asures more resolute and
acceptable to barbarians--"To invest the camp; it would be quickly
captured; there would be more captives, and the plunder uninjured." As
soon therefore as it was light, they level the ditch, cast hurdles into
it, attempt to scale the palisade, there being but few men on the
rampart, and those who were, standing as if paralyzed by fear. But when
they were hampered in the fortifications, the signal was given to the
cohorts; the cornets and trumpets sounded at once, and instantly,
shouting and charging, they poured down upon their rear, telling them
tauntingly "that there were no thickets, no marshes, but equal chances
in a fair field." The enemy, expecting an easy conquest, and that the
Romans were few and half-armed, were overpowered with the sounds of
trumpets and glitter of arms, which were then magnified in proportion as
they were unexpected; and they fell like men who, as they are void of
moderation in prosperity, are also destitute of conduct in distress.
Arminius fled from the fight unhurt, Inguiomer severely wounded. The men
were slaughtered as long as day and rage lasted. At length, at night,
the legions returned, and though distressed by the same want of
provisions and more wounds, yet in victory they found all
things--health, vigor, and abundance.

Meanwhile a report had spread that an army was cut off, and a body of
Germans on full march to invade Gaul; so that, under the terror of this
news, there were those whose cowardice would have emboldened them to
demolish the bridge upon the Rhine, had not Agrippina forbidden the
infamous attempt. This high-minded woman took upon herself all the
duties of a general, and distributed to the soldiers, gratuitously,
medicines and clothes, according as anyone was in want or wounded. Caius
Plinius, the writer of the German wars, relates that she stood at the
head of the bridge as the legions returned, and bestowed on them thanks
and praises; a behavior which sunk deep into the heart of Tiberius, for
these attentions he thought were not disinterested; nor was it against
foreigners she sought to win the army; for nothing was now left the
generals to do, when a woman paid her visits of inspection to the
companies, attended the standards, and presumed to distribute largesses;
as if before she had shown but small tokens of ambitious designs in
carrying her child (the son of the general) in a soldier's uniform
about the camp and desiring that he be styled