more consternation21 than their numbers warranted, the enemy taking them for the whole Roman force, either from Novaesium or from Mainz. This mistake encouraged the Roman troops: their confidence in others brought confidence in themselves. The best of the Batavians, at least of their infantry, fell. The cavalry made off with the standards and prisoners taken in the earlier stage of the battle. Though our losses that day were numerically larger, they were unimportant, whereas the Germans lost their best troops.
34On both sides the generals deserved defeat, and failed to make good use of their success. Their fault was the same. Had Civilis furnished the attacking column with more troops, they could never have been surrounded by such a small force, and having stormed the camp would have destroyed it. Vocula, on the other 138hand, had not even set scouts22 to warn him of the enemy's approach, and consequently no sooner sallied out than he was beaten. Then, when he had won the victory, he showed great lack of confidence, and wasted day after day before moving against the enemy. If he had made haste to follow up his success and struck at the enemy at once, he might have raised the siege of Vetera at one blow.
Meanwhile Civilis had been playing upon the feelings of the besieged23 by pretending that the Romans had been defeated and success had favoured his arms. The captured standards and colours were carried round the walls and the prisoners also displayed. One of these did a famous deed of heroism24. Shouting at the top of his voice, he revealed the truth. The Germans at once struck him dead, which only served to confirm his information. Soon, too, the besieged saw signs of harried25 fields and the smoke of burning farms, and began to realize that a victorious26 army was approaching. When he was in sight of the camp Vocula ordered his men to plant the standards and construct a trench19 and rampart round them: they were to deposit all their baggage there and fight unencumbered. This made them shout at the general to give them the signal; and they had learnt to use threats too. Without even taking time to form their line they started the battle, all tired as they were, and in disorder27. Civilis was ready waiting for them, trusting quite as much to their mistakes as to the merits of his own men. The Romans fought with varying fortune. All the most mutinous28 139proved cowards: some, however, remembered their recent victory and stuck to their places, cutting down the enemy, and encouraging themselves and their neighbours. When the battle was thus renewed, they waved their hands and signalled to the besieged not to lose their opportunity. These were watching all that happened from the walls, and now came bursting out at every gate. It chanced that at this point Civilis' horse fell and threw him; both armies believed the rumour29 that he had been wounded and killed. This caused immense consternation to his army and immense encouragement to ours. However, Vocula failed to pursue them when they fled, and merely set about strengthening the rampart and turrets30, apparently31 in fear of another blockade. His frequent failure to make use of his victory gives colour to the suspicion that he preferred war.323
35What chiefly distressed32 our troops was the lack of supplies. The baggage-train of the legions was sent to Novaesium with a crowd of non-combatants to fetch provisions thence by land, the enemy being now masters of the river. The first convoy33 got through 140safely, while Civilis was recovering from his fall. But when he heard that a second foraging-party had been sent to Novaesium under guard of several cohorts, and that they were proceeding34 on their way with their arms piled in the wagons35 as if it was a time of perfect peace, few keeping to the standards and all wandering at will, he sent some men forward to hold the bridges and any places where the road was narrow, and then formed up and attacked. The battle was fought on a long straggling line, and the issue was still doubtful when nightfall broke it off. The cohorts made their way through to Gelduba, where the camp remained as it was,324 garrisoned37 by the soldiers who had been left behind there. It was obvious what dangers the convoy would have to face on the return journey; they would be heavily laden38 and had already lost their nerve. Vocula325 accordingly added to his force a thousand picked men from the Fifth and Fifteenth legions who had been at Vetera during the siege, all tough soldiers with a grievance39 against their generals. Against his orders, more than the thousand started with him, openly complaining on the march that they would not put up with famine and the treachery of their generals any longer. On the other hand, those who stayed behind grumbled40 that they were left to their fate now that part of the garrison36 had been removed. Thus there was a double mutiny, one party 141calling Vocula back, the others refusing to return to camp.
36Meanwhile Civilis laid siege to Vetera. Vocula retired41 to Gelduba, and thence to Novaesium, shortly afterwards winning a cavalry skirmish just outside Novaesium. The Roman soldiers, however, alike in success and in failure, were as eager as ever to make an end of their generals. Now that their numbers were swelled42 by the arrival of the detachments from the Fifth and the Fifteenth326 they demanded their donative, having learnt that money had arrived from Vitellius. Without further delay Flaccus gave it to them in Vespasian's name, and this did more than anything else to promote mutiny. They indulged in wild dissipation and met every night in drinking-parties, at which they revived their old grudge43 against Hordeonius Flaccus. None of the officers ventured to interfere44 with them—the darkness somehow obscured their sense of duty—and at last they dragged Flaccus out of bed and murdered him. They were preparing to do the same with Vocula, but he narrowly escaped in the darkness, disguised as a slave. 37When the excitement subsided45, their fears returned, and they sent letters round by centurions46 to all the Gallic communities, asking for reinforcements and money for the soldiers' pay.
Without a leader a mob is always rash, timorous47, and inactive. On the approach of Civilis they hurriedly snatched up their arms, and then immediately dropped them and took to flight. Misfortune now bred disunion, 142and the army of the Upper Rhine327 dissociated itself from the rest. However, they set up the statues of Vitellius again in the camp and in the neighbouring Belgic villages, although by now Vitellius was dead.328 Soon the soldiers of the First, Fourth, and Twenty-second repented48 of their folly49 and rejoined Vocula. He made them take a second oath of allegiance to Vespasian and led them off to raise the siege of Mainz. The besieging army, a combined force of Chatti,329 Usipi, and Mattiaci,330 had already retired, having got sufficient loot and suffered some loss. Our troops surprised them while they were scattered along the road, and immediately attacked. Moreover, the Treviri had built a rampart and breastwork all along their frontier and fought the Germans again and again with heavy loss to both sides. Before long, however, they rebelled, and thus sullied their great services to the Roman people.
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1
auxiliary
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| adj.辅助的，备用的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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auxiliaries
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| n.助动词 ( auxiliary的名词复数 )；辅助工，辅助人员 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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8
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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taxation
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| n.征税，税收，税金 | |
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10
tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 | |
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11
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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besieging
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的现在分词 ) | |
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13
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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15
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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18
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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20
levied
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| 征（兵）( levy的过去式和过去分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税 | |
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21
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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22
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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23
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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25
harried
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| v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰 | |
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26
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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27
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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28
mutinous
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| adj.叛变的，反抗的；adv.反抗地，叛变地；n.反抗，叛变 | |
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29
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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30
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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31
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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32
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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33
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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35
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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36
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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37
garrisoned
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| 卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 )； 派部队驻防 | |
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38
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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39
grievance
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| n.怨愤，气恼，委屈 | |
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40
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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41
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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42
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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43
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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44
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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45
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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46
centurions
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| n.百人队长，百夫长（古罗马的军官，指挥百人）( centurion的名词复数 ) | |
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47
timorous
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| adj.胆怯的，胆小的 | |
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48
repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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