caesar-第4部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！




intruded　upon　the　secret　vigils。　He　was　elected　on　purpose　to　effect



Cicero's　downfall；　nor　did　Caesar　leave　the　city　to　join　his　army　till



they　two　had　overpowered　Cicero　and　driven　him　out　of　Italy。



　　Thus　far　have　we　followed　Caesar's　actions　before　the　wars　of



Gaul。　After　this；　he　seems　to　begin　his　course　afresh；　and　to　enter



upon　a　new　life　and　scene　of　action。　And　the　period　of　those　wars



which　he　now　fought；　and　those　many　expeditions　in　which　he　subdued



Gaul；　showed　him　to　be　a　soldier　and　general　not　in　the　least　inferior



to　any　of　the　greatest　and　most　admired　commanders　who　had　ever



appeared　at　the　head　of　armies。　For　if　we　compare　him　with　the



Fabii；　the　Metelli；　the　Scipios；　and　with　those　who　were　his



contemporaries；　or　not　long　before　him；　Sylla；　Marius；　the　Luculli；　or



even　Pompey　himself；　whose　glory；　it　may　be　said；　went　up　at　that　time



to　heaven　for　every　excellence　in　war；　we　shall　find　Caesar's



actions　to　have　surpassed　them　all。　One　he　may　be　held　to　have　outdone



in　consideration　of　the　difficulty　of　the　country　in　which　he



fought；　another　in　the　extent　of　territory　which　he　conquered；　some；



in　the　number　and　strength　of　the　enemy　whom　he　defeated；　one　man；



because　of　the　wildness　and　perfidiousness　of　the　tribes　whose



good…will　he　conciliated；　another　in　his　humanity　and　clemency　to



those　he　overpowered；　others；　again；　in　his　gifts　and　kindnesses　to



his　soldiers；　all　alike　in　the　number　of　the　battles　which　he　fought



and　the　enemies　whom　he　killed。　For　he　had　not　pursued　the　wars　in



Gaul　full　ten　years　when　he　had　taken　by　storm　above　eight　hundred



towns；　subdued　three　hundred　states；　and　of　the　three　millions　of　men；



who　made　up　the　gross　sum　of　those　with　whom　at　several　times　he



engaged；　he　had　killed　one　million　and　taken　captive　a　second。



　　He　was　so　much　master　of　the　good…will　and　hearty　service　of　his



soldiers　that　those　who　in　other　expeditions　were　but　ordinary　men



displayed　a　courage　past　defeating　or　withstanding　when　they　went　upon



any　danger　where　Caesar's　glory　was　concerned。　Such　a　one　was　Acilius；



who；　in　the　sea…fight　before　Marseilles；　had　his　right　hand　struck　off



with　a　sword；　yet　did　not　quit　his　buckler　out　of　his　left；　but　struck



the　enemies　in　the　face　with　it；　till　he　drove　them　off　and　made



himself　master　of　the　vessel。　Such　another　was　Cassius　Scaeva；　who；　in



a　battle　near　Dyrrhachium；　had　one　of　his　eyes　shot　out　with　an　arrow；



his　shoulder　pierced　with　one　javelin；　and　his　thigh　with　another；　and



having　received　one　hundred　and　thirty　darts　upon　his　target；　called



to　the　enemy；　as　though　he　would　surrender　himself。　But　when　two　of



them　came　up　to　him；　he　cut　off　the　shoulder　of　one　with　a　sword；



and　by　a　blow　over　the　face　forced　the　other　to　retire；　and　so　with



the　assistance　of　his　friends；　who　now　came　up；　made　his　escape。



Again；　in　Britain；　when　some　of　the　foremost　officers　had　accidentally



got　into　a　morass　full　of　water；　and　there　were　assaulted　by　the



enemy；　a　common　soldier；　whilst　Caesar　stood　and　looked　on；　threw



himself　in　the　midst　of　them；　and　after　many　signal　demonstrations



of　his　valour；　rescued　the　officers　and　beat　off　the　barbarians。　He



himself；　in　the　end；　took　to　the　water；　and　with　much　difficulty；



partly　by　swimming；　partly　by　wading；　passed　it；　but　in　the　passage



lost　his　shield。　Caesar　and　his　officers　saw　it　and　admired；　and



went　to　meet　him　with　joy　and　acclamation。　But　the　soldier；　much



dejected　and　in　tears；　threw　himself　down　at　Caesar's　feet　and



begged　his　pardon　for　having　let　go　his　buckler。　Another　time　in



Africa；　Scipio　having　taken　a　ship　of　Caesar's　in　which　Granius　Petro；



lately　appointed　quaestor；　was　sailing；　gave　the　other　passengers　as



free　prize　to　his　soldiers；　but　thought　fit　to　offer　the　quaestor



his　life。　But　he　said　it　was　not　usual　for　Caesar's　soldiers　to　take



but　give　mercy；　and　having　said　so；　fell　upon　his　sword　and　killed



himself。



　　This　love　of　honour　and　passion　for　distinction　were　inspired　into



them　and　cherished　in　them　by　Caesar　himself；　who；　by　his　unsparing



distribution　of　money　and　honours；　showed　them　that　he　did　not　heap　up



wealth　from　the　wars　for　his　own　luxury；　or　the　gratifying　his　private



pleasures；　but　that　all　he　received　was　but　a　public　fund　laid　by



the　reward　and　encouragement　of　valour；　and　that　he　looked　upon　all　he



gave　to　deserving　soldiers　as　so　much　increase　to　his　own　riches。



Added　to　this　also；　there　was　no　danger　to　which　he　did　not



willingly　expose　himself；　no　labour　from　which　he　pleaded　an



exemption。　His　contempt　of　danger　was　not　so　much　wondered　at　by　his



soldiers　because　they　knew　how　much　he　coveted　honour。　But　his



enduring　so　much　hardship；　which　he　did　to　all　appearance　beyond　his



natural　strength；　very　much　astonished　them。　For　he　was　a　spare　man；



had　a　soft　and　white　skin；　was　distempered　in　the　head　and　subject



to　an　epilepsy；　which；　it　is　said；　first　seized　him　at　Corduba。　But　he



did　not　make　the　weakness　of　his　constitution　a　pretext　for　his



ease；　but　rather　used　war　as　the　best　physic　against　his



indispositions；　whilst；　by　indefatigable　journeys；　coarse　diet；



frequent　lodging　in　the　field；　and　continual　laborious　exercise；　he



struggled　with　his　diseases　and　fortified　his　body　against　all



attacks。　He　slept　generally　in　his　chariots　or　litters；　employing　even



his　rest　in　pursuit　of　action。　In　the　day　he　was　thus　carried　to　the



forts；　garrisons；　and　camps；　one　servant　sitting　with　him；　who　used　to



write　down　what　he　dictated　as　he　went；　and　a　soldier　attending　behind



him　with　his　sword　drawn。　He　drove　so　rapidly　that　when　he　first



left　Rome　he　arrived　at　the　river　Rhone　within　eight　days。　He　had　been



an　expert　rider　from　his　childhood；　for　it　was　usual　with　him　to　sit



with　his　hands　joined　together　behind　his　back；　and　so　to　put　his



horse　to　its　full　speed。　And　in　this　war　he　disciplined　himself　so　far



as　to　be　able　to　dictate　letters　from　on　horseback；　and　to　give



directions　to　two　who　took　notes　at　the　same　time　or；　as　Oppius



says；　to　more。　And　it　is　thought　that　he　was　the　first　who　contrived



means　for　communicating　with　friends　by　cipher；　when　either　press　of



business；　or　the　large　extent　of　the　city；　left　him　no　time　for　a



personal　conference　about　matters　that　required　despatch。　How　little



nice　he　was　in　his　diet　may　be　seen　in　the　following　instance。　When　at



the　table　of　Valerius　Leo；　who　entertained　him　at　supper　at　Milan；　a



dish　of　asparagus　was　put　before　him　on　which　his　host　instead　of



oil　had　poured　sweet　ointment；　Caesar　partook　of　it　without　any



disgust；　and　reprimanded　his　friends　for　finding　fault　with　it。　〃For



it　was　enough；〃　said　he；　〃not　to　eat　what　you　did　not　like；　but　he　who



reflects　on　another　man's　want　of　breeding；　shows　he　wants　it　as



much　himself。〃　Another　time　upon　the　road　he　was　driven　by　a　storm



into　a　poor　man's　cottage；　where　he　found　but　one　room；　and　that



such　as　would　afford　but　a　mean　reception　to　a　single　person；　and



therefore　told　his　companions　places　of　honour　should　be　given　up　to



the　greater　men；　and　necessary　accommodations　to　the　weaker；　and



accordingly　ordered　that　Oppius；　who　was　in　bad　health；　should　lodge



within；　whilst　he　and　the　rest　slept　under　a　shed　at　the　door。



　　His　first　war　in　Gaul　was　against　the　Helvetians　and　Tigurini；　who



having　burnt　their　own　towns；　twelve　in　number；　and　four　hundred



villages；　would　have　marched　forward　through　that　part　of　Gaul　which



was　included　in　the　Roman　province；　as　the　Cimbrians　and　Teutons



formerly　had　done。　Nor　were　they　inferior　to　these　in　courage；　and



in　numbers　they　were　equal；　being　in　all　three　hundred　thousand；　of



which　one　hundred　and　ninety　thousand　were　fighting　men。　Caesar　did



not　engage　the　Tigurini　in　person；　but　Labienus；　under　his　directions；



routed　them　near　the　rivet　Arar。　The　Helvetians　surprised　Caesar；



and　unexpectedly　set　upon　him　as　he　was　conducting　his　army　to　a



confederate　town。　He　succeeded；　however；　in　making　his　retreat　into



a　strong　position；　where；　when　he　had　mustered　and　marshalled　his　men；



his　horse　was　brought　to　him；　upon　which　he　said；　〃When　I　have　won　the



battle；　I　will　use　my　horse　for　the　chase；　but　at　present　let　us　go



against　the　enemy；〃　and　accordingly　charged　them　on　foot。　After　a　long



and　severe　combat；　he　drove　the　main　army　out　of　the　field；　but



found　the　hardest　work　at　their　carriages　and　ramparts；　where　not　only



the　men　stood　and　fought；　but　the　women　also　and　children　defended



themselves　till　they　were　cut　to　pieces；　insomuch　that　the　fight　was



scarcely　ended　till　midnight。　This　action；　glorious　in　itself；



Caesar　crowned　with　another　yet　more　noble；　by　gathering　in　a　body　all



the　barbarians　that　had　escaped　out　of　the　battle；　above　one　hundred



thousand　in　number；　and　obliging　them　to　re…occupy　the　country　which



they　had　deserted　and　the　cities　which　they　had　burnt。　This　he　did　for



fear　the　Germans　should　pass　it　and　possess　themselves　of　the　land



whilst　it　lay　uninhabited。



　　His　second　war　was　in　defence　of　the　Gauls　against　the　Germans；



though　some　time　before　he　had　made　Ariovistus；　their　king；　recognized



at　Rome　as　an　ally。　But　they　were　very　insufferable　neighbours　to



those　under　his　government；　and　it　was　probable；　when　occasion



offered；　they　would　renounce　the　present　arrangements；　and　march　on　to



occupy　Gaul。　But　finding　his　officers　timorous；　and　especially　those



of　the　young　nobility　who　came　along　with　him　in　hopes　of　turning



their　campaigns　with　him　into　a　means　for　their　own　pleasure　or



profit；　he　called　them　together；　and　advised　them　to　march　off；　and



not　run　the　hazard　of　a　battle　against　their　inclinations；　since



they　had　such　wea