Hence not only the Cheruscans and their confederates, they who had been
the ancient soldiery of Arminius, took arms; but to him too revolted the
Semnones and Langobards, both Suevian nations, and even subjects of
Maroboduus; and by their accession he would have exceeded in puissance,
but Inguiomerus with his band of followers deserted to Maroboduus; for no
other cause than disdain, that an old man and an uncle like himself should
obey Arminius, a young man, his nephew. Both armies were drawn out, with
equal hopes; nor disjointed, like the old German battles, into scattered
parties for loose and random attacks; for by long war with us they had
learnt to follow their ensigns, to strengthen their main body with parties
of reserves, and to observe the orders of their generals. Arminius was now
on horseback viewing all the ranks: as he rode through them he magnified
their past feats; "their liberty recovered; the slaughtered legions; the
spoils of arms wrested from the Romans; monuments of victory still
retained in some of their hands." Upon Maroboduus he fell with
contumelious names, as "a fugitive, one of no abilities in war; a coward
who had sought defence from the gloomy coverts of the Hercynian woods, and
then by gifts and solicitations courted the alliance of Rome; a betrayer
of his country, and a lifeguard-man of Caesar's, worthy to be exterminated
with no less hostile vengeance than in the slaughter of Quinctilius Varus
they had shown.
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