histories-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　109　AD



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　HISTORIES



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　P。　Cornelius　Tacitus



　　　　　　　　　translated　by　Alfred　John　Church　and　William　Jackson　Brodribb









　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　I；　January　…　March；　A。D。　69







　　I　BEGIN　my　work　with　the　time　when　Servius　Galba　was　consul　for



the　second　time　with　Titus　Vinius　for　his　colleague。　Of　the　former



period；　the　820　years　dating　from　the　founding　of　the　city；　many



authors　have　treated；　and　while　they　had　to　record　the　transactions　of



the　Roman　people；　they　wrote　with　equal　eloquence　and　freedom。　After



the　conflict　at　Actium；　and　when　it　became　essential　to　peace；　that



all　power　should　be　centered　in　one　man；　these　great　intellects　passed



away。　Then　too　the　truthfulness　of　history　was　impaired　in　many



ways；　at　first；　through　men's　ignorance　of　public　affairs；　which



were　now　wholly　strange　to　them；　then；　through　their　passion　for



flattery；　or；　on　the　other　hand；　their　hatred　of　their　masters。　And　so



between　the　enmity　of　the　one　and　the　servility　of　the　other；



neither　had　any　regard　for　posterity。　But　while　we　instinctively



shrink　from　a　writer's　adulation；　we　lend　a　ready　ear　to　detraction



and　spite；　because　flattery　involves　the　shameful　imputation　of



servility；　whereas　malignity　wears　the　false　appearance　of　honesty。



I　myself　knew　nothing　of　Galba；　of　Otho；　or　of　Vitellius；　either



from　benefits　or　from　injuries。　I　would　not　deny　that　my　elevation　was



begun　by　Vespasian；　augmented　by　Titus；　and　still　further　advanced



by　Domitian；　but　those　who　profess　inviolable　truthfulness　must



speak　of　all　without　partiality　and　without　hatred。　I　have　reserved　as



an　employment　for　my　old　age；　should　my　life　be　long　enough；　a　subject



at　once　more　fruitful　and　less　anxious　in　the　reign　of　the　Divine



Nerva　and　the　empire　of　Trajan；　enjoying　the　rare　happiness　of



times；　when　we　may　think　what　we　please；　and　express　what　we　think。



　　I　am　entering　on　the　history　of　a　period　rich　in　disasters；



frightful　in　its　wars；　torn　by　civil　strife；　and　even　in　peace　full　of



horrors。　Four　emperors　perished　by　the　sword。　There　were　three　civil



wars；　there　were　more　with　foreign　enemies；　there　were　often　wars　that



had　both　characters　at　once。　There　was　success　in　the　East；　and



disaster　in　the　West。　There　were　disturbances　in　Illyricum；　Gaul



wavered　in　its　allegiance；　Britain　was　thoroughly　subdued　and



immediately　abandoned；　the　tribes　of　the　Suevi　and　the　Sarmatae　rose



in　concert　against　us；　the　Dacians　had　the　glory　of　inflicting　as　well



as　suffering　defeat；　the　armies　of　Parthia　were　all　but　set　in



motion　by　the　cheat　of　a　counterfeit　Nero。　Now　too　Italy　was



prostrated　by　disasters　either　entirely　novel；　or　that　recurred　only



after　a　long　succession　of　ages；　cities　in　Campania's　richest　plains



were　swallowed　up　and　overwhelmed；　Rome　was　wasted　by



conflagrations；　its　oldest　temples　consumed；　and　the　Capitol　itself



fired　by　the　hands　of　citizens。　Sacred　rites　were　profaned；　there



was　profligacy　in　the　highest　ranks；　the　sea　was　crowded　with



exiles；　and　its　rocks　polluted　with　bloody　deeds。　In　the　capital　there



were　yet　worse　horrors。　Nobility；　wealth；　the　refusal　or　the



acceptance　of　office；　were　grounds　for　accusation；　and　virtue



ensured　destruction。　The　rewards　of　the　informers　were　no　less



odious　than　their　crimes；　for　while　some　seized　on　consulships　and



priestly　offices；　as　their　share　of　the　spoil；　others　on



procuratorships；　and　posts　of　more　confidential　authority；　they　robbed



and　ruined　in　every　direction　amid　universal　hatred　and　terror。　Slaves



were　bribed　to　turn　against　their　masters；　and　freedmen　to　betray



their　patrons；　and　those　who　had　not　an　enemy　were　destroyed　by



friends。



　　Yet　the　age　was　not　so　barren　in　noble　qualities；　as　not　also　to



exhibit　examples　of　virtue。　Mothers　accompanied　the　flight　of　their



sons；　wives　followed　their　husbands　into　exile；　there　were　brave



kinsmen　and　faithful　sons　in　law；　there　were　slaves　whose　fidelity



defied　even　torture；　there　were　illustrious　men　driven　to　the　last



necessity；　and　enduring　it　with　fortitude；　there　were　closing　scenes



that　equalled　the　famous　deaths　of　antiquity。　Besides　the　manifold



vicissitudes　of　human　affairs；　there　were　prodigies　in　heaven　and



earth；　the　warning　voices　of　the　thunder；　and　other　intimations　of　the



future；　auspicious　or　gloomy；　doubtful　or　not　to　be　mistaken。　Never



surely　did　more　terrible　calamities　of　the　Roman　People；　or　evidence



more　conclusive；　prove　that　the　Gods　take　no　thought　for　our



happiness；　but　only　for　our　punishment。



　　I　think　it　proper；　however；　before　I　commence　my　purposed　work；　to



pass　under　review　the　condition　of　the　capital；　the　temper　of　the



armies；　the　attitude　of　the　provinces；　and　the　elements　of　weakness



and　strength　which　existed　throughout　the　whole　empire；　that　so　we　may



become　acquainted；　not　only　with　the　vicissitudes　and　the　issues　of



events；　which　are　often　matters　of　chance；　but　also　with　their



relations　and　their　causes。　Welcome　as　the　death　of　Nero　had　been　in



the　first　burst　of　joy；　yet　it　had　not　only　roused　various　emotions　in



Rome；　among　the　Senators；　the　people；　or　the　soldiery　of　the



capital；　it　had　also　excited　all　the　legions　and　their　generals；　for



now　had　been　divulged　that　secret　of　the　empire；　that　emperors　could



be　made　elsewhere　than　at　Rome。　The　Senators　enjoyed　the　first



exercise　of　freedom　with　the　less　restraint；　because　the　Emperor　was



new　to　power；　and　absent　from　the　capital。　The　leading　men　of　the



Equestrian　order　sympathised　most　closely　with　the　joy　of　the



Senators。　The　respectable　portion　of　the　people；　which　was　connected



with　the　great　families；　as　well　as　the　dependants　and　freedmen　of



condemned　and　banished　persons；　were　high　in　hope。　The　degraded



populace；　frequenters　of　the　arena　and　the　theatre；　the　most　worthless



of　the　slaves；　and　those　who　having　wasted　their　property　were



supported　by　the　infamous　excesses　of　Nero；　caught　eagerly　in　their



dejection　at　every　rumour。



　　The　soldiery　of　the　capital；　who　were　imbued　with　the　spirit　of　an



old　allegiance　to　the　Caesars；　and　who　had　been　led　to　desert　Nero



by　intrigues　and　influences　from　without　rather　than　by　their　own



feelings；　were　inclined　for　change；　when　they　found　that　the



donative　promised　in　Galba's　name　was　withheld；　and　reflected　that　for



great　services　and　great　rewards　there　was　not　the　same　room　in



peace　as　in　war；　and　that　the　favour　of　an　emperor　created　by　the



legions　must　be　already　preoccupied。　They　were　further　excited　by



the　treason　of　Nymphidius　Sabinus；　their　prefect；　who　himself　aimed　at



the　throne。　Nymphidius　indeed　perished　in　the　attempt；　but；　though　the



head　of　the　mutiny　was　thus　removed；　there　yet　remained　in　many　of　the



soldiers　the　consciousness　of　guilt。　There　were　even　men　who　talked　in



angry　terms　of　the　feebleness　and　avarice　of　Galba。　The　strictness



once　so　commended；　and　celebrated　in　the　praises　of　the　army；　was



galling　to　troops　who　rebelled　against　the　old　discipline；　and　who　had



been　accustomed　by　fourteen　years'　service　under　Nero　to　love　the



vices　of　their　emperors；　as　much　as　they　had　once　respected　their



virtues。　To　all　this　was　added　Galba's　own　expression；　〃I　choose　my



soldiers；　I　do　not　buy　them；〃　noble　words　for　the　commonwealth；　but



fraught　with　peril　for　himself。　His　other　acts　were　not　after　this



pattern。



　　Titus　Vinius　and　Cornelius　Laco；　one　the　most　worthless；　the　other



the　most　spiritless　of　mankind；　were　ruining　the　weak　old　Emperor；　who



had　to　bear　the　odium　of　such　crimes　and　the　scorn　felt　for　such



cowardice。　Galba's　progress　had　been　slow　and　blood…stained。　Cingonius



Varro；　consul　elect；　and　Petronius　Turpilianus；　a　man　of　consular



rank；　were　put　to　death；　the　former　as　an　accomplice　of　Nymphidius；



the　latter　as　one　of　Nero's　generals。　Both　had　perished　without



hearing　or　defence；　like　innocent　men。　His　entry　into　the　capital；



made　after　the　slaughter　of　thousands　of　unarmed　soldiers；　was　most



ill…omened；　and　was　terrible　even　to　the　executioners。　As　he　brought



into　the　city　his　Spanish　legion；　while　that　which　Nero　had　levied



from　the　fleet　still　remained；　Rome　was　full　of　strange　troops。



There　were　also　many　detachments　from　Germany；　Britain；　and　Illyria；



selected　by　Nero；　and　sent　on　by　him　to　the　Caspian　passes；　for



service　in　the　expedition　which　he　was　preparing　against　the　Albani；



but　afterwards　recalled　to　crush　the　insurrection　of　Vindex。　Here



there　were　vast　materials　for　a　revolution；　without　indeed　a　decided



bias　towards　any　one　man；　but　ready　to　a　daring　hand。



　　In　this　conjuncture　it　happened　that　tidings　of　the　deaths　of



Fonteius　Capito　and　Clodius　Macer　reached　the　capital。　Macer　was



executed　in　Africa；　where　he　was　undoubtedly　fomenting　sedition；　by



Trebonius　Garutianus　the　procurator；　who　acted　on　Galba's　authority；



Capito　fell　in　Germany；　while　he　was　making　similar　attempts；　by　the



hands　of　Cornelius　Aquinus　and　Fabius　Valens；　legates　of　legions；



who　did　not　wait　for　an　order。　There　were　however　some　who　believed



that　Capito；　though　foully　stained　with　avarice　and　profligacy；　had



yet　abstained　from　all　thought　of　revolution；　that　this　was　a



treacherous　accusation　invented　by　the　commanders　themselves；　who



had　urged　him　to　take　up　arms；　when　they　found　themselves　unable　to



prevail；　and　that　Galba　had　approved　of　the　deed；　either　from　weakness



of　character；　or　to　avoid　investigation　into　the　circumstances　of　acts



which　could　not　be　altered。　Both　executions；　however；　were



unfavourably　regarded；　indeed；　when　a　ruler　once　becomes　unpopular；



all　his　acts；　be　they　good　or　bad；　tell　against　him。　The　freedmen　in



their　excessive　power　were　now　putting　up　everything　for　sale；　the



slaves　caught　with　greedy　hands　at　immediate　gain；　and；　reflecting



on　their　master's　age；　hastened　to　be　rich。　The　new　court　had　the　same



abuses　as　the　old；　abuses　as　grievous　as　ever；　but　not　so　readily



excused。　Even　the　age　of　Galba　caused　ridicule　and　disgust　among　those



whose　associations　were　with　the　youth　of　Nero；　and　who　were



accustomed；　as　is　the　fashion　of　the　vulgar；　to　value　their　emperors



by　the　beauty　and　grace　of　their　persons。



　　Such；　as　far　as　one　can　speak　of　so　vast　a　multitude；　was　the



state　of　feeling　at　Rome。　Among　the　provinces；　Spain　was　under　the



government　of　Cluvius　Rufus；　an　eloquent　man；　who　had　all　the



accomplishments　of　civil　life；　but　who　was　without　experience　in



war。　Gaul；　besides　remembering　Vindex；　was　bound　to　Galba　by　the



recently　conceded　privileges　of　citizenship；　and　by　the　diminution



of