antony-第10章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


les　had　not　limited　his　hopes　of　progeny　to　a　single　womb；　nor　feared　any　law　like　Solon's　or　any　audit　of　procreation；　but　had　freely　let　nature　take　her　will　in　the　foundation　and　first　commencement　of　many　families。　　　After　Phraates　had　killed　his　father　Hyrodes；　and　taken　possession　of　his　kingdom；　many　of　the　Parthians　left　their　country；　among　the　rest　Monaeses；　a　man　of　great　distinction　and　authority；　sought　refuge　with　Antony；　who；　looking　on　his　case　as　similar　to　that　of　Themistocles；　and　likening　his　own　opulence　and　magnanimity　to　those　of　the　former　Persian　kings；　gave　him　three　cities；　Larissa；　Arethusa；　and　Hierapolis；　which　was　formerly　called　Bambyce。　But　when　the　King　of　Parthia　soon　recalled　him；　giving　him　his　word　and　honour　for　his　safety；　Antony　was　not　unwilling　to　give　him　leave　to　return；　hoping　thereby　to　surprise　Phraates；　who　would　believe　that　peace　would　continue；　for　he　only　made　the　demand　of　him　that　he　should　send　back　the　Roman　ensigns　which　were　taken　when　Crassus　was　slain；　and　the　prisoners　that　remained　yet　alive。　This　done；　he　sent　Cleopatra　to　Egypt；　and　marched　through　Arabia　and　Armenia；　and；　when　his　forces　came　together；　and　were　joined　by　those　of　his　confederate　kings　（of　whom　there　were　very　many；　and　the　most　considerable；　Artavasdes；　King　of　Armenia；　who　came　at　the　head　of　six　thousand　horse　and　seven　thousand　foot）；　he　made　a　general　muster。　There　appeared　sixty　thousand　Roman　foot；　ten　thousand　horse；　Spaniards　and　Gauls；　who　counted　as　Romans；　and；　of　other　nations；　horse　and　foot　thirty　thousand。　And　these　great　preparations；　that　put　the　Indians　beyond　Bactria　into　alarm；　and　made　all　Asia　shake；　were　all　we　are　told　rendered　useless　to　him　because　of　Cleopatra。　For；　in　order　to　pass　the　winter　with　her；　the　war　was　pushed　on　before　its　due　time；　and　all　he　did　was　done　without　perfect　consideration；　as　by　a　man　who　had　no　power　of　control　over　his　faculties；　who；　under　the　effect　of　some　drug　or　magic；　was　still　looking　back　elsewhere；　and　whose　object　was　much　more　to　hasten　his　return　than　to　conquer　his　enemies。　　　For；　first　of　all；　when　he　should　have　taken　up　his　winter…quarters　in　Armenia；　to　refresh　his　men；　who　were　tired　with　long　marches；　having　come　at　least　eight　thousand　furlongs；　and　then　having　taken　the　advantage　in　the　beginning　of　the　spring　to　invade　Media；　before　the　Parthians　were　out　of　winter…quarters；　he　had　not　patience　to　expect　his　time；　but　marched　into　the　province　of　Atropatene；　leaving　Armenia　on　the　left　hand；　and　laid　waste　all　that　country。　Secondly；　his　haste　was　so　great　that　he　left　behind　the　engines　absolutely　required　for　any　siege；　which　followed　the　camp　in　three　hundred　wagons；　and；　among　the　rest；　a　ram　eighty　feet　long；　none　of　which　was　it　possible；　if　lost　or　damaged；　to　repair　or　to　make　the　like；　as　the　provinces　of　the　Upper　Asia　produce　no　trees　long　or　hard　enough　for　such　uses。　Nevertheless；　he　left　them　all　behind；　as　a　mere　impediment　to　his　speed；　in　the　charge　of　a　detachment　under　the　command　of　Statianus；　the　wagon　officer。　He　himself　laid　siege　to　Phraata；　a　principal　city　of　the　King　of　Media；　wherein　were　that　king's　wife　and　children。　And　when　actual　need　proved　the　greatness　of　his　error；　in　leaving　the　siege…train　behind　him；　he　had　nothing　for　it　but　to　come　up　and　raise　a　mound　against　the　walls；　with　infinite　labour　and　great　loss　of　time。　Meantime　Phraates；　coming　down　with　a　large　army；　and　hearing　that　the　wagons　were　left　behind　with　the　battering　engines；　sent　a　strong　party　of　horse；　by　which　Statianus　was　surprised；　he　himself　and　ten　thousand　of　his　men　slain；　the　engines　all　broken　in　pieces；　many　taken　prisoners；　and　among　the　rest　King　Polemon。　　　This　great　miscarriage　in　the　opening　of　the　campaign　much　discouraged　Antony's　army；　and　Artavasdes；　King　of　Armenia；　deciding　that　the　Roman　prospects　were　bad；　withdrew　with　all　his　forces　from　the　camp；　although　he　had　been　the　chief　promoter　of　the　war。　The　Parthians；　encouraged　by　their　success；　came　up　to　the　Romans　at　the　siege；　and　gave　them　many　affronts；　upon　which　Antony；　fearing　that　the　despondency　and　alarm　of　his　soldiers　would　only　grow　worse　if　he　let　them　lie　idle　taking　all　the　horse；　ten　legions；　and　three　praetorian　cohorts　of　heavy　infantry；　resolved　to　go　out　and　forage；　designing　by　this　means　to　draw　the　enemy　with　more　advantage　to　a　battle。　To　effect　this；　he　marched　a　day's　journey　from　his　camp；　and　finding　the　Parthians　hovering　about；　in　readiness　to　attack　him　while　he　was　in　motion；　he　gave　orders　for　the　signal　of　battle　to　be　hung　out　in　the　encampment；　but；　at　the　same　time；　pulled　down　the　tents；　as　if　he　meant　not　to　fight；　but　to　lead　his　men　home　again；　and　so　he　proceeded　to　lead　them　past　the　enemy；　who　were　drawn　up　in　a　half…moon；　his　orders　being　that　the　horse　should　charge　as　soon　as　the　legions　were　come　up　near　enough　to　second　them。　The　Parthians；　standing　still　while　the　Romans　marched　by　them；　were　in　great　admiration　of　their　army；　and　of　the　exact　discipline　it　observed；　rank　after　rank　passing　on　at　equal　distances　in　perfect　order　and　silence；　their　pikes　all　ready　in　their　hands。　But　when　the　signal　was　given；　and　the　horse　turned　short　upon　the　Parthians；　and　with　loud　cries　charged　them；　they　bravely　received　them；　though　they　were　at　once　too　near　for　bowshot；　but　the　legions　coming　up　with　loud　shouts　and　rattling　of　their　arms　so　frightened　their　horses　and　indeed　the　men　themselves；　that　they　kept　their　ground　no　longer。　Antony　pressed　them　hard；　in　great　hopes　that　this　victory　should　put　an　end　to　the　war；　the　foot　had　them　in　pursuit　for　fifty　furlongs；　and　the　horse　for　thrice　that　distance；　and　yet；　the　advantage　summed　up；　they　had　but　thirty　prisoners；　and　there　were　but　fourscore　slain。　So　that　they　were　all　filled　with　dejection　and　discouragement；　to　consider　that　when　they　were　victorious；　their　advantages　were　so　small；　and　that　when　they　were　beaten；　they　lost　so　great　a　number　of　men　as　they　had　done　when　the　carriages　were　taken。　　　The　next　day；　having　put　the　baggage　in　order；　they　marched　back　to　the　camp　before　Phraata；　in　the　way　meeting　with　some　scattering　troops　of　the　enemy；　and；　as　they　marched　further；　with　greater　parties；　at　length　with　the　body　of　the　enemy's　army；　fresh　and　in　good　order；　who　defied　them　to　battle；　and　charged　them　on　every　side；　and　it　was　not　without　great　difficulty　that　they　reached　the　camp。　There　Antony；　finding　that　his　men　had　in　a　panic　deserted　the　defence　of　the　mound；　upon　a　sally　of　the　Medes；　resolved　to　proceed　against　them　by　decimation；　as　it　is　called；　which　is　done　by　dividing　the　soldiers　into　tens；　and；　out　of　every　ten；　putting　one　to　death；　as　it　happens　by　lot。　The　rest　he　gave　orders　should　have；　instead　of　wheat；　their　rations　of　corn　in　barley。　　　The　war　was　now　become　grievous　to　both　parties；　and　the　prospect　of　its　continuance　yet　more　fearful　to　Antony；　in　respect　that　he　was　threatened　with　famine；　for　he　could　no　longer　forage　without　wounds　and　slaughter。　And　Phraates；　on　the　other　side；　was　full　of　apprehension　that　if　the　Romans　were　to　persist　in　carrying　on　the　siege；　the　autumnal　equinox　being　past　and　the