caesar-第6部分

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and　fiction；　not　a　real　place；　he　might　be　said　to　have　carried　the



Roman　empire　beyond　the　limits　of　the　known　world。　He　passed　thither



twice　from　that　part　of　Gaul　which　lies　over　against　it；　and　in



several　battles　which　he　fought　did　more　hurt　to　the　enemy　than



service　to　himself；　for　the　islanders　were　so　miserably　poor　that　they



had　nothing　worth　being　plundered　of。　When　he　found　himself　unable



to　put　such　an　end　to　the　war　as　he　wished；　he　was　content　to　take



hostages　from　the　king；　and　to　impose　a　tribute；　and　then　quitted



the　island。　At　his　arrival　in　Gaul；　he　found　letters　which　lay　ready



to　be　conveyed　over　the　water　to　him　from　his　friends　at　Rome；



announcing　his　daughter's　death；　who　died　in　labour　of　a　child　by



Pompey。　Caesar　and　Pompey　both　were　much　afflicted　with　her　death；　nor



were　their　friends　less　disturbed；　believing　that　the　alliance　was　now



broken　which　had　hitherto　kept　the　sickly　commonwealth　in　peace；　for



the　child　also　died　within　a　few　days　after　the　mother。　The　people



took　the　body　of　Julia；　in　spite　of　the　opposition　of　the　tribunes；



and　carried　it　into　the　field　of　Mars；　and　there　her　funeral　rites



were　performed；　and　her　remains　are　laid。



　　Caesar's　army　was　now　grown　very　numerous；　so　that　he　was　forced



to　disperse　them　into　various　camps　for　their　winter　quarters；　and



he　having　gone　himself　to　Italy　as　he　used　to　do；　in　his　absence　a



general　outbreak　throughout　the　whole　of　Gaul　commenced；　and　large



armies　marched　about　the　country；　and　attacked　the　Roman　quarters；　and



attempted　to　make　themselves　masters　of　the　forts　where　they　lay。



The　greatest　and　strongest　party　of　the　rebels；　under　the　command　of



Abriorix；　cut　off　Cotta　and　Titurius　with　all　their　men；　while　a　force



sixty　thousand　strong　besieged　the　legion　under　the　command　of　Cicero；



and　had　almost　taken　it　by　storm；　the　Roman　soldiers　being　all



wounded；　and　having　quite　spent　themselves　by　a　defence　beyond　their



natural　strength。　But　Caesar；　who　was　at　a　great　distance；　having



received　the　news；　quickly　got　together　seven　thousand　men；　and



hastened　to　relieve　Cicero。　The　besiegers　were　aware　of　it；　and　went



to　meet　him；　with　great　confidence　that　they　should　easily　overpower



such　a　handful　of　men。　Caesar；　to　increase　their　presumption；　seemed



to　avoid　fighting；　and　still　marched　off；　till　he　found　a　place



conveniently　situated　for　a　few　to　engage　against　many；　where　he



encamped。　He　kept　his　soldiers　from　making　any　attack　upon　the



enemy；　and　commanded　them　to　raise　the　ramparts　higher　and　barricade



the　gates；　that　by　show　of　fear　they　might　heighten　the　enemy's



contempt　of　them。　Till　at　last　they　came　without　any　order　in　great



security　to　make　an　assault；　when　he　issued　forth　and　put　them　in



flight　with　the　loss　of　many　men。



　　This　quieted　the　greater　part　of　the　commotions　in　these　parts　of



Gaul；　and　Caesar；　in　the　course　of　the　winter；　visited　every　part　of



the　country；　and　with　great　vigilance　took　precautions　against　all



innovations。　For　there　were　three　legions　now　come　to　him　to　supply



the　place　of　the　men　he　had　lost；　of　which　Pompey　furnished　him　with



two　out　of　those　under　his　command；　the　other　was　newly　raised　in



the　part　of　Gaul　by　the　Po。　But　in　a　while　the　seeds　of　war；　which　had



long　since　been　secretly　sown　and　scattered　by　the　most　powerful　men



in　those　warlike　nations；　broke　forth　into　the　greatest　and　most



dangerous　war　that　was　in　those　parts；　both　as　regards　the　number　of



men　in　the　vigour　of　their　youth　who　were　gathered　and　armed　from



all　quarters；　the　vast　funds　of　money　collected　to　maintain　it；　the



strength　of　the　towns；　and　the　difficulty　of　the　country　where　it



carried　on。　It　being　winter；　the　rivers　were　frozen；　the　woods　covered



with　snow；　and　the　level　country　flooded；　so　that　in　some　places　the



ways　were　lost　through　the　depth　of　the　snow；　in　others；　the



overflowing　of　marshes　and　streams　made　every　kind　of　passage



uncertain。　All　which　difficulties　made　it　seem　impracticable　for



Caesar　to　make　any　attempt　upon　the　insurgents。　Many　tribes　had



revolted　together；　the　chief　of　them　being　the　Arverni　and



Carnutini；　the　general　who　had　the　supreme　command　in　war　was



Vergentorix；　whose　father　the　Gauls　had　put　to　death　on　suspicion　of



his　aiming　at　absolute　government。



　　He　having　disposed　his　army　in　several　bodies；　and　set　officers　over



them；　drew　over　to　him　all　the　country　round　about　as　far　as　those



that　lie　upon　the　Arar；　and　having　intelligence　of　the　opposition



which　Caesar　now　experienced　at　Rome；　thought　to　engage　all　Gaul　in



the　war。　Which　if　he　had　done　a　little　later；　when　Caesar　was　taken　up



with　the　civil　wars；　Italy　had　been　put　into　as　great　a　terror　as



before　it　was　by　the　Cimbri。　But　Caesar；　who　above　all　men　was



gifted　with　the　faculty　of　making　the　right　use　of　everything　in



war；　and　most　especially　of　seizing　the　right　moment；　as　soon　as　he



heard　of　the　revolt；　returned　immediately　the　same　way　he　went；　and



showed　the　barbarians；　by　the　quickness　of　his　march　in　such　a



severe　season；　that　an　army　was　advancing　against　them　which　was



invincible。　For　in　the　time　that　one　would　have　thought　it　scarce



credible　that　a　courier　or　express　should　have　come　with　a　message



from　him；　he　himself　appeared　with　all　his　army；　ravaging　the　country；



reducing　their　posts；　subduing　their　towns；　receiving　into　his



protection　those　who　declared　for　him。　Till　at　last　the　Edui；　who



hitherto　had　styled　themselves　brethren　to　the　Romans；　and　had　been



much　honoured　by　them；　declared　against　him；　and　joined　the　rebels；　to



the　great　discouragement　of　his　army。　Accordingly　he　removed　thence；



and　passed　the　country　of　the　Ligones；　desiring　to　reach　the



territories　of　the　Sequani；　who　were　his　friends；　and　who　lay　like　a



bulwark　in　front　of　Italy　against　the　other　tribes　of　Gaul。　There



the　enemy　came　upon　him；　and　surrounded　him　with　many　myriads；　whom　he



also　was　eager　to　engage；　and　at　last；　after　some　time　and　with　much



slaughter；　gained　on　the　whole　a　complete　victory；　though　at　first



he　appears　to　have　met　with　some　reverse；　and　the　Aruveni　show　you　a



small　sword　hanging　up　in　a　temple；　which　they　say　was　taken　from



Caesar。　Caesar　saw　this　afterwards　himself；　and　smiled；　and　when　his



friends　advised　it　should　be　taken　down；　would　not　permit　it；



because　he　looked　upon　it　as　consecrated。



　　After　the　defeat；　a　great　part　of　those　who　had　escaped　fled　with



their　king　into　a　town　called　Alesia；　which　Caesar　besieged；　though



the　height　of　the　walls；　and　number　of　those　who　defended　them；　made



it　appear　impregnable；　and　meantime；　from　without　the　walls；　he　was



assailed　by　a　greater　danger　than　can　be　expressed。　For　the　choice　men



of　Gaul；　picked　out　of　each　nation；　and　well　armed；　came　to　relieve



Alesia；　to　the　number　of　three　hundred　thousand；　nor　were　there　in　the



town　less　than　one　hundred　and　seventy　thousand。　So　that　Caesar



being　shut　up　betwixt　two　such　forces；　was　compelled　to　protect



himself　by　two　walls；　one　towards　the　town；　the　other　against　the



relieving　army；　as　knowing　if　these　forces　should　join；　his　affairs



would　be　entirely　ruined。　The　danger　that　he　underwent　before　Alesia



justly　gained　him　great　honour　on　many　accounts；　and　gave　him　an



opportunity　of　showing　greater　instances　of　his　valour　and　conduct



than　any　other　contest　had　done。　One　wonders　much　how　he　should　be



able　to　engage　and　defeat　so　many　thousands　of　men　without　the　town；



and　not　be　perceived　by　those　within；　but　yet　more；　that　the　Romans



themselves；　who　guarded　their　wall　which　was　next　to　the　town；



should　be　strangers　to　it。　For　even　they　knew　nothing　of　the



victory；　till　they　heard　the　cries　of　the　men　and　lamentations　of



the　women　who　were　in　the　town；　and　had　from　thence　seen　the　Romans　at



a　distance　carrying　into　their　camp　a　great　quantity　of　bucklers；



adorned　with　gold　and　silver；　many　breastplates　stained　with　blood；



besides　cups　and　tents　made　in　the　Gallic　fashion。　So　soon　did　so　vast



an　army　dissolve　and　vanish　like　a　ghost　or　dream；　the　greatest　part



of　them　being　killed　upon　the　spot。　Those　who　were　in　Alesia；　having



given　themselves　and　Caesar　much　trouble；　surrendered　at　last；　and



Vergentorix；　who　was　the　chief　spring　of　all　the　war；　putting　his　best



armour　on；　and　adorning　his　horse；　rode　out　of　the　gates；　and　made　a



turn　about　Caesar　as　he　was　sitting；　then　quitting　his　horse；　threw



off　his　armour；　and　remained　quietly　sitting　at　Caesar's　feet　until　he



was　led　away　to　be　reserved　for　the　triumph。



　　Caesar　had　long　ago　resolved　upon　the　overthrow　of　Pompey；　as　had



Pompey；　for　that　matter；　upon　his。　For　Crassus；　the　fear　of　whom　had



hitherto　kept　them　in　peace；　having　now　been　killed　in　Parthia；　if　the



one　of　them　wished　to　make　himself　the　greatest　man　in　Rome；　he　had



only　to　overthrow　the　other；　and　if　he　again　wished　to　prevent　his　own



fall；　he　had　nothing　for　it　but　to　be　beforehand　with　him　whom　he



feared。　Pompey　had　not　been　long　under　any　such　apprehensions；



having　till　lately　despised　Caesar；　as　thinking　it　no　difficult　matter



to　put　down　him　whom　he　himself　had　advanced。　But　Caesar　had



entertained　this　design　from　the　beginning　against　his　rivals；　and　had



retired；　like　an　expert　wrestler；　to　prepare　himself　apart　for　the



combat。　Making　the　Gallic　wars　his　exercise…ground；　he　had　at　once



improved　the　strength　of　his　soldiery；　and　had　heightened　his　own



glory　by　his　great　actions；　so　that　he　was　looked　on　as　one　who



might　challenge　comparison　with　Pompey。　Nor　did　he　let　go　any　of　those



advantages　which　were　now　given　him　both　by　Pompey　himself　and　the



times；　and　the　ill…government　of　Rome；　where　all　who　were　candidates