histories-第27章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




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



talents　of　Flavianus；　but　wishing　that　a　consular　name　might　clothe



with　its　high　prestige　the　very　first　movements　of　the　party。



　　Still；　that　the　passage　into　Italy　might　be　safe　and　advantageous；



directions　were　sent　to　Aponius　Saturninus　to　hasten　up　with　the



armies　of　Moesia。　That　the　provinces　might　not　be　exposed　without



defence　to　the　barbarian　tribes；　the　princes　of　the　Sarmatae



Iazyges；　who　had　in　their　hands　the　government　of　that　nation；　were



enrolled　in　the　army。　These　chiefs　also　offered　the　service　of　their



people；　and　its　force　of　cavalry；　their　only　effective　troops；　but　the



offer　was　declined；　lest　in　the　midst　of　civil　strife　they　should



attempt　some　hostile　enterprise；　or；　influenced　by　higher　offers



from　other　quarters；　should　cast　off　all　sense　of　right　and　duty。　Sido



and　Italicus；　kings　of　the　Suevi；　were　brought　over　to　the　cause。



Their　loyalty　to　the　Roman　people　was　of　long　standing；　and　their



nation　was　more　faithful　than　the　other　to　any　trust　reposed　in



them。　On　the　flank　of　the　army　were　posted　some　auxiliaries；　for



Rhaetia　was　hostile；　Portius　Septimius；　the　procurator；　remaining



incorruptibly　faithful　to　Vitellius。　Accordingly；　Sextilius　Felix　with



Aurius'　Horse；　eight　cohorts；　and　the　native　levies　of　Noricum；　was



sent　to　occupy　the　bank　of　the　river　Aenus；　which　flows　between



Rhaetia　and　Noricum。　Neither　hazarded　an　engagement；　and　the　fate　of



the　two　parties　was　decided　elsewhere。



　　Antonius；　as　he　hurried　with　the　veteran　soldiers　of　the　cohorts　and



part　of　the　cavalry　to　invade　Italy；　was　accompanied　by　Arrius



Varus；　an　energetic　soldier。　Service　under　Corbulo；　and　successes　in



Armenia；　had　gained　for　him　this　reputation；　yet　it　was　generally



said；　that　in　secret　conversations　with　Nero　he　had　calumniated



Corbulo's　high　qualities。　The　favour　thus　infamously　acquired　made　him



a　centurion　of　the　first　rank；　yet　the　ill…gotten　prosperity　of　the



moment　afterwards　turned　to　his　destruction。　Primus　and　Varus；



having　occupied　Aquileia；　were　joyfully　welcomed　in　the　neighbourhood；



and　in　the　towns　of　Opitergium　and　Altinum。　At　Altinum　a　force　was



left　to　oppose　the　Ravenna　fleet；　the　defection　of　which　from



Vitellius　was　not　yet　known。　They　next　attached　to　their　party



Patavium　and　Ateste。　There　they　learnt　that　three　cohorts；　belonging



to　Vitellius；　and　the　Sebonian　Horse　had　taken　up　a　position　at　the



Forum　Alieni；　where　they　had　thrown　a　bridge　across　the　river。　It



was　determined　to　seize　the　opportunity　of　attacking　this　force；



unprepared　as　it　was；　for　this　fact　had　likewise　been　communicated。



Coming　upon　them　at　dawn；　they　killed　many　before　they　could　arm。



Orders　had　been　given　to　slay　but　few；　and　to　constrain　the　rest　by



fear　to　transfer　their　allegiance。　Some　indeed　at　once　surrendered；



but　the　greater　part　broke　down　the　bridge；　and　thus　cut　off　the



advance　of　the　pursuing　enemy。



　　When　this　success　became　known；　two　legions；　the　seventh　（Galba's）



and　the　eighteenth　（the　Gemina）；　finding　the　campaign　opening　in



favour　of　the　Flavianists；　repaired　with　alacrity　to　Patavium　under



the　command　of　Vedius　Aquila　the　legate。　A　few　days　were　there　taken



for　rest；　and　Minucius　Justus；　prefect　of　the　camp　in　the　7th



legion；　who　ruled　with　more　strictness　than　a　civil　war　will　permit；



was　withdrawn　from　the　exasperated　soldiery；　and　sent　to　Vespasian。　An



act　that　had　been　long　desired　was　taken　by　a　flattering



construction　for　more　than　it　was　worth；　when　Antonius　gave　orders



that　the　statues　of　Galba；　which　had　been　thrown　down　during　the



troubles　of　the　times；　should　be　restored　in　all　the　towns。　It



would；　he　supposed；　reflect　honour　on　the　cause；　if　it　were　thought



that　they　had　been　friendly　to　Galba's　rule；　and　that　his　party　was



again　rising　into　strength。



　　The　next　question　was；　what　place　should　be　selected　as　the　seat



of　war。　Verona　seemed　the　most　eligible；　surrounded　as　it　was　with



open　plains；　suitable　for　the　action　of　cavalry；　in　which　they　were



very　strong。　At　the　same　time　it　was　thought　that　in　wresting　from



Vitellius　a　colony　so　rich　in　resources　there　would　be　both　profit　and



glory。　They　secured　Vicetia　by　simply　passing　through　it。　Though　in



itself　a　small　gain；　for　the　town　is　but　of　moderate　strength；　it



was　considered　an　important　advantage　when　they　reflected　that　in　this



town　Caecina　was　born；　and　that　the　general　of　the　enemy　had　lost



his　native　place。　The　people　of　Verona　were　a　valuable　aid；　they



served　the　cause　by　the　example　of　their　zeal　and　by　their　wealth；　and



the　army　thus　occupied　a　position　between　Rhaetia　and　the　Julian　Alps。



It　was　to　cut　off　all　passage　at　this　point　from　the　armies　of　Germany



that　they　had　barred　this　route。　All　this　was　done　either　without



the　knowledge；　or　against　the　commands　of　Vespasian。　He　gave　orders



that　the　army　should　halt　at　Aquileia　and　there　await　Mucianus；　and



these　orders　he　supported　by　the　argument；　that　as　Aegypt；　which



commanded　the　corn　supplies；　and　the　revenues　of　the　wealthiest



provinces　were　in　his　hands；　the　army　of　Vitellius　would　be



compelled　to　capitulate　from　the　want　of　pay　and　provisions。



Mucianus　in　frequent　letters　advised　the　same　policy；　a　victory　that



should　cost　neither　blood　nor　tears；　and　other　objects　of　the　kind；



were　his　pretexts；　but　in　truth　he　was　greedy　of　glory；　and　anxious　to



keep　the　whole　credit　of　the　war　to　himself。　Owing；　however；　to　the



vast　distances；　the　advice　came　only　after　the　matter　was　decided。



　　Then　Antonius　by　a　sudden　movement　fell　upon　the　outposts　of　the



enemy；　and　made　trial　of　their　courage　in　a　slight　skirmish；　the



combatants　separating　on　equal　terms。　Soon　afterwards；　Caecina



strongly　fortified　a　camp　between　Hostilia；　a　village　belonging　to



Verona；　and　the　marshes　of　the　river　Tartarus；　where　his　position



was　secure；　as　his　rear　was　covered　by　the　river；　and　his　flank　by



intervening　marshes。　Had　he　only　been　loyal；　those　two　legions；



which　had　not　been　joined　by　the　army　of　Moesia；　might　have　been



crushed　by　the　united　strength　of　the　Vitellianists；　or　driven　back



and　compelled　to　evacuate　Italy　in　a　disgraceful　retreat。　Caecina；



however；　by　various　delays　betrayed　to　the　enemy　the　early



opportunities　of　the　campaign；　assailing　by　letters　those　whom　it



was　easy　to　drive　out　by　force　of　arms；　until　by　his　envoys　he　settled



the　conditions　of　his　treachery。　In　this　interval　Aponius　Saturninus



came　up　with　the　7th　legion　（Claudius'）。　This　legion　was　commanded



by　the　tribune　Vipstanus　Messalla；　a　man　of　illustrious　family；



himself　highly　distinguished；　the　only　man　who　had　brought　into　that



conflict　an　honest　purpose。　To　this　army；　which　was　far　from　equalling



the　forces　of　Vitellius　（it　in　fact　consisted　of　three　legions）；



Caecina　despatched　a　letter　reproaching　them　with　rashness　in　again



drawing　the　sword　in　a　vanquished　cause。　At　the　same　time　he



extolled　the　valour　of　the　German　army；　of　Vitellius　he　made　but



some　slight　and　common…place　mention　without　any　abuse　of　Vespasian。



Certainly　he　said　nothing　which　could　either　seduce　or　terrify　the



enemy。　The　leaders　of　the　Flavianist　party；　omitting　all　apology　for



their　former　fortune；　at　once　took　up　a　tone　of　high　praise　of



Vespasian；　of　confidence　in　their　cause；　of　security　as　to　their　army；



and　of　hostility　to　Vitellius；　while　hopes　were　held　out　to　the



tribunes　and　centurions　of　retaining　the　privileges　which　Vitellius



had　granted　them；　and　Caecina　was　himself　encouraged　in　no　ambiguous



terms　to　change　sides。　These　letters　read　to　the　assembled　army



increased　their　confidence；　for　Caecina　had　written　in　a　humble



strain；　as　if　he　feared　to　offend　Vespasian；　while　their　own



generals　had　used　contemptuous　language；　meant；　it　would　seem；　to



insult　Vitellius。



　　On　the　subsequent　arrival　of　two　legions；　the　third　commanded　by



Dillius　Aponianus；　the　eighth　by　Numisius　Lupus；　it　was　resolved　to



make　a　demonstration　of　their　strength；　and　to　surround　Verona　with



military　lines。　It　so　happened　that　Galba's　legion　had　had　their



work　allotted　to　them　on　that　side　the　lines　which　faced　the　enemy；



and　that　some　of　the　allied　cavalry　appearing　in　the　distance　were



taken　for　the　enemy；　and　excited　a　groundless　panic。　They　flew　to



arms；　and　as　the　rage　of　the　soldiers　at　the　supposed　treachery　fell



upon　T。　Ampius　Flavianus；　not　from　any　proof　of　his　guilt；　but　because



he　had　been　long　unpopular；　they　clamoured　for　his　death　in　a　very



whirlwind　of　passion；　vociferating　that　he　was　the　kinsman　of



Vitellius；　that　he　had　betrayed　Otho；　that　he　had　embezzled　the



donative。　He　could　get　no　opportunity　of　defending　himself；　even



though　he　stretched　out　his　hands　in　entreaty；　repeatedly



prostrating　himself　on　the　ground；　his　garments　torn；　his　breast　and



features　convulsed　with　sobs。　This　very　conduct　provoked　afresh



these　furious　men；　for　fear　so　excessive　seemed　to　argue　a



consciousness　of　guilt。　Aponius　was　clamoured　down　by　the　shouts　of



the　soldiers；　when　he　attempted　to　address　them；　every　one　else　was



repulsed　with　noisy　cries。　To　Antonius　alone　the　soldiers'　ears　were



open；　for　he　had　eloquence；　the　art　of　soothing　an　angry　crowd；　and



personal　influence。　As　the　mutiny　grew　fiercer；　and　the　soldiers



went　on　from　abuse　and　taunts　to　use　their　hands　and　their　weapons；　he



ordered　that　Flavianus　should　be　put　in　irons。　The　soldiers　saw　what　a



mockery　it　was；　and　pushing　aside　those　who　were　guarding　the



tribunal；　were　about　to　commit　the　most　outrageous　violence。



Antonius　threw　himself　in　the　way　with　his　sword　drawn；　protesting



that　he　would　die　either　by　the　soldiers'　hands　or　by　his　own；



whenever　he　saw　any　one　who　was　known　to　him；　or　who　was　distinguished



by　any　military　decoration；　he　summoned　him　by　name　to　his　assistance。



Then　he　turned　to　the　standards；　and　prayed　to　the　gods　of　war；　that



they　would　inspire　the　armies　of　the　enemy；　rather　than　his　own；



with　such　madness　and　such　strife。　So　the　mutiny　began　to　abate；　and



at　the　close　of　the　day　the　men　dispersed　to　their　tents。　The　same



night　Flavianus　set　out；　and　being　met　by　letters　from　Vespasian；



was　relieved　from　his　perilous　position。



　　The　legions　had　caught　the　infection　of　mutiny；　and　next　assailed



Aponius　Saturnius；　legate　of　the　army　of　Moesia；　this　time　the　more



furiously　because　their　rage　broke　out；　not　as　before；　when　they



were　wearied　with　labour　and　military　toils；　but　at　mid…day。　Some



letters　had　been　published；　which　Saturninus　was　believed　to　have



written　to　Vitellius。　If　once　they　had　emulated　each　other　in　valour



and　obedienc