histories-第15章

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courageous　and　noble　answer。



　　Messengers　now　came　in　haste　and　alarm　to　inform　Fabius　Valens；



how　Otho's　fleet　was　threatening　the　province　of　Gallia　Narbonensis；



which　had　sworn　allegiance　to　Vitellius。　Envoys　from　the　colonies　were



already　on　the　spot　praying　for　aid。　He　despatched　two　cohorts　of



Tungrian　infantry；　four　squadrons　of　horse；　and　all　the　cavalry　of　the



Treviri　under　the　command　of　Julius　Classicus。　Part　of　these　troops



were　retained　for　the　defence　of　the　colony　of　Forum　Julii；　for　it　was



feared；　that　if　the　whole　army　were　sent　by　the　route　through　the



interior；　the　enemy's　fleet　might　make　a　rapid　movement　on　the



unprotected　coast。　Twelve　squadrons　of　cavalry　and　some　picked



infantry　advanced　against　the　enemy；　they　were　reinforced　by　a



cohort　of　Ligurians；　an　auxiliary　local　force　of　long　standing；　and



five　hundred　Pannonians；　not　yet　regularly　enrolled。　The　conflict



commenced　without　delay；　the　enemy's　line　of　battle　being　so　arranged；



that　part　of　the　levies　from　the　fleet；　who　had　a　number　of　rustics



among　their　ranks；　were　posted　on　the　slope　of　the　hills　which



border　on　the　coast；　the　Praetorians　fully　occupying　the　level



ground　between　the　hills　and　the　shore；　while　on　the　sea　was　the



fleet；　moored　to　the　land　and　ready　for　action；　drawn　up　in　line　so　as



to　present　a　formidable　front。　The　Vitellianists　whose　infantry　was



inferior；　but　who　were　strong　in　cavalry；　stationed　the　mountaineers



on　the　neighbouring　heights；　and　their　infantry　in　close　ranks



behind　the　cavalry。　The　squadrons　of　the　Treveri　charged　the　enemy



incautiously；　and　found　themselves　encountered　in　front　by　the　veteran



troops；　while　on　the　flanks　they　were　also　annoyed　by　showers　of



stones　from　the　rustic　band；　who　were　skilful　throwers；　and　who；　mixed



up　as　they　were　among　the　regular　soldiers；　whether　cowardly　or　brave；



were　all　equally　bold　in　the　moment　of　victory。　The　general



consternation　of　the　Vitellianists　was　increased　by　a　new　alarm　as　the



fleet　attacked　the　rear　of　the　combatants。　By　this　movement　they



were　hemmed　in　on　all　sides；　and　the　whole　force　would　have



perished；　had　not　the　shades　of　night　checked　the　advance　of　the



victorious　army；　and　covered　the　retreat　of　the　vanquished。



　　The　Vitellianists；　however；　though　beaten；　did　not　remain



inactive。　They　brought　up　reinforcements　and　attacked　the　enemy；　who



felt　themselves　secure；　and　whose　vigilance　was　relaxed　by　success。



The　sentinels　were　cut　down；　the　camp　stormed；　and　the　panic　reached



the　ships；　till；　as　the　alarm　gradually　subsided；　they　again　assumed



the　offensive　under　the　protection　of　some　neighbouring　heights



which　they　had　occupied。　A　terrible　slaughter　ensued；　and　the　prefects



of　the　Tungrian　cohorts；　after　having　long　maintained　their　line



unbroken；　fell　beneath　a　shower　of　missiles。　The　Othonianists；



however；　did　not　achieve　a　bloodless　victory；　as　the　enemy's　cavalry



wheeled　round；　and　cut　off　some　who　had　imprudently　prolonged　the



pursuit。　And　then；　as　if　a　sort　of　armistice　had　been　concluded　to



provide　against　any　sudden　panic　that　the　cavalry　of　the　one　party



or　the　fleet　of　the　other　might　cause；　the　Vitellianists　retreated



to　Antipolis；　a　town　of　Gallia　Narbonensis；　the　Othonianists　to



Albigaunum；　in　Upper　Liguria。



　　Corsica；　Sardinia；　and　the　other　islands　of　the　neighbouring　seas；



were　retained　in　the　interests　of　Otho　by　the　fame　of　these　naval



successes。　Corsica；　however；　all　but　suffered　fatal　injury　from　the



rash　proceedings　of　Decumus　Pacarius；　the　procurator；　proceedings



which　in　so　gigantic　a　war　could　contribute　nothing　to　the　general



result；　and　which　only　brought　destruction　upon　their　author。　In　his



hatred　of　Otho　he　resolved　to　support　Vitellius　with　the　whole



strength　of　Corsica；　an　insignificant　assistance　even　had　the　design



succeeded。　He　collected　the　chief　men　of　the　island；　and　explained　his



plans。　Claudius　Pyrrhicus；　captain　of　the　Liburnian　ships　stationed　in



the　place；　and　Quintius　Certus；　a　Roman　knight；　who　ventured　to



offer　opposition；　he　ordered　to　execution。　All　who　were　present　were



terrified　at　their　death；　and；　with　the　ignorant　populace；　which



ever　blindly　shares　in　the　fears　of　others；　took　the　oath　of



allegiance　to　Vitellius。　But　when　Pacarius　began　to　enlist　troops；　and



to　weary　with　military　duties　an　undisciplined　population；　disgusted



with　the　unusual　toil；　they　began　to　reflect　upon　their　own



weakness。　〃The　country　which　we　inhabit；〃　they　said　to　themselves；　〃is



an　island：　Germany　and　its　mighty　legions　are　far　from　us；　and　we　know



that　even　countries　protected　by　infantry　and　cavalry　have　been



plundered　and　ravaged　by　the　fleet。〃　Their　feelings　underwent　a　sudden



change；　they　did　not；　however；　resort　to　open　violence；　but　chose　an



opportunity　for　a　treacherous　attack。　When　the　persons　who　usually



surrounded　Pacarius　had　left　him；　and　he　was　naked　and　helpless　in　the



bath；　they　slew　him。　His　associates　were　slaughtered　with　him。　The



perpetrators　of　the　deed　carried　the　heads　of　the　slain　to　Otho；　as



being　the　heads　of　public　enemies；　but；　lost　among　the　crowd　of



greater　criminals；　in　the　vast　confusion　of　events；　they　were



neither　rewarded　by　Otho　nor　punished　by　Vitellius。



　　Silius'　Horse　had　now；　as　I　have　already　related；　opened　the　way



into　Italy；　and　transferred　the　war　across　the　borders。　No　one



entertained　any　attachment　to　Otho；　yet　it　was　not　because　they



preferred　Vitellius：　long　years　of　peace　had　subdued　them　to　any



kind　of　servitude；　had　made　them　ready　to　submit　to　the　first　comer



and　careless　about　the　better　cause。　The　wealthiest　district　of　Italy；



the　broad　plains　and　cities　which　lie　between　the　Padus　and　the



Alps；　was　now　held　by　the　troops　of　Vitellius；　for　by　this　time　the



infantry　sent　on　in　advance　by　Caecina　had　also　arrived。　A　cohort　of



Pannonians　had　been　taken　prisoners　at　Cremona；　a　hundred　cavalry；　and



a　thousand　of　the　levies　from　the　fleet　intercepted　between



Placentia　and　Ticinum。　Elated　by　these　successes　the　troops　of



Vitellius　would　no　longer　be　restrained　by　the　boundaries　of　the



river's　bank。　The　very　sight　of　the　Padus　excited　the　men　from　Batavia



and　the　Transrhenane　provinces。　Crossing　the　stream　by　a　sudden



movement；　they　advanced　on　Placentia；　and　seizing　some



reconnoiterers　so　terrified　the　rest；　that；　deceived　by　their　alarm；



they　announced　that　the　whole　army　of　Caecina　was　at　hand。



　　Spurinna；　who　now　held　Placentia；　was　sure　that　Caecina　had　not



yet　arrived；　and　that；　even　were　he　approaching；　he　ought　to　keep



his　men　within　their　fortifications；　and　not　confront　a　veteran　army



with　three　Praetorian　cohorts；　a　thousand　veterans；　and　a　handful　of



cavalry。　But　the　undisciplined　and　inexperienced　soldiery　seized　their



standards　and　colours；　and　rushed　to　the　attack；　brandishing　their



weapons　in　the　face　of　their　general　when　he　sought　to　restrain



them；　and　spurning　from　them　the　tribunes　and　centurions；　and　even



crying　out　that　Otho　was　betrayed　and　that　Caecina　had　come　by



invitation。　Spurinna　associated　himself　with　the　rash　movement　which



others　had　originated；　at　first　acting　under　compulsion；　but



afterwards　pretending　to　consent；　in　the　hope　that　his　counsels



might　have　more　influence　should　the　mutinous　spirit　abate。



　　When　the　Padus　was　in　sight　and　night　began　to　fall　they　judged　it



expedient　to　entrench　a　camp。　The　labour；　new　as　it　was　to　the



soldiery　of　the　capital；　broke　their　spirits。　All　the　oldest　among



them　began　to　inveigh　against　their　own　credulity；　and　to　point　out



the　difficulty　and　danger　of　their　position；　if　on　those　open　plains



Caecina　and　his　army　were　to　surround　their　scanty　forces。　By　this



time　more　temperate　language　was　heard　throughout　the　camp；　and　the



tribunes　and　centurions；　mixing　with　the　troops；　suggested



commendations　of　the　prudence　of　their　general　in　selecting　for　the



rallying　point　and　basis　of　his　operations　a　colony　rich　in　military



strength　and　resources。　Finally；　Spurinna　himself；　not　so　much



reproaching　them　with　their　error　as　exposing　it　by　his　arguments；



conducted　them　all　back　to　Placentia；　except　some　scouts　whom　he　left；



in　a　less　turbulent　temper　and　more　amenable　to　command。　The　walls



were　strengthened；　battlements　were　added；　and　the　towers　were



raised　in　height。　It　was　not　only　of　the　implements　of　war　that



provision　and　preparation　were　made；　but　of　the　spirit　of



subordination　and　the　love　of　obedience。　This　was　all　that　was　wanting



to　the　party；　for　they　had　no　reason　to　be　dissatisfied　with　their



courage。



　　Caecina；　who　seemed　to　have　left　his　cruelty　and　profligacy　on　the



other　side　of　the　Alps；　advanced　through　Italy　with　his　army　under



excellent　discipline。　The　towns　and　colonies；　however；　found



indications　of　a　haughty　spirit　in　the　general's　dress；　when　they



saw　the　cloak　of　various　colours；　and　the　trews；　a　garment　of



foreign　fashion；　clothed　in　which　he　was　wont　to　speak　to　their



toga…clad　citizens。　And　they　resented；　as　if　with　a　sense　of



personal　wrong；　the　conduct　of　his　wife　Salonina；　though　it　injured　no



one　that　she　presented　a　conspicuous　figure　as　she　rode　through



their　towns　on　horseback　in　a　purple　habit。　They　were　acting　on　the



instincts　of　human　nature；　which　prompt　men　to　scrutinize　with　keen



eyes　the　recent　elevation　of　their　fellows；　and　to　demand　a



temperate　use　of　prosperity　from　none　more　rigorously　than　from



those　whom　they　have　seen　on　a　level　with　themselves。　Caecina；　after



crossing　the　Padus；　sought　to　tamper　with　the　loyalty　of　the



Othonianists　at　a　conference　in　which　he　held　out　hopes　of　reward；　and



he　was　himself　assailed　with　the　same　arts。　After　the　specious　but



meaningless　names　of　peace　and　concord　had　been　thus　bandied　to　and



fro；　Caecina　turned　all　his　thoughts　and　plans　on　the　capture　of



Placentia；　making　a　formidable　show　of　preparation；　as　he　knew　that



according　to　the　success　of　his　opening　operations　would　be　the



subsequent　prestige　of　his　arms。



　　The　first　day；　however；　was　spent　in　a　furious　onset　rather　than



in　the　skilful　approaches　of　a　veteran　army。　Exposed　and　reckless；　the



troops　came　close　under　the　walls；　stupefied　by　excess　in　food　and



wine。　In　this　struggle　the　amphitheatre；　a　most　beautiful　building；



situated　outside　the　walls；　was　burnt　to　the　ground；　possibly　set　on



fire　by　the　assailants；　while　they　showered　brands；　fireballs；　and



ignited　missiles；　on　the　besieged；　possibly　by　the　besieged



themselves；　while　they　discharged　incessant　volleys　in　return。　The



populace　of　the　town；　always　inclined　to　be　suspicious；　believed



that　combustibles　had　been　purposely　introduced　into　th