However, Julius Auspex, a chieftain of the 69 Remi, enlarged upon the power of Rome and the blessings of peace.  ’Any coward can begin a war,’ he said, ’but it is the brave who run the risks of its conduct:  and here are the legions already upon us.’  Thus he restrained them, awakening a sense of duty in all the sager breasts, and appealing to the fears of the younger men.  So, while applauding Valentinus’ courage, they followed the advice of Auspex.  The fact that in Vindex’s rising the Treviri and Lingones sided with Verginius is known to have told against them in Gaul.  Many, too, were held back by tribal jealousy.  They wanted to know where the head-quarters of the war would be, to whom were they to look for auspices and orders, and, if all went well, which town would be chosen as the seat of government.  Thus dissension preceded victory.  They angrily magnified, some their great connexions, others their wealth and strength, others their antiquity, until they grew tired of discussing the future and voted for the existing state of things.  Letters were written to the Treviri in the name of All Gaul, bidding them cease hostilities, suggesting, however, that pardon might be obtained, and that many were ready to plead their cause if they showed repentance.  Valentinus opposed this mandate and made his tribesmen offer a deaf ear to it.  He was always less anxious to organize a campaign than to make speeches on every possible occasion.

The result was that neither the Treviri nor the Lingones nor the 70 other rebel tribes behaved as if aware of the serious risks they were undertaking.  Even the leaders did not act in concert.  Civilis wandered over the wilds of the Belgic country, trying to catch or expel Claudius Labeo.  Classicus ordinarily took his ease, apparently enjoying the fruits of empire.  Even Tutor seemed in no hurry to garrison the Upper Rhine and block the Alpine passes.  In the meantime, the Twenty-first legion made its way down from Vindonissa, while Sextilius Felix[423] advanced through Raetia with some auxiliary cohorts.  These were joined by the ’Picked Horse’,[424] a force that had been raised by Vitellius and then deserted to Vespasian.  This was commanded by Civilis’ nephew, Julius Briganticus,[425] for uncle and nephew hated each other with all the aggravated bitterness of near relatives.  Tutor swelled his force of Treviri with fresh levies from the Vangiones, Triboci, and Caeracates,[426] and a stiffening of Roman veterans, both horse and foot, who had either been bribed or intimidated.  These first cut up an auxiliary cohort sent forward by Sextilius Felix, but on the advance of the Roman army with its generals they loyally deserted to their old flag, and were followed by the Triboci, Vangiones, and Caeracates.  Tutor, followed by his Treviri, avoided Mainz and fell back on Bingium,[427] relying on his position there, as he had broken down the bridge over the river Nava.  However, Sextilius’ cohorts followed him up; some traitor showed them