histories-第20章

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away　by　the　concourse　of　people；　or　by　the　multitude　of　birds　that



flocked　round　it；　until　Otho　killed　himself；　then　it　vanished。　When



they　came　to　compute　the　time；　it　was　found　that　the　commencement



and　the　end　of　this　strange　occurrence　tallied　with　the　last　scenes　of



Otho's　life。



　　At　the　funeral　the　mutinous　spirit　of　the　soldiers　was　kindled



afresh　by　their　sorrow　and　regret；　and　there　was　no　one　to　check　them。



They　turned　to　Verginius；　and　in　threatening　language；　at　one　time



besought　him　to　accept　the　Imperial　dignity；　at　another；　to　act　as



envoy　to　Caecina　and　Valens。　Verginius　secretly　departed　by　a　back　way



from　his　house；　and　thus　managed　to　elude　them　when　they　burst　in。



Rubrius　Gallus　was　charged　with　the　petition　of　the　cohorts　which



had　been　quartered　at　Brixellum。　An　amnesty　was　immediately　granted　to



them；　while　at　the　same　time　the　forces　which　had　been　commanded　by



Flavius　Sabinus　signified　through　him　their　submission　to　the



conqueror。



　　Hostilities　had　ceased　everywhere；　but　a　considerable　number　of



the　Senate；　who　had　accompanied　Otho　from　Rome；　and　had　been



afterwards　left　at　Mutina；　encountered　the　utmost　peril。　News　of　the



defeat　was　brought　to　this　place。　The　soldiers；　however；　rejected　it



as　a　false　report；　and　judging　the　Senate　to　be　hostile　to　Otho；



watched　their　language；　and　put　an　unfavourable　construction　on



their　looks　and　manner。　Proceeding　at　last　to　abuse　and　insults；



they　sought　a　pretext　for　beginning　a　massacre；　while　a　different



anxiety　also　weighed　upon　the　Senators；　who；　knowing　that　the　party　of



Vitellius　was　in　the　ascendant；　feared　that　they　might　seem　to　have



been　tardy　in　welcoming　the　conqueror。　Thus　they　met　in　great　alarm



and　distracted　by　a　twofold　apprehension；　no　one　was　ready　with　any



advice　of　his　own；　but　looked　for　safety　in　sharing　any　mistake　with



many　others。　The　anxieties　of　the　terrified　assembly　were　aggravated



when　the　Senate　of　Mutina　made　them　an　offer　of　arms　and　money；　and；



with　an　ill…timed　compliment；　styled　them　〃Conscript　Fathers。〃



　　There　then　ensued　a　notable　quarrel；　Licinius　Caecina　inveighing



against　Marcellus　Eprius；　for　using　ambiguous　language。　The　rest



indeed　did　not　express　their　opinions；　but　the　name　of　Marcellus；



exposed　as　it　was　to　odium　from　the　hateful　recollection　of　his　career



as　an　informer；　had　roused　in　Caecina；　who　was　an　unknown　man；　and　had



lately　been　made　a　Senator；　the　hope　of　distinguishing　himself　by



making　great　enemies。　The　moderation　of　wiser　men　put　an　end　to　the



dispute。　They　all　returned　to　Bononia；　intending　there　to　deliberate



again；　and　also　expecting　further　news　in　the　meantime。　At　Bononia



they　posted　men　on　the　different　roads　to　make　enquiries　of　every



newcomer；　one　of　Otho's　freedmen；　on　being　questioned　as　to　the



cause　of　his　departure；　replied　that　he　was　entrusted　with　his



master's　last　commands；　Otho　was　still　alive；　he　said；　when　he　left



him；　but　his　only　thoughts　were　for　posterity；　and　he　had　torn　himself



from　all　the　fascinations　of　life。　They　were　struck　with　admiration；



and　were　ashamed　to　put　any　more　questions；　and　then　the　hearts　of　all



turned　to　Vitellius。



　　Lucius　Vitellius；　the　brother　of　the　Emperor；　was　present　at　their



deliberations；　and　was　preparing　to　receive　their　flatteries；　when



of　a　sudden　Coenus；　a　freedman　of　Nero；　threw　them　all　into



consternation　by　an　outrageous　falsehood。　He　asserted　that；　by　the



arrival　of　the　14th　legion；　joined　to　the　forces　from　Brixellum；　the



victorious　army　had　been　routed　and　the　fortunes　of　the　party　changed。



The　object　of　this　fabrication　was　that　the　passports　of　Otho；　which



were　beginning　to　be　disregarded；　might　through　more　favourable　news



recover　their　validity。　Coenus　was　conveyed　with　rapidity　to　the



capital；　but　a　few　days　after　suffered　the　penalty　of　his　crime　by　the



order　of　Vitellius。　The　peril　of　the　Senators　was　increased　by　the



soldiers　of　Otho's　army　believing　that　the　intelligence　thus　brought



was　authentic。　Their　alarm　was　heightened　by　the　fact　that　their



departure　from　Mutina　and　their　desertion　of　the　party　had　the



appearance　of　a　public　resolution。　They　did　not　meet　again　for　general



deliberation；　but　every　man　consulted　his　own　safety；　till　letters



arrived　from　Fabius　Valens　which　removed　their　fear。　Besides；　the　very



glory　of　Otho's　death　made　the　news　travel　more　quickly。



　　At　Rome；　however；　there　was　no　alarm；　the　games　of　Ceres　were



attended　as　usual。　When　trustworthy　messengers　brought　into　the



theatre　the　news　that　Otho　was　dead；　and　that　all　the　troops　in　the



capital　had　taken　the　oath　to　Vitellius　under　the　direction　of　Flavius



Sabinus；　prefect　of　the　city；　the　spectators　greeted　the　name　of



Vitellius　with　applause。　The　people　carried　round　the　temples　images



of　Galba；　ornamented　with　laurel　leaves　and　flowers；　and　piled



chaplets　in　the　form　of　a　sepulchral　mound　near　the　lake　of　Curtius；



on　the　very　spot　which　had　been　stained　with　the　blood　of　the　dying



man。　In　the　Senate　all　the　customary　honours；　which　had　been　devised



during　the　long　reigns　of　other　Emperors；　were　forthwith　decreed。



Public　acknowledgments　and　thanks　were　also　given　to　the　armies　of



Germany；　and　envoys　were　sent　charged　with　congratulations。　There



was　read　a　letter　from　Fabius　Valens　to　the　consuls；　which　was　written



in　a　not　unbecoming　style；　but　they　liked　better　the　modesty　of



Caecina　in　not　writing　at　all。



　　Italy；　however；　was　prostrated　under　sufferings　heavier　and　more



terrible　than　the　evils　of　war。　The　soldiers　of　Vitellius；　dispersed



through　the　municipal　towns　and　colonies；　were　robbing　and



plundering　and　polluting　every　place　with　violence　and　lust。



Everything；　lawful　or　unlawful；　they　were　ready　to　seize　or　to　sell；



sparing　nothing；　sacred　or　profane。　Some　persons　under　the　soldiers'



garb　murdered　their　private　enemies。　The　soldiers　themselves；　who　knew



the　country　well；　marked　out　rich　estates　and　wealthy　owners　for



plunder；　or　for　death　in　case　of　resistance；　their　commanders　were



in　their　power　and　dared　not　check　them。　Caecina　indeed　was　not　so



rapacious　as　he　was　fond　of　popularity；　Valens　was　so　notorious　for



his　dishonest　gains　and　peculations　that　he　was　disposed　to　conceal



the　crimes　of　others。　The　resources　of　Italy　had　long　been　impaired；



and　the　presence　of　so　vast　a　force　of　infantry　and　cavalry；　with



the　outrages；　the　losses；　and　the　wrongs　they　inflicted；　was　more　than



it　could　well　endure。



　　Meanwhile　Vitellius；　as　yet　unaware　of　his　victory；　was　bringing



up　the　remaining　strength　of　the　army　of　Germany　just　as　if　the



campaign　had　yet　to　be　fought。　A　few　of　the　old　soldiers　were　left



in　the　winter　quarters；　and　the　conscription　throughout　Gaul　was



hastily　proceeded　with；　in　order　that　the　muster　rolls　of　the



legions　which　remained　behind　might　be　filled　up。　The　defence　of　the



bank　of　the　Rhine　was　entrusted　to　Hordeonius　Flaccus。　Vitellius



himself　added　to　his　own　army　8000　men　of　the　British　conscription。　He



had　proceeded　a　few　days'　march；　when　he　received　intelligence　of



the　victory　at　Bedriacum；　and　of　the　termination　of　the　war　through



Otho's　death。　He　called　an　assembly；　and　heaped　praises　on　the



valour　of　the　soldiers。　When　the　army　demanded　that　he　should　confer



equestrian　rank　on　Asiaticus　his　freedman；　he　checked　the



disgraceful　flattery。　Then；　with　his　characteristic　fickleness；　in　the



privacy　of　a　banquet　he　granted　the　very　distinction　which　he　had



publicly　refused；　and　honoured　with　the　ring　of　Knighthood　this　same



Asiaticus；　a　slave　of　infamous　character；　ever　seeking　power　by



unprincipled　intrigues。



　　About　the　same　time　news　came　to　Vitellius　that　the　procurator



Albinus　had　fallen；　and　that　both　the　provinces　of　Mauritania　had



declared　for　him。　Lucceius　Albinus；　whom　Nero　had　appointed　to　the



government　of　Mauritania　Caesariensis；　to　which　Galba　had　subsequently



added　the　charge　of　the　province　of　Tingitana；　had　the　disposal　of



no　contemptible　force。　He　had　with　him　19　cohorts　of　infantry；　5



squadrons　of　cavalry；　and　a　vast　number　of　Moors；　a　force　trained　to



war　by　robbery　and　plunder。　When　Galba　had　fallen；　he　was　strongly



disposed　in　favour　of　Otho。　He　even　looked　beyond　Africa　and



threatened　Spain；　which　is　separated　from　it　only　by　a　narrow



strait。　This　alarmed　Cluvius　Rufus；　who　ordered　the　10th　legion　to



approach　the　coast；　as　if　he　intended　to　send　them　across。　Some　of　the



centurions　were　sent　on　before　to　gain　for　Vitellius　the　good…will



of　the　Moors。　This　was　no　difficult　task；　as　the　fame　of　the　German



army　was　great　in　the　provinces。　Besides　this；　a　report　was　circulated



that　Albinus；　scorning　the　title　of　procurator；　was　assuming　the



insignia　of　royalty　and　the　name　of　Juba。



　　The　tide　of　feeling　turned；　and　Asinius　Pollio；　one　of　the　stanchest



friends　of　Albinus；　prefect　of　one　of　the　squadrons　of　cavalry；　with



Festus　and　Scipio；　prefects　of　two　infantry　cohorts；　were　killed。



Albinus　himself；　who　was　sailing　from　the　province　Tingitana　to



Mauritania　Caesariensis；　was　murdered　as　he　reached　the　shore。　His



wife　threw　herself　in　the　way　of　the　murderers　and　was　killed　with



him。　Vitellius　made　no　inquiries　into　what　was　going　on。　He



dismissed　matters　of　even　the　greatest　importance　with　brief



hearing；　and　was　quite　unequal　to　any　serious　business。　He　directed



the　army　to　proceed　by　land；　but　sailed　himself　down　the　river　Arar。



His　progress　had　nothing　of　imperial　state　about　it；　but　was　marked　by



the　poverty　of　his　former　condition；　till　Junius　Blaesus；　governor



of　Gallia　Lugdunensis；　a　man　of　noble　birth；　whose　munificence　was



equal　to　his　wealth；　furnished　him　with　suitable　attendance；　and



escorted　him　with　a　splendid　retinue；　a　service　which　was　of　itself



displeasing；　though　Vitellius　masked　his　dislike　under　servile



compliments。　At　Lugdunum　the　generals　of　the　two　parties；　the



conquerors　and　the　conquered；　were　waiting　for　him。　Valens　and　Caecina



he　put　by　his　own　chair　of　state；　after　celebrating　their　praises



before　a　general　assembly。　He　then　ordered　the　whole　army　to　come



and　greet　his　infant　son；　he　brought　him　out；　wrapped　in　a　military



cloak；　and　holding　him　in　his　arms；　gave　him　the　title　of　Germanicus



and　surrounded　him　with　all　the　insignia　of　the　imperial　rank。　It



was　an　extravagant　distinction　for　a　day　of　prosperity；　but　it



served　as　a　consolation　in　adversity。



　　Then　the　bravest　centurions　among　the　Othonianists　were　put　to



death。　This；　more　than　anything　else；　alienated　from　Vitellius　the



armies　of　Illyricum。　At　the　same　time　the　other　legions；　influenced　by



the　contagion　of　example；　and　by　their　disl