histories-第18章

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and　hurled　from　it　stones　and　flaming　missiles。



　　In　the　middle　of　the　river　was　an　island。　While　the　gladiators



were　making　their　way　to　it　in　boats；　the　Germans　swam　and　outstripped



them。　A　considerable　number；　as　it　chanced；　had　effected　the



passage；　when　Macer；　having　manned　some　light　gallies；　attacked　them



with　the　most　active　of　his　gladiators。　But　the　gladiator　has　not　in



battle　the　firmness　of　the　regular　soldier；　and　now；　as　they　stood



on　rocking　vessels；　they　could　not　direct　their　blows　like　men　who　had



a　sure　footing　on　land。　As　the　men　in　their　alarm　made　confused



movements；　rowers　and　combatants　were　mingled　together　in　disorder；



upon　this；　the　Germans　themselves　leapt　into　the　shallows；　laid　hold



of　the　boats；　climbed　over　the　gunwales；　or　sank　them　with　their



hands。　All　this　passed　in　the　sight　of　both　armies；　and　the　more　it



delighted　the　Vitellianists；　the　more　vehemently　did　the



Othonianists　curse　the　cause　and　author　of　the　disaster。



　　The　conflict　was　terminated　by　the　flight　of　the　vanquished；　who



carried　off　what　boats　were　left。　Then　they　cried　out　for　the



execution　of　Macer。　He　had　been　wounded　by　a　javelin　thrown　from　a



distance；　and　the　soldiers　had　made　a　rush　upon　him　with　drawn　swords；



when　he　was　saved　by　the　interference　of　the　tribunes　and



centurions。　Soon　after　Vestricius　Spurinna；　having　received　orders



to　that　effect　from　Otho；　joined　with　his　cohorts；　leaving　but　a



moderate　force　in　garrison　at　Placentia。　After　this　Otho　sent



Flavius　Sabinus；　consul　elect；　to　take　the　command　of　the　troops　which



had　been　under　Macer；　the　soldiers　were　delighted　by　this　change　of



generals；　while　the　generals　were　led　by　these　continual　outbreaks



to　regard　with　disgust　so　hateful　a　service。



　　I　find　it　stated　by　some　authors　that　either　the　dread　of　or　the



disgust　felt　for　both　Emperors；　whose　wickedness　and　infamy　were



coming　out　every　day　into　more　open　notoriety；　made　the　two　armies



hesitate　whether　they　should　not　cease　their　strife；　and　either



themselves　consult　together；　or　allow　the　Senate　to　choose　an　Emperor；



and　that；　for　this　reason；　Otho's　generals　recommended　a　certain



measure　of　delay；　Paullinus　especially　entertaining　hopes　for　himself；



on　the　ground　that　he　was　the　senior　among　the　men　of　consular　rank；



that　he　was　well　known　as　a　soldier；　and　had　attained　great



distinction　and　fame　by　his　campaigns　in　Britain。　Though　I　would　allow



that　there　were　some　few　who　in　their　secret　wishes　prayed　for　peace



in　the　stead　of　disorder；　for　a　worthy　and　blameless　Emperor　in　the



room　of　men　utterly　worthless　and　wicked；　yet　I　cannot　suppose　that



Paullinus；　wise　as　he　was；　could　have　hoped　in　an　age　thoroughly



depraved　to　find　such　moderation　in　the　common　herd；　as　that　men；



who　in　their　passion　for　war　had　trampled　peace　under　foot；　should　now



in　their　affection　for　peace　renounce　the　charms　of　war；　nor　can　I



think　that　armies　differing　in　language　and　in　character；　could　have



united　in　such　an　agreement；　or　that　lieutenants　and　generals；　who



were　for　the　most　part　burdened　by　the　consciousness　of　profligacy；　of



poverty；　and　of　crime；　could　have　endured　any　Emperor　who　was　not



himself　stained　by　vice；　as　well　as　bound　by　obligation　to　themselves。



　　That　old　passion　for　power　which　has　been　ever　innate　in　man



increased　and　broke　out　as　the　Empire　grew　in　greatness。　In　a　state　of



moderate　dimensions　equality　was　easily　preserved；　but　when　the



world　had　been　subdued；　when　all　rival　kings　and　cities　had　been



destroyed；　and　men　had　leisure　to　covet　wealth　which　they　might



enjoy　in　security；　the　early　conflicts　between　the　patricians　and



the　people　were　kindled　into　flame。　At　one　time　the　tribunes　were



factious；　at　another　the　consuls　had　unconstitutional　power；　it　was　in



the　capital　and　the　forum　that　we　first　essayed　civil　wars。　Then



rose　C。　Marius；　sprung　from　the　very　dregs　of　the　populace；　and　L。



Sulla；　the　most　ruthless　of　the　patricians；　who　perverted　into



absolute　dominion　the　liberty　which　had　yielded　to　their　arms。　After



them　came　Cn。　Pompeius；　with　a　character　more　disguised　but　no　way



better。　Henceforth　men's　sole　object　was　supreme　power。　Legions　formed



of　Roman　citizens　did　not　lay　down　their　arms　at　Pharsalia　and



Philippi；　much　less　were　the　armies　of　Otho　and　Vitellius　likely　of



their　own　accord　to　abandon　their　strife。　They　were　driven　into



civil　war　by　the　same　wrath　from　heaven；　the　same　madness　among　men；



the　same　incentives　to　crime。　That　these　wars　were　terminated　by



what　we　may　call　single　blows；　was　owing　to　want　of　energy　in　the



chiefs。　But　these　reflections　on　the　character　of　ancient　and　modern



times　have　carried　me　too　far　from　my　subject。　I　now　return　to　the



course　of　events。



　　Otho　having　started　for　Brixellum；　the　honours　of　supreme　command



devolved　on　his　brother　Titianus；　while　the　real　power　and　control



were　in　the　hands　of　the　prefect　Proculus。　Celsus　and　Paullinus；　as　no



one　made　any　use　of　their　skill；　did　but　screen　with　their　idle



title　of　general　the　blunders　of　others。　The　tribunes　and　centurions



were　perplexed　to　see　that　better　men　were　despised；　and　that　the　most



worthless　carried　the　day。　The　common　soldiers　were　full　of　eagerness；



but　liked　to　criticise　rather　than　to　obey　the　orders　of　their



officers。　It　was　resolved　to　move　the　camp　forward　to　the　fourth



milestone　from　Bedriacum；　but　it　was　done　so　unskilfully；　that



though　it　was　spring；　and　there　were　so　many　rivers　in　the



neighbourhood；　the　troops　were　distressed　for　want　of　water。　Then



the　subject　of　giving　battle　was　discussed；　Otho　in　his　despatches



ever　urging　them　to　make　haste；　and　the　soldiers　demanding　that　the



Emperor　should　be　present　at　the　conflict；　many　begged　that　the　troops



quartered　beyond　the　Padus　should　be　brought　up。　It　is　not　so　easy



to　determine　what　was　best　to　be　done；　as　it　is　to　be　sure　that　what



was　done　was　the　very　worst。



　　They　started　for　a　campaign　rather　than　for　a　battle；　making　for　the



confluence　of　the　Padus　and　Addua；　a　distance　of　sixteen　miles　from



their　position。　Celsus　and　Paullinus　remonstrated　against　exposing



troops　wearied　with　a　march　and　encumbered　with　baggage　to　any



enemy；　who；　being　himself　ready　for　action　and　having　marched　barely



four　miles；　would　not　fail　to　attack　them；　either　when　they　were　in



the　confusion　of　an　advance；　or　when　they　were　dispersed　and　busy　with



the　work　of　entrenchment。　Titianus　and　Proculus；　overcome　in　argument；



fell　back　on　the　Imperial　authority。　It　was　true　that　a　Numidian　had



arrived　at　full　gallop　with　an　angry　message　from　Otho；　in　which　the



Emperor；　sick　of　delay　and　impatient　of　suspense；　sharply　rebuked



the　inactivity　of　the　generals；　and　commanded　that　matters　should　be



brought　to　an　issue。



　　The　same　day；　while　Caecina　was　engaged　on　the　construction　of　a



bridge；　two　tribunes　of　the　Praetorian　Guard　came　to　him　and　begged　an



interview。　He　was　on　the　point　of　hearing　their　proposals　and



sending　back　his　own；　when　the　scouts　arrived　at　headlong　speed　with



the　news　that　the　enemy　were　close　at　hand。　The　address　of　the



tribunes　was　thus　abruptly　terminated。　Thus　it　remained　uncertain



whether　deception；　or　treason；　or　some　honourable　arrangement；　had



been　in　their　thoughts。　Caecina　dismissed　the　tribunes　and　rode　back



to　the　camp。　There　he　found　that　Fabius　Valens　had　given　the　signal



for　battle；　and　that　the　troops　were　under　arms。　While　the　legions



were　casting　lots　for　the　order　of　march；　the　cavalry　charged；　and；



strange　to　say；　were　kept　only　by　the　courage　of　the　Italian　legion



from　being　driven　back　on　the　entrenchments　by　an　inferior　force　of



Othonianists。　These　men；　at　the　sword's　point；　compelled　the　beaten



squadron　to　wheel　round　and　resume　the　conflict。　The　line　of　the



Vitellianists　was　formed　without　hurry；　for；　though　the　enemy　was



close　at　hand；　the　sight　of　their　arms　was　intercepted　by　the　thick



brushwood。　In　Otho's　army　the　generals　were　full　of　fear；　and　the



soldiers　hated　their　officers；　the　baggage…wagons　and　the



camp…followers　were　mingled　with　the　troops；　and　as　there　were　steep



ditches　on　both　sides　the　road；　it　would　have　been　found　too　narrow



even　for　an　undisturbed　advance。　Some　were　gathering　round　their



standards；　others　were　seeking　them；　everywhere　was　heard　the　confused



shouting　of　men　who　were　joining　the　ranks；　or　calling　to　their



comrades；　and　each；　as　he　was　prompted　by　courage　or　by　cowardice；



rushed　on　to　the　front；　or　slunk　back　to　the　rear。



　　From　the　consternation　of　panic　their　feelings　passed　under　the



influence　of　a　groundless　joy　into　languid　indifference；　some



persons　spreading　the　lie　that　Vitellius'　army　had　revolted。　Whether



this　rumour　was　circulated　by　the　spies　of　Vitellius；　or　originated　in



treachery　or　in　accident　among　the　partisans　of　Otho；　has　never　been



clearly　ascertained。　Forgetting　their　warlike　ardour；　the　Othonianists



at　once　greeted　the　foe；　as　they　were　answered　by　an　angry　murmur；



they　caused　apprehensions　of　treachery　in　many　of　their　own　side；



who　did　not　know　what　the　greeting　meant。　Then　the　enemy's　line



charged　with　its　ranks　unbroken；　in　strength　and　in　numbers



superior；　the　Othonianists；　scattered　and　weary　as　they　were；　met



the　attack　with　spirit。　The　ground　was　so　entangled　with　trees　and



vineyards　that　the　battle　assumed　many　forms。　They　met　in　close　and　in



distant　conflict；　in　line　and　in　column。　On　the　raised　road　they　stood



foot　to　foot；　they　pushed　with　their　bodies　and　their　shields；　and



ceasing　to　throw　their　javelins；　they　struck　through　helmets　and



breastplates　with　swords　and　battle…axes。　Recognising　each　other　and



distinctly　seen　by　the　rest　of　the　combatants；　they　were　fighting　to



decide　the　whole　issue　of　the　war。



　　In　an　open　plain　between　the　Padus　and　the　road；　two　legions



happened　to　meet。　On　the　side　of　Vitellius　was　the　21st；　called　the



Rapax；　a　corps　of　old　and　distinguished　renown。　On　that　of　Otho　was



the　1st；　called　Adjutrix；　which　had　never　before　been　brought　into　the



field；　but　was　high…spirited；　and　eager　to　gain　its　first　triumph。　The



men　of　the　1st；　overthrowing　the　foremost　ranks　of　the　21st；　carried



off　the　eagle。　The　21st；　infuriated　by　this　loss；　not　only　repulsed



the　1st；　and　slew　the　legate；　Orfidius　Benignus；　but　captured　many



colours　and　standards　from　the　enemy。　In　another　quarter　the　13th



legion　was　put　to　flight　by　a　charge　of　the　5th。　The　14th　was



surrounded　by　a　superior　force。　Otho's　generals　had　long　since　fled



and　Caecina　and　Valens　strengthened　their　army　with　the　reserves。



New　reinforcements　were　supplied　by　Varus　Alfenius　with　his　Batavians。