histories-第26章

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entered　the　service　at　the　order　of　Vitellius；　while　all　the　rest　of



the　youth　promptly　gave　in　their　names。　Vitellius　had　ruled　that



province　as　proconsul　with　integrity　and　popularity；　Vespasian's



government　had　been　infamous　and　odious。　The　allies　formed　conjectures



accordingly　as　to　the　manner　in　which　each　would　reign；　but　the　result



contradicted　them。



　　At　first　Valerius　Festus；　the　legate；　loyally　seconded　the　zeal　of



the　provincials。　Soon　he　began　to　waver；　supporting　Vitellius　in　his



public　dispatches　and　edicts；　Vespasian　in　his　secret



correspondence；　and　intending　to　hold　by　the　one　or　the　other



according　as　they　might　succeed。　Some　soldiers　and　centurions；



coming　through　Rhaetia　and　Gaul；　were　seized　with　letters　and　edicts



from　Vespasian；　and　on　being　sent　to　Vitellius　were　put　to　death。



More；　however；　eluded　discovery；　escaping　either　through　the



faithful　protection　of　friends　or　by　their　own　tact。　Thus　the



preparations　of　Vitellius　became　known；　while　the　plans　of　Vespasian



were　for　the　most　part　kept　secret。　At　first　the　supineness　of



Vitellius　was　in　fault；　afterwards　the　occupation　of　the　Pannonian



Alps　with　troops　stopped　all　intelligence。　And　on　the　sea　the



prevalent　Etesian　winds　favoured　an　eastward　voyage；　but　hindered



all　return。



　　At　length　Vitellius；　appalled　by　the　irruption　of　the　enemy　and　by



the　menacing　intelligence　from　every　quarter；　ordered　Caecina　and



Valens　to　take　the　field。　Caecina　was　sent　on　in　advance；　Valens；



who　was　just　recovering　from　a　severe　illness；　was　delayed　by



weakness。　Far　different　was　the　appearance　of　the　German　army　as　it



marched　out　of　the　capital。　All　strength　had　departed　from　their



bodies；　all　energy　from　their　spirits。　Slowly；　and　with　thin　ranks；



the　column　moved　along；　their　weapons　feebly　grasped；　their　horses



spiritless。　The　soldiers；　impatient　of　the　heat；　the　dust；　and　the



weather；　in　proportion　as　they　were　less　capable　of　enduring　toil；



were　more　ready　for　mutiny。　All　this　was　aggravated　by　the　old



vanity　of　Caecina；　and　by　the　indolence　that　had　of　late　crept　over



him；　presuming　on　the　excessive　favour　of　fortune；　he　had　abandoned



himself　to　luxury。　Perhaps　he　meditated　perfidy；　and　it　was　part　of



his　policy　to　enervate　the　courage　of　the　army。　Many　believe　that



his　fidelity　had　been　shaken　by　the　suggestions　of　Flavius　Sabinus；



who　employed　Rubrius　Gallus　as　the　bearer　of　communications　intimating



that　the　conditions　of　desertion　would　be　held　binding　by　Vespasian。



At　the　same　time　he　was　reminded　of　his　hatred　and　jealousy　of



Fabius　Valens。　Being　inferior　to　his　rival　in　influence　with



Vitellius；　he　should　seek　to　secure　favour　and　power　with　the　new



Emperor。



　　Caecina；　having　embraced　Vitellius　and　received　tokens　of　high



distinction；　left　him；　and　sent　a　detachment　of　cavalry　to　occupy



Cremona。　It　was　followed　by　the　veteran　troops　of　the　4th；　10th；　and



　16th　legions；　by　the　5th　and　22nd　legions；　and　the　rear　was　brought



up　by　the　21st　（the　Rapax）　and　the　first　Italian　legion　with　the



veteran　troops　of　three　British　legions；　and　a　chosen　body　of



auxiliaries。　After　the　departure　of　Caecina；　Valens　sent　a　despatch　to



the　army　which　had　been　under　his　own　command　with　directions　that



it　should　wait　for　him　on　the　road；　such；　he　said；　was　his　arrangement



with　Caecina。　Caecina；　however；　being　with　the　army　in　person；　and



consequently　having　greater　influence；　pretended　that　this　plan　had



been　changed；　so　that　the　gathering　forces　of　the　enemy　might　be　met



with　their　whole　strength。　Orders　were　therefore　given　to　the



legions　to　advance　with　all　speed　upon　Cremona；　while　a　portion　of　the



force　was　to　proceed　to　Hostilia。　Caecina　himself　turned　aside　to



Ravenna；　on　the　pretext　that　he　wished　to　address　the　fleet。　Soon；



however；　he　sought　the　retirement　of　Patavium；　there　to　concert　his



treachery。　Lucilius　Bassus；　who　had　been　promoted　by　Vitellius　from



the　command　of　a　squadron　of　cavalry　to　be　admiral　of　the　fleets　at



Ravenna　and　Misenum；　failing　immediately　to　obtain　the　command　of



the　Praetorian　Guard　sought　to　gratify　his　unreasonable　resentment



by　an　atrocious　act　of　perfidy。　It　cannot　be　certainly　known　whether



he　carried　Caecina　with　him；　or　whether　（as　is　often　the　case　with　bad



men；　that　they　are　like　each　other）　both　were　actuated　by　the　same



evil　motives。



　　The　historians　of　the　period；　who　during　the　ascendancy　of　the



Flavian　family　composed　the　chronicles　of　this　war；　have　in　the



distorted　representations　of　flattery　assigned　as　the　motives　of　these



men　a　regard　for　peace　and　a　love　of　their　country。　For　my　own　part



I　believe　that；　to　say　nothing　of　a　natural　fickleness　and　an　honour



which　they　must　have　held　cheap　after　the　betrayal　of　Galba；



feelings　of　rivalry；　and　jealousy　lest　others　should　outstrip　them



in　the　favour　of　Vitellius；　made　them　accomplish　his　ruin。　Caecina；



having　overtaken　the　legions；　strove　by　every　species　of　artifice　to



undermine　the　fidelity　of　the　centurions　and　soldiers；　who　were



devoted　to　Vitellius。　Bassus；　in　making　the　same　attempt；



experienced　less　difficulty；　for　the　fleet；　remembering　how　recently



it　had　served　in　the　cause　of　Otho；　was　ready　to　change　its



allegiance。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　III；　September　…　December；　A。D。　69







　　UNDER　happier　auspices　and　in　a　more　loyal　spirit　the　Flavianist



leaders　were　discussing　the　plans　of　the　campaign。　They　had



assembled　at　Petovio；　the　winter…quarters　of　the　13th　legion。　There



they　debated；　whether　they　should　blockade　the　passes　of　the　Pannonian



Alps　till　the　whole　strength　of　their　party　should　be　gathered　in



their　rear；　or　whether　it　would　be　the　more　vigorous　policy　to　close



with　the　enemy；　and　to　contend　for　the　possession　of　Italy。　Those



who　thought　it　advisable　to　wait　for　reinforcements；　and　to　protract



the　campaign；　dwelt　on　the　strength　and　reputation　of　the　German



legions。　〃Vitellius；〃　they　said；　〃has　now　joined　them　with　the



flower　of　the　British　army。　Our　numbers　are　not　even　equal　to　those　of



the　legions　whom　they　lately　defeated；　and　the　conquered；　let　them



talk　as　fiercely　as　they　will；　lose　something　of　their　courage。　But；



if　we　occupy　meanwhile　the　passes　of　the　Alps；　Mucianus　will　come　up



with　the　forces　of　the　East。　Vespasian　has　in　addition　the　command



of　the　sea；　his　fleets；　and　provinces　loyal　to　his　cause；　in　which



he　may　collect　the　vast　materials　for　what　may　be　called　another



war。　A　salutary　delay　will　bring　us　new　forces；　while　we　shall　lose



nothing　of　what　we　have。〃



　　In　answer　to　this；　Antonius　Primus；　who　was　the　most　energetic



promoter　of　the　war；　declared　that　prompt　action　would　be　advantageous



to　themselves；　and　fatal　to　Vitellius。　〃Supineness；〃　he　said；



〃rather　than　confidence　has　grown　upon　the　conquerors。　They　are　not



even　kept　under　arms　or　within　camps。　In　every　town　of　Italy；　sunk



in　sloth；　formidable　only　to　their　entertainers；　they　have　drunk　of



unaccustomed　pleasures　with　an　eagerness　equal　to　the　rudeness　of



their　former　life。　They　have　been　emasculated　by　the　circus；　the



theatre；　and　the　allurements　of　the　capital；　or　they　are　worn　out　with



sickness。　Yet　even　to　these　men；　if　you　give　them　time；　their　old



vigour　will　return　with　the　preparation　for　war。　Germany；　whence　their



strength　is　drawn；　is　faraway；　Britain　is　separated　only　by　a



strait；　the　provinces　of　Gaul　and　Spain　are　near；　on　either　side



they　can　find　troops；　horses；　tribute；　they　have　Italy　itself；　and　the



resources　of　the　capital；　and；　should　they　choose　themselves　to　take



the　offensive；　they　have　two　fleets；　and　the　Illyrian　sea　open　to



them。　What　good　then　will　our　mountain…passes　do　us？　What　will　be



the　use　of　having　protracted　the　war　into　another　summer？　Where　are　we



to　find　in　the　meanwhile　money　and　supplies？　Why　not　rather　avail



ourselves　of　the　fact　that　the　legions　of　Pannonia；　which　were　cheated



rather　than　vanquished；　are　hastening　to　rise　again　for　vengeance；　and



that　the　armies　of　Moesia　have　brought　us　their　unimpaired　strength？



If　you　reckon　the　number　of　soldiers；　rather　than　that　of　legions；



we　have　greater　strength；　and　no　vices；　for　our　very　humiliation　has



been　most　helpful　to　our　discipline。　As　for　the　cavalry；　they　were　not



vanquished　even　on　that　day；　though　the　fortune　of　war　was　against



them；　they　penetrated　the　Vitellianist　lines。　Two　squadrons　of　Moesian



and　Pannonian　cavalry　then　broke　through　the　enemy；　now　the　united



standards　of　sixteen　squadrons　will　bury　and　overwhelm　with　the



crash　and　din　and　storm　of　their　onset　these　horses　and　horsemen



that　have　forgotten　how　to　fight。　Unless　any　one　hinders　me；　I　who



suggest　will　execute　the　plan。　You；　whose　fortune　never　suffered　a



reverse；　may　keep　back　the　legions；　the　light　cohorts　will　be　enough



for　me。　Before　long　you　will　hear　that　Italy　has　been　opened；　and



the　power　of　Vitellius　shaken。　You　will　be　delighted　to　follow；　and　to



tread　in　the　footsteps　of　victory。〃



　　With　flashing　eyes；　and　in　the　fierce　tones　that　might　be　most



widely　heard　（for　the　centurions　and　some　of　the　common　soldiers　had



intruded　themselves　into　the　deliberations）；　he　poured　out　such　a



torrent　of　these　and　similar　words；　that　he　carried　away　even　the



cautious　and　prudent；　while　the　general　voice　of　the　multitude



extolled　him　as　the　one　man；　the　one　general　in　the　army；　and



spurned　the　inaction　of　the　others。　He　had　raised　this　reputation



for　himself　at　the　very　first　assembly；　when；　after　Vespasian's



letters　had　been　read；　he　had　not；　like　many；　used　ambiguous　language；



on　which　he　might　put　this　or　that　construction　as　might　serve　his



purpose。　It　was　seen　that　he　openly　committed　himself　to　the　cause；



and　he　had　therefore　greater　weight　with　the　soldiers；　as　being



associated　with　them　in　what　was　either　their　crime　or　their　glory。



　　Next　to　Primus　in　influence　was　Cornelius　Fuscus；　the　procurator。　He



also　had　been　accustomed　to　inveigh　mercilessly　against　Vitellius；　and



had　thus　left　himself　no　hope　in　the　event　of　defeat。　T。　Ampius



Flavianus；　disposed　to　caution　by　natural　temperament　and　advanced



years；　excited　in　the　soldiers　a　suspicion　that　he　still　remembered



his　relationship　to　Vitellius；　and　as　he　had　fled　when　the　movement　in



the　legions　began；　and　had　then　voluntarily　returned；　it　was



believed　that　he　had　sought　an　opportunity　for　treachery。　Flavianus



indeed　had　left　Pannonia；　and　had　entered　Italy；　and　was　out　of　the



way　of　danger；　when　his　desire　for　revolution　urged　him　to　resume



the　title　of　Legate；　and　to　take　part　in　the　civil　strife。　Cornelius



Fuscus　had　advised　him　to　this　course；　not　that　he　needed　the



talents