The annales of Cornelius Tacitus. The description of Germanie

II. Paetus goeth into Armenia: and his vnskilfulnes in seruice.

BVt Paetus setting nought by ominous signes, nor hauing sufficiently fortified his wintering campes, nor prouision of corne made, conducteth his armie in all hast ouer the hill Taurus, to recouer (as he saide) the Tigranocertians, and to forrage the countries which Corbulo had left vntouched. And some castles he tooke, and some glorie and some bootie he wanne, if he had vsed his glorie with mo∣deration, and his bootie with circumspection. Hauing by long iourneies ouerrun those places which he could not keepe, and that the prouision of victuals was spoiled and corrupted which he had taken, and the winter now at hand, he brought his ar∣mie backe againe: and sent letters to Caesar as though the warre had beene ended, in wordes magnificent; but voide of matter. In the meane season Corbulo hauing had alwaies a speciall care of the bankes of Euphrates; lodged on them now a grea∣ter strength of garrisons, then before he had: and least the enimie troupes should hinder the making a bridge (for they braued it with a gallant shew in the champion which lay vnder them) he brought vp the riuer vessels of huge bignes, ioyned to∣gither with timber worke, and built towres on them; beating off the Barbarians with stones and speares out of Balistas and other engines, let flie farther, than that the countrey shot of arrowes, could match vs with the like againe. The bridge con∣tinued and finished, the opposite hils were seased by the cohorts of allies, and after∣ward possessed by the campe of the legions, with such great celeritie and shew of puissant forces, that the Parthians, all preparation of inuading Syria omitted, turned all their hope against Armenia. There Paetus ignorant what was at hand, had the fift legion far from him in Pontus: and had weakned the rest by inconsiderate licensing the soldiers to depart, vntill newes was brought that Vologeses came with a great ar∣mie resolutely bent to do great mischiefe. The twelfth legion was sent for, ho∣ping

that thereby it would be noised that his forces were increased; but indeed that bewrayed his weakenes, with which neuer thelesse he might haue incamped: and the Parthian deluded by drawing the warre in length, if P••ato had beene constant, ei∣ther to follow his owne, or others counsels. But he by men experienced in warre being counselled what was best against imminent casualties, least he should seeme to haue neede of thers aduise, would do quite contrarie and much woorse. And then forsaking his standing campes, crying that he had no trench and rampire giuen him against the enimie, but bodies and weapons, issued out with the legions, as though he would fight a field. And hauing lost a Centurion and a few souldiers, sent be∣fore to view the enimies forces, came backe againe greatly affrighted. And bicause Vologeses came on but coldly, resuming againe a vaine hope, lodged three thousand choise men on the top of the hill Taurus hard by, to hinder the King to passe. He placed also certaine cornets of Pannonians, which were the strength and sinewes of his horsemen, in one part of the plaine. His wife and sonne were shut vp in a castle called Arsamosata, and a cohort appointed to guarde them; and thus dispersed the souldiers, which vnited in one, would much better haue made head against the stra∣gled and rouing enimie. It is reported that he was hardly brought to confesse vnto Corbulo that the King was at hand: neither did Corbulo make any great haste, to the end that the dangers growing great, his own praise in succouring might be the grea∣ter. Neuerthelesse he commaunded three thousand to be set forwarde out of the three legions; eight hundred horse, and the like number out of the auxiliarie co∣horts. But Vologeses although he had vnderstood that the passages were shut vp by Paetus on the one side with footmen, and on the other with horsmen, nothing al∣tering his determination; what with violence, what with threatnings, hauing put the horsemen to flight, broke the legionaries; one onely Centurion Tarquitius Crescens hauing courage to defend himselfe in a towre wherein he had a garrison: making often sallies, and slaying such Barbarians as came neere, vntill he was forced by fire to yeeld. Of the footemen if any was vnhurt he fled to bye-places a farre off, the wounded returned to the campe; extolling the valour of the King; the cru∣eltie and number of his souldiers, and all else for feare; such easily beleeuing them as were in the like perplexitie. The Captaine himselfe not once endeuoruing to re∣medie the calamitie, neglected all duties of seruice, and sent againe to intreat Corbu∣lo, that he would come away in all poste haste, to defend the ensignes and standarts, and the onely name left of the vnfortunate armie: he for his owne part would whi∣lest life lasted remaine faithfull.