caius marius-第6部分

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might　meet　and　fight　for　the　country。　Marius　answered　that　the
Romans　never　consulted　their　enemies　when　to　fight；　however；　he
would　gratify　the　Cimbri　so　far；　and　so　they　fixed　upon　the　third
day　after　and　for　the　place；　the　plain　near　Vercellae；　which　was
convenient　enough　for　the　Roman　horse；　and　afforded　room　for　the　enemy
to　display　their　numbers。
　　They　observed　the　time　appointed；　and　drew　out　their　forces
against　each　other。　Catulus　commanded　twenty　thousand　three　hundred；
and　Marius　thirty…two　thousand；　who　were　placed　in　the　two　wings；
leaving　Catulus　the　centre。　Sylla；　who　was　present　at　the　fight；　gives
this　account；　saying；　also；　that　Marius　drew　up　his　army　in　this
order；　because　he　expected　that　the　armies　would　meet　on　the　wings
since　it　generally　happens　that　in　such　extensive　fronts　the　centre
falls　back；　and　thus　he　would　have　the　whole　victory　to　himself　and
his　soldiers；　and　Catulus　would　not　be　even　engaged。　They　tell　us；
also；　that　Catulus　himself　alleged　this　in　vindication　of　his
honour；　accusing；　in　various　ways；　the　enviousness　of　Marius。　The
infantry　of　the　Cimbri　marched　quietly　out　of　their　fortifications；
having　their　flanks　equal　to　their　front；　every　side　of　the　army
taking　up　thirty　furlongs。　Their　horse；　that　were　in　number　fifteen
thousand；　made　a　very　splendid　appearance。　They　wore　helmets；　made
to　resemble　the　head　and　jaws　of　wild　beasts；　and　other　strange
shapes；　and　heightening　these　with　plumes　of　feathers；　they　made
themselves　appear　taller　than　they　were。　They　had　breastplates　of　iron
and　white　glittering　shields；　and　for　their　offensive　arms　every　one
had　two　darts；　and　when　they　came　hand　to　hand；　they　used　large　and
heavy　swords。
　　The　cavalry　did　not　fall　directly　upon　the　front　of　the　Romans；　but；
turning　to　the　right；　they　endeavoured　to　draw　them　on　in　that
direction　by　little　and　little；　so　as　to　get　them　between　themselves
and　their　infantry；　who　were　placed　in　the　left　wing。　The　Roman
commanders　soon　perceived　the　design；　but　could　not　contain　the
soldiers；　for　one　happening　to　shout　out　that　the　enemy　fled；　they　all
rushed　to　pursue　them；　while　the　whole　barbarian　foot　came　on；
moving　like　a　great　ocean。　Here　Marius；　having　washed　his　hands；　and
lifting　them　up　towards　heaven；　vowed　an　hecatomb　to　the　gods；　and
Catulus；　too；　in　the　same　posture；　solemnly　promised　to　consecrate　a
temple　to　the　〃Fortune　of　that　day。〃　They　say；　too；　that　Marius；
having　the　victim　shown　to　him　as　he　was　sacrificing；　cried　out　with　a
loud　voice；　〃The　victory　is　mine。〃
　　However；　in　the　engagement；　according　to　the　accounts　of　Sylla　and
his　friends；　Marius　met　with　what　might　be　called　a　mark　of　divine
displeasure。　For　a　great　dust　being　raised；　which　（as　it　might　very
probably　happen）　almost　covered　both　the　armies；　he；　leading　on　his
forces　to　the　pursuit；　missed　the　enemy；　and　having　passed　by　their
array；　moved　for　a　good　space；　up　and　down　the　field；　meanwhile　the
enemy；　by　chance；　engaged　with　Catulus；　and　the　heat　of　the　battle　was
chiefly　with　him　and　his　men；　among　whom　Sylla　says　he　was；　adding；
that　the　Romans　had　great　advantage　of　the　heat　and　sun　that　shone
in　the　faces　of　the　Cimbri。　For　they；　well　able　to　endure　cold；　and
having　been　bred　up　（as　we　observed　before）　in　cold　and　shady
countries；　were　overcome　with　the　excessive　heat；　they　sweated
extremely；　and　were　much　out　of　breath；　being　forced　to　hold　their
shields　before　their　faces；　for　the　battle　was　fought　not　long　after
the　summer　solstice；　or；　as　the　Romans　reckon；　upon　the　third　day
before　the　new　moon　of　the　month　now　called　August　and　then
Sextilis。　The　dust；　too；　gave　the　Romans　no　small　addition　to　their
courage；　inasmuch　as　it　hid　the　enemy。　For　afar　off　they　could　not
discover　their　number；　but　every　one　advancing　to　encounter　those　that
were　nearest　to　them；　came　to　fight　hand　to　hand　before　the　sight　of
so　vast　a　multitude　had　struck　terror　into　them。　They　were　so　much
used　to　labour；　and　so　well　exercised；　that　in　all　the　heat　and　toil
of　the　encounter；　not　one　of　them　was　observed　either　to　sweat　or　to
be　out　of　breath；　so　much　so；　that　Catulus　himself；　they　say；　recorded
it　in　commendation　of　his　soldiers。
　　Here　the　greatest　part　and　most　valiant　of　the　enemies　were　cut　in
pieces；　for　those　that　fought　in　the　front；　that　they　might　not
break　their　ranks；　were　fast　tied　to　one　another；　with　long　chains　put
through　their　belts。　But　as　they　pursued　those　that　fled　to　their　camp
they　witnessed　a　most　fearful　tragedy；　the　women；　standing　in　black
clothes　on　their　wagons；　slew　all　that　fled；　some　their　husbands；　some
their　brethren；　others　their　fathers；　and　strangling　their　little
children　with　their　own　hands；　threw　them　under　the　wheels　and　the
feet　of　the　cattle；　and　then　killed　themselves。　They　tell　of　one　who
hung　herself　from　the　end　of　the　pole　of　a　wagon；　with　her　children
tied　dangling　at　her　heels。　The　men；　for　want　of　trees；　tied
themselves；　some　to　the　horns　of　the　oxen；　others　by　the　neck　to　their
legs；　that　so　pricking　them　on；　by　the　starting　and　springing　of　the
beasts；　they　might　be　torn　and　trodden　to　pieces。　Yet　for　all　they
thus　massacred　themselves；　above　sixty　thousand　were　taken
prisoners；　and　those　that　were　slain　were　said　to　be　twice　as　many。
　　The　ordinary　plunder　was　taken　by　Marius's　soldiers；　but　the　other
spoils；　as　ensigns；　trumpets；　and　the　like；　they　say；　were　brought
to　Catulus's　camp；　which　he　used　for　the　best　argument　that　the
victory　was　obtained　by　himself　and　his　army。　Some　dissensions
arising；　as　was　natural；　among　the　soldiers；　the　deputies　from
Parma；　being　then　present；　were　made　judges　of　the　controversy；　whom
Catulus's　men　carried　about　among　their　slain　enemies　and　manifestly
showed　them　that　they　were　slain　by　their　javelins；　which　were　known
by　the　inscriptions；　having　Catulus's　name　cut　in　the　wood。
Nevertheless　the　whole　glory　of　the　action　was　ascribed　to　Marius；
on　account　of　his　former　victory；　and　under　colour　of　his　present
authority；　the　populace　more　especially　styling　him　the　third
founder　of　their　city；　as　having　diverted　a　danger　no　less　threatening
than　was　that　when　the　Gauls　sacked　Rome；　and　every　one；　in　their
feasts　and　rejoicings　at　home　with　their　wives　and　children；　made
offerings　and　libations　in　honour　of　〃The　Gods　and　Marius；〃　and
would　have　had　him　solely　have　the　honour　of　both　the　triumphs。
However；　he　did　not　do　so；　but　triumphed　together　with　Catulus；
being　desirous　to　show　his　moderation　even　in　such　great　circumstances
of　good　fortune；　besides　he　was　not　a　little　afraid　of　the　soldiers　in
Catulus's　army；　lest；　if　he　should　wholly　bereave　their　general　of　the
honour；　they　should　endeavour　to　hinder　him　of　his　triumph。
　　Marius　was　now　in　his　fifth　consulship；　and　he　sued　for　his　sixth　in
such　a　manner　as　never　any　man　before　him　had　done；　even　for　his
first；　he　courted　the　people's　favour　and　ingratiated　himself　with　the
multitude　by　every　sort　of　complaisance；　not　only　derogating　from
the　state　and　dignity　of　his　office；　but　also　belying　his　own
character；　by　attempting　to　seem　popular　and　obliging；　for　which
nature　had　never　designed　him。　His　passion　for　distinction　did；
indeed；　they　say；　make　him　exceedingly　timorous　in　any　political
matters；　or　in　confronting　public　assemblies；　and　that　undaunted
presence　of　mind　he　always　showed　in　battle　against　the　enemy
forsook　him　when　he　was　to　address　the　people；　he　was　easily　upset
by　the　most　ordinary　commendation　or　dispraise。　It　is　told　of　him；
that　having　at　one　time　given　the　freedom　of　the　city　to　one
thousand　men　of　Camerinum　who　had　behaved　valiantly　in　this　war；　and
this　seeming　to　be　illegally　done；　upon　some　one　or　other　calling
him　to　an　account　for　it；　he　answered；　that　the　law　spoke　too　softly
to　be　heard　in　such　a　noise　of　war；　yet　he　himself　appeared　to　be　more
disconcerted　and　overcome　by　the　clamour　made　in　the　assemblies。　The
need　they　had　of　him　in　time　of　war　procured　him　power　and　dignity；
but　in　civil　affairs；　when　he　despaired　of　getting　the　first　place；　he
was　forced　to　betake　himself　to　the　favour　of　the　people；　never　caring
to　be　a　good　man　so　that　he　were　but　a　great　one。
　　He　thus　became　very　odious　to　all　the　nobility；　and　above　all；　he
feared　Metellus；　who　had　been　so　ungratefully　used　by　him；　and　whose
true　virtue　made　him　naturally　an　enemy　to　those　that　sought　influence
with　the　people；　not　by　the　honourable　course；　but　by　subservience　and
complaisance。　Marius；　therefore；　endeavoured　to　banish　him　from　the
city；　and　for　this　purpose　he　contracted　a　close　alliance　with　Glaucia
and　Saturninus　a　couple　of　daring　fellows；　who　had　the　great　mass　of
the　indigent　and　seditious　multitude　at　their　control；　and　by　their
assistance　he　enacted　various　laws；　and　bringing　the　soldiers；　also；
to　attend　the　assembly；　he　was　enabled　to　overpower　Metellus。　And　as
Rutilius　relates　（in　all　other　respects　a　fair　and　faithful　authority；
but；　indeed；　privately　an　enemy　to　Marius）；　he　obtained　his　sixth
consulship　by　distributing　vast　sums　of　money　among　the　tribes；　and　by
this　bribery　kept　out　Metellus；　and　had　Valerius　Flaccus　given　him
as　his　instrument；　rather　than　his　colleague；　in　the　consulship。　The
people　had　never　before　bestowed　so　many　consulships　on　any　one　man；
except　on　Valerius　Corvinus　only；　and　he；　too；　they　say；　was
forty…five　years　between　his　first　and　last；　but　Marius；　from　his
first；　ran　through　five　more；　with　one　current　of　good　fortune。
　　In　the　last；　especially；　he　contracted　a　great　deal　of　hatred；　by
committing　several　gross　misdemeanours　in　compliance　with　the
desires　of　Saturninus；　among　which　was　the　murder　of　Nonius　whom
Saturninus　slew　because　he　stood　in　competition　with　him　for　the
tribuneship。　And　when；　afterwards；　Saturninus；　on　becoming　tribune；
brought　forward　his　law　for　the　division　of　lands；　with　a　clause
enacting　that　the　senate　publicly　swear　to　confirm　whatever　the　people
should　vote；　and　not　to　oppose　them　in　anything；　Marius；　in　the
senate；　cunningly　feigned　to　be　against　this　provision；　and　said
that　he　would　not　take　any　such　oath；　nor　would　any　man；　he　thought；
who　was　wise；　for　if　there　were　no