histories-第12章

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more　zeal　than　discretion。　For　even　honourable　motives　of　action；



unless　directed　by　judgment；　are　followed　by　disastrous　results。　We



are　now　starting　for　a　campaign。　Does　the　nature　of　things；　does　the



rapid　flight　of　opportunities；　admit　of　all　intelligence　being



publicly　announced；　of　every　plan　being　discussed　in　the　presence　of



all？　It　is　as　needful　that　the　soldiers　should　be　ignorant　of　some



things　as　that　they　should　know　others。　The　general's　authority；　the



stern　laws　of　discipline；　require　that　in　many　matters　even　the



centurions　and　tribunes　shall　only　receive　orders。　If；　whenever　orders



are　given；　individuals　may　ask　questions；　obedience　ceases；　and　all



command　is　at　an　end。　Will　you　in　the　field　too　snatch　up　your　arms　in



the　dead　of　night？　Shall　one　or　two　worthless　and　drunken　fellows；　for



I　cannot　believe　that　more　were　carried　away　by　the　frenzy　of　the　late



outbreak；　imbrue　their　hands　in　the　blood　of　centurions　and



tribunes；　and　burst　into　the　tent　of　their　Emperor？



　　〃You　indeed　did　this　to　serve　me；　but　in　the　tumult；　the　darkness；



and　the　general　confusion；　an　opportunity　may　well　occur　that　may　be



used　against　me。　If　Vitellius　and　his　satellites　were　allowed　to



choose；　what　would　be　the　temper　and　what　the　thoughts　with　which　they



would　curse　us？　What　would　they　wish　for　us　but　mutiny　and　strife；



that　the　private　should　not　obey　the　centurion；　nor　the　centurion



the　tribune；　that　thus　we　should　rush；　horse　and　foot　together；　on　our



own　destruction？　Comrades；　it　is　by　obeying；　not　by　questioning　the



orders　of　commanders；　that　military　power　is　kept　together。　And　that



army　is　the　most　courageous　in　the　moment　of　peril；　which　is　the



most　orderly　before　the　peril　comes。　Keep　you　your　arms　and　your



courage；　leave　it　to　me　to　plan；　and　to　guide　your　valour。　A　few



were　in　fault；　two　will　be　punished。　Let　all　the　rest　blot　out　the



remembrance　of　that　night　of　infamy。　Never　let　any　army　hear　those



cries　against　the　Senate。　To　clamour　for　the　destruction　of　what　is



the　head　of　the　Empire；　and　contains　all　that　is　distinguished　in



the　provinces；　good　God！　it　is　a　thing　which　not　even　those　Germans；



whom　Vitellius　at　this　very　moment　is　rousing　against　us；　would　dare



to　do。　Shall　any　sons　of　Italy；　the　true　youth　of　Rome；　cry　out　for



the　massacre　of　an　order；　by　whose　splendid　distinctions　we　throw　into



the　shade　the　mean　and　obscure　faction　of　Vitellius？　Vitellius　is



the　master　of　a　few　tribes；　and　has　some　semblance　of　an　army。　We　have



the　Senate。　The　country　is　with　us；　with　them；　the　country's



enemies。　What！　do　you　imagine　that　this　fairest　of　cities　is　made　up



of　dwellings　and　edifices　and　piles　of　stones？　These　dumb　and



inanimate　things　may　be　indifferently　destroyed　and　rebuilt。　The



eternal　duration　of　empire；　the　peace　of　nations；　my　safety　and　yours；



rest　on　the　security　of　the　Senate。　This　order　which　was　instituted



under　due　auspices　by　the　Father　and　Founder　of　the　city；　and　which



has　lasted　without　interruption　and　without　decay　from　the　Kings



down　to　the　Emperors；　we　will　bequeath　to　our　descendants；　as　we



have　inherited　it　from　our　ancestors。　For　you　give　the　state　its



Senators；　and　the　Senate　gives　it　its　Princes。〃



　　This　speech；　which　was　meant　to　touch　and　to　calm　the　feelings　of



the　soldiers；　and　the　moderate　amount　of　severity　exercised　（for



Otho　had　ordered　two　and　no　more　to　be　punished）；　met　with　a



grateful　acceptance；　and　for　the　moment　reduced　to　order　men　who　could



not　be　coerced。　Yet　tranquillity　was　not　restored　to　the　capital；



there　was　still　the　din　of　arms　and　all　the　sights　of　war；　and　the



soldiers；　though　they　made　no　concerted　disturbance；　had　dispersed



themselves　in　disguise　about　private　houses；　and　exercised　a　malignant



surveillance　over　all　whom　exalted　rank；　or　distinction　of　any　kind；



exposed　to　injurious　reports。　Many　too　believed　that　some　of　the



soldiers　of　Vitellius　had　come　to　the　capital　to　learn　the　feelings　of



the　different　parties。　Hence　everything　was　rife　with　suspicion；　and



even　the　privacy　of　the　family　was　hardly　exempt　from　fear。　It　was



however　in　public　that　most　alarm　was　felt；　with　every　piece　of



intelligence　that　rumour　brought；　men　changed　their　looks　and　spirits；



anxious　not　to　appear　discouraged　by　unfavourable　omens；　or　too　little



delighted　by　success。　When　the　Senate　was　summoned　to　the　Chamber；



it　was　hard　for　them　to　maintain　in　all　things　a　safe　moderation。



Silence　might　seem　contumacious；　and　frankness　might　provoke



suspicion；　and　Otho；　who　had　lately　been　a　subject；　and　had　used　the



same　language；　was　familiar　with　flattery。　Accordingly；　they　discussed



various　motions　on　which　they　had　put　many　constructions。　Vitellius



they　called　a　public　enemy　and　a　traitor　to　his　country；　the　more



prudent　contenting　themselves　with　hackneyed　terms　of　abuse；　though



some　threw　out　reproaches　founded　in　truth；　yet　only　did　so　in　the



midst　of　clamour；　and　when　many　voices　were　heard　at　once；　drowning



their　own　speech　in　a　tumult　of　words。



　　Prodigies　which　were　now　noised　abroad　from　various　sources



increased　men's　terror。　It　was　said　that　in　the　porch　of　the　Capitol



the　reins　of　the　chariot；　on　which　stood　the　goddess　of　Victory；　had



dropped　from　her　hand；　that　from　the　chapel　of　Juno　there　had　rushed



forth　a　form　greater　than　the　form　of　man；　that　the　statue　of　the



Divine　Julius；　which　stands　on　the　island　in　the　Tiber；　had　turned



from　the　West　to　the　East　on　a　calm　and　tranquil　day；　that　an　ox　had



spoken　aloud　in　Etruria；　that　strange　births　of　animals　had　taken



place；　besides　many　other　things；　such　as　in　barbarous　ages　are



observed　even　during　seasons　of　peace；　but　are　now　heard　of　only　in



times　of　terror。　But　an　alarm　greater　than　all；　because　it　connected



immediate　loss　with　fears　for　the　future；　arose　from　a　sudden



inundation　of　the　Tiber。　The　river　became　vastly　swollen；　broke　down



the　wooden　bridge；　was　checked　by　the　heap　of　ruins　across　the



current；　and　overflowed　not　only　the　low　and　level　districts　of　the



capital；　but　also　much　that　had　been　thought　safe　from　such



casualties。　Many　were　swept　away　in　the　streets；　many　more　were　cut



off　in　their　shops　and　chambers。　The　want　of　employment　and　the



scarcity　of　provisions　caused　a　famine　among　the　populace。　The



poorer　class　of　houses　had　their　foundations　sapped　by　the　stagnant



waters；　and　fell　when　the　river　returned　to　its　channel。　When　men's



minds　were　no　longer　occupied　by　their　fears；　the　fact；　that　while



Otho　was　preparing　for　his　campaign；　the　Campus　Martius　and　the　Via



Flaminia；　his　route　to　the　war；　were　obstructed　by　causes　either



fortuitous　or　natural；　was　regarded　as　a　prodigy　and　an　omen　of



impending　disasters。



　　Otho；　after　publicly　purifying　the　city　and　weighing　various　plans



for　the　campaign；　determined　to　march　upon　Gallia　Narbonensis；　as



the　passes　of　the　Penine　and　Cottian　Alps　and　all　the　other　approaches



to　Gaul　were　held　by　the　armies　of　Vitellius。　His　fleet　was　strong　and



loyal　to　his　cause；　for　he　had　enrolled　in　the　ranks　of　the　legion　the



survivors　of　the　slaughter　at　the　Milvian　bridge；　whom　the　stern



policy　of　Galba　had　retained　in　custody；　while　to　the　rest　he　had　held



out　hopes　of　a　more　honourable　service　for　the　future。　To　the　fleet　he



had　added　some　city　cohorts；　and　many　of　the　Praetorians；　the　stay　and



strength　of　his　army；　who　might　at　once　advise　and　watch　the　generals。



The　command　of　the　expedition　was　entrusted　to　Antonius　Novellus　and



Suedius　Clemens；　centurions　of　the　first　rank；　and　Aemilius



Pacensis；　to　whom　Otho　had　restored　the　rank　of　tribune；　taken　from



him　by　Galba。　Oscus；　a　freedman；　retained　the　charge　of　the　fleet；　and



went　to　watch　the　fidelity　of　men　more　honourable　than　himself。



Suetonius　Paullinus；　Marius　Celsus；　and　Annius　Gallus；　were



appointed　to　command　the　infantry　and　cavalry。　The　Emperor；　however；



placed　most　confidence　in　Licinius　Proculus；　prefect　of　the　Praetorian



Guard；　an　active　officer　at　home；　without　experience　in　war；　he



founded　perpetual　accusations　on　the　high　influence　of　Paullinus；　on



the　energy　of　Celsus；　on　the　mature　judgment　of　Gallus；　in　fact；　on



each　man's　special　excellence；　a　thing　most　easy　to　do；　and　thus　the



unscrupulous　and　the　cunning　were　preferred　before　the　modest　and



the　good。



　　About　this　time　Cornelius　Dolabella　was　banished　to　the　Colonia



Aquinas；　but　he　was　not　kept　in　strict　or　secret　custody；　it　was　not



for　any　crime　that　he　suffered；　he　was　marked　out　for　suspicion　by　his



ancient　name　and　by　his　relationship　to　Galba。　Many　of　the　officers　of



state　and　a　large　proportion　of　the　men　of　consular　rank　Otho



ordered　to　accompany　him　to　the　field；　not　indeed　to　share　or　serve　in



the　campaign；　but　to　form　a　retinue。　Among　them　was　Lucius



Vitellius；　whom　Otho　treated　as　he　treated　the　rest；　and　not　as　though



he　were　the　brother　either　of　an　Emperor；　or　of　an　enemy。　This



roused　the　anxieties　of　the　capital；　no　rank　was　free　from



apprehension　or　peril。　The　leading　men　of　the　Senate　either　suffered



from　the　infirmities　of　age；　or　were　enervated　by　a　prolonged　peace；



the　nobility　were　indolent　and　had　forgotten　how　to　fight；　the



Equestrian　order　knew　nothing　of　service；　and　the　more　they



endeavoured　to　hide　and　repress　their　alarm　the　more　evident　was　their



terror。　On　the　other　hand；　there　were　some　who　with　senseless



ostentation　purchased　splendid　arms　and　magnificent　horses；　and　some



who　procured　by　way　of　equipments　for　the　war　the　luxurious



furniture　of　the　banquet　and　other　incentives　to　profligacy。　The



wise　looked　to　the　interests　of　peace　and　of　the　Commonwealth；　while



the　giddy　and　those　who　were　thoughtless　of　the　future　were　inflated



with　idle　hopes。　Many　whose　credit　had　been　shaken　in　the　years　of



peace　regained　their　spirits　amidst　the　confusions　of　the　time；　and



found　their　best　safety　in　revolution。



　　The　mob　and　the　people　generally；　whose　vast　numbers　cut　them　off



from　all　interest　in　the　state；　began　by　degrees　to　feel　the　evils



of　war；　now　that　all　the　currency　had　been　diverted　to　the　purposes　of



the　army；　and　the　prices　of　provisions　were　raised。　These　evils　had



not　equally　distressed　the　common　people　during　the　insurrection　of



Vindex；　the　capital　was　safe；　and　the　war　was　in　the　provinces；　and；



fought　as　it　was　between　the　legions　and　Gaul；　it　seemed　but　a　foreign



campaign。　Indeed　from　the　time　that　the　Divine　Augustus　consolidated



the　power　of　the　Caesars；　the　wars　of　the　Roman　people　had　been　in



remote　places；　and　had　caused　anxiety　or　brought　honour　to　but　one



man。　Under　Tiberius　and　Caius　men　dreaded　for　the　Commonwealth　only



the