第 6 节
作者:风格1      更新:2021-02-18 23:33      字数:9322
  her by her colour; took her; to whom Sertorius promised a good reward;
  if they would tell no one of it; and immediately shut her up。 A few
  days after; he appeared in public with a very cheerful look; and
  declared to the chief men of the country that the gods had foretold
  him in a dream that some great good fortune should shortly attend him;
  and; taking his seat; proceeded to answer the petitions of those who
  applied themselves to him。 The keepers of the hind; who were not far
  off; now let her loose; and she no sooner espied Sertorius; but she
  came leaping with great joy to his feet; laid her head upon his knees;
  and licked his hands; as she formerly used to do。 And Sertorius
  stroking her; and making much of her again; with that tenderness
  that the tears stood in his eyes; all that were present were
  immediately filled with wonder and astonishment; and accompanying
  him to his house with loud shouts for joy; looked upon him as a person
  above the rank of mortal men; and highly beloved by the gods; and were
  great courage and hope for the future。
  When he had reduced his enemies to the last extremity for want of
  provision; he was forced to give them battle; in the plains near
  Saguntum; to hinder them from foraging and plundering the country。
  Both parties fought gloriously。 Memmius; the best commander in
  Pompey's army; was slain in the heat of the battle。 Sertorius
  overthrew all before him; and with great slaughter of his enemies
  pressed forward towards Metellus。 This old commander; making a
  resistance beyond what could be expected from one of his years; was
  wounded with a lance an occurrence which filled all who either saw
  it or heard of it with shame; to be thought to have left their general
  in distress; but at the same time to provoke them to revenge and
  fury against their enemies; they covered Metellus with their
  shields; and brought him off in safety; and then valiantly repulsed
  the Spaniards; and so victory changed sides; and Sertorius; that he
  might afford a more secure retreat to his army; and that fresh
  forces might more easily be raised; retired into a strong city in
  the mountains。 And though it was the least of his intention to sustain
  a long siege; yet he began to repair the walls; and to fortify the
  gates; thus deluding his enemies; who came and sat down before the
  town; hoping to take it without much resistance; and meantime gave
  over the pursuit of the Spaniards; and allowed opportunity for raising
  new forces for Sertorius; to which purpose he had sent commanders to
  all their cities; with orders; when they had sufficiently increased
  their numbers; to send him word of it。 This news he no sooner
  received; but he sallied out and forced his way through his enemies;
  and easily joined them with the rest of his army。 Having received this
  considerable reinforcement; he set upon the Romans again; and by
  rapidly assaulting them; by alarming them on all sides; by
  ensnaring; circumventing; and laying ambushes for them; he cut off all
  provisions by land; while with his piratical vessels he kept all the
  coast in awe; and hindered their supplies by sea。 He thus forced the
  Roman generals to dislodge and to separate from one another:
  Metellus departed into Gaul; and Pompey wintered among the
  Vaccaeans; in a wretched condition; where; being in extreme want of
  money; he wrote a letter to the senate; to let them know that if
  they did not speedily support him; he must draw off his army; for he
  had already spent his own money in the defence of Italy。 To these
  extremities; the chiefest and the most powerful commanders of the
  age were reduced by the skill of Sertorius; and it was the common
  opinion in Rome that he would be in Italy before Pompey。
  How far Metellus was terrified and at what rate he esteemed him;
  he plainly declared; when he offered by proclamation an hundred
  talents and twenty thousand acres of land to any Roman that should
  kill him; and leave; if he were banished; to return; attempting
  villainously to buy his life by treachery; when he despaired of ever
  being able to overcome him in open war。 When once he gained the
  advantage in a battle against Sertorius; he was so pleased and
  transported with his good fortune; that he caused himself to be
  publicly proclaimed imperator; and all the cities which he visited
  received him with altars and sacrifices; he allowed himself; it is
  said; to have garlands placed on his head; and accepted sumptuous
  entertainments; at which he sat drinking in triumphal robes; while
  images and figures of victory were introduced by the motion of
  machines; bringing in with them crowns and trophies of gold to present
  to him; and companies of young men and women danced before him; and
  sang to him songs of joy and triumph。 By all which he rendered himself
  deservedly ridiculous; for being so excessively delighted and puffed
  up with the thoughts of having followed one who was retiring of his
  own accord; and for having once had the better of him whom he used
  to call Sylla's runaway slave; and his forces; the remnant of the
  defeated troops of Carbo。
  Sertorius; meantime; showed the loftiness of his temper in calling
  together all the Roman senators who had fled from Rome; and had come
  and resided with him; and giving them the name of a senate; and out of
  these he chose praetors and quaestors; and adorned his government with
  all the Roman laws and institutions。 And though he made use of the
  arms; riches; and cities of the Spaniards; yet he would never; even in
  word; remit to them the imperial authority; but set Roman officers and
  commanders over them; intimating his purpose to restore liberty to the
  Romans; not to raise up the Spaniard's power against them。 For he
  was a sincere lover of his country; and had a great desire to return
  home; but in his adverse fortune he showed undaunted courage; and
  behaved himself towards his enemies in a manner free from all
  dejection and mean…spiritedness; and when he was in his prosperity;
  and in the height of his victories; he sent word to Metellus and
  Pompey that he was ready to lay down his arms and live a private
  life if he were allowed to return home; declaring that he had rather
  live as the meanest citizen in Rome than; exiled from it; be supreme
  commander of all other cities together。 And it is thought that his
  great desire for his country was in no small measure promoted by the
  tenderness he had for his mother; under whom he was brought up after
  the death of his father; and upon whom he had placed his entire
  affection。 After that his friends had sent for him into Spain to be
  their general; as soon as he heard of his mother's death he had almost
  cast away himself and died for grief; for he lay seven days together
  continually in his tent; without giving the word; or being seen by the
  nearest of his friends; and when the chief commanders of the army
  and persons of the greatest note came about his tent; with great
  difficulty they prevailed with him at last to come abroad; and speak
  to his soldiers; and to take upon him the management of affairs; which
  were in a prosperous condition。 And thus; to many men's judgment; he
  seemed to have been in himself of a mild and compassionate temper; and
  naturally given to ease and quietness; and to have accepted of the
  command of military forces contrary to his own inclination; and not
  being able to live in safety otherwise; to have been driven by his
  enemies to have recourse to arms; and to espouse the wars as a
  necessary guard for the defence of his person。
  His negotiations with King Mithridates further argue the greatness
  of his mind。 For when Mithridates recovering himself from his
  overthrow by Sylla; like a strong wrestler that gets up to try another
  fall; was again endeavouring to re…establish his power in Asia; at
  this time the great fame of Sertorius was celebrated in all places;
  and when the merchants who came out of the western parts of Europe;
  bringing these; as it were; among their other foreign wares; had
  filled the kingdom of Pontus with their stories of his exploits in
  war; Mithridates was extremely desirous to send an embassy to him;
  being also highly encouraged to it by the boastings of his
  flattering courtiers; who; comparing Mithridates to Pyrrhus; and
  Sertorius to Hannibal; professed that the Romans would never be able
  to make any considerable resistance against such great forces; and
  such admirable commanders; when they should be set upon on both
  sides at once; on one by the most warlike general; and on the other by
  the most powerful prince in existence。
  Accordingly; Mithridates sends ambassadors into Spain to Sertorius
  with letters and instructions; and commission to promise ships and
  money toward the charge of the war; if Sertorius would confirm his
  pretensions upon Asia; and authorize to possess all that he had
  surrendered to the Romans in his treaty with Sylla。 Sertorius summoned
  a full council which he called a senate; where; when others joyfully
  approved of the conditions; and were desirous immediately to accept of
  his offer; seeing that he desired nothing of them but a name; and an
  empty title to places not in their power to dispose of; in
  recompense of which they should be supplied wi