histories-第28章

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



and　obedience；　so　now　there　was　a　rivalry　in　insubordination　and



insolence；　till　they　clamoured　as　violently　for　the　execution　of



Aponius　as　they　had　for　that　of　Flavianus。　The　legions　of　Moesia



recalled　how　they　had　aided　the　vengeance　of　the　Pannonian　army；　while



the　soldiers　of　Pannonia；　as　if　they　were　absolved　by　the　mutiny　of



others；　took　a　delight　in　repeating　their　fault。　They　hastened　to



the　gardens　in　which　Saturninus　was　passing　his　time；　and　it　was　not



the　efforts　of　Primus　Antonius；　Aponianus；　and　Messalla；　though　they



exerted　themselves　to　the　uttermost；　that　saved　him；　so　much　as　the



obscurity　of　the　hiding…place　in　which　he　concealed　himself；　for　he



was　hidden　in　the　furnace　of　some　baths　that　happened　to　be　out　of



use。　In　a　short　time　he　gave　up　his　lictors；　and　retired　to



Patavium。　After　the　departure　of　the　two　men　of　consular　rank；　all



power　and　authority　over　the　two　armies　centred　in　Antonius　alone；　his



colleagues　giving　way　to　him；　and　the　soldiers　being　strongly　biased



in　his　favour。　There　were　those　who　believed　that　both　these



mutinies　were　set　on　foot　by　the　intrigues　of　Antonius；　in　order



that　he　might　engross　all　the　prizes　of　the　war。



　　Nor　indeed　was　there　less　restlessness　among　the　partisans　of



Vitellius；　who　were　distracted　by　yet　more　fatal　dissensions；



springing；　not　from　the　suspicions　of　the　common　men；　but　from　the



treachery　of　the　generals。　Lucilius　Bassus；　prefect　of　the　Ravenna



fleet；　finding　that　the　troops　wavered　in　purpose；　from　the　fact



that　many　were　natives　of　Dalmatia　and　Pannonia；　provinces　held　for



Vespasian；　had　attached　them　to　the　Flavianist　party。　The　night…time



was　chosen　for　accomplishing　the　treason；　because　then；　unknown　to　all



the　rest；　the　ringleaders　alone　might　assemble　at　head…quarters。



Bassus；　moved　by　shame；　or　perhaps　by　fear；　awaited　the　issue　in　his



house。　The　captains　of　the　triremes　rushed　with　a　great　outcry　on



the　images　of　Vitellius；　a　few；　who　attempted　to　resist；　were　cut



down；　the　great　majority；　with　the　usual　love　of　change；　were　ready　to



join　Vespasian。　Then　Bassus　came　forward　and　openly　sanctioned　the



movement。　The　fleet　appointed　Cornelius　Fuscus　to　be　prefect；　and　he



hastened　to　join　them。　Lucilius　was　put　under　honourable　arrest；　and



conveyed　as　far　as　Adria　by　the　Liburnian　ships；　there　he　was　thrown



into　prison　by　Vivennius　Rufinus；　prefect　of　a　squadron　of　cavalry；



which　was　there　in　garrison。　His　chains；　however；　were　immediately



struck　off　on　the　interference　of　Hormus；　one　of　the　Emperor's



freedmen；　for　he　too　ranked　among　the　generals。



　　On　the　revolt　of　the　fleet　becoming　known；　Caecina　called　together



to　head…quarters；　which　he　purposely　selected　as　being　the　most



retired　part　of　the　camp；　the　chief　centurions　and　some　few



soldiers；　while　the　rest　were　dispersed　on　various　military　duties。



Then　he　extolled　the　valour　of　Vespasian；　and　the　strength　of　his



party；　he　told　them　that　the　fleet　had　changed　sides；　that　they　were



straitened　for　supplies；　that　Gaul　and　Spain　were　against　them；　that



in　the　capital　there　was　nothing　on　which　to　rely；　thus　making　the



worst　of　everything　that　concerned　Vitellius。　Then；　the　conspirators



present　setting　the　example；　and　the　rest　being　paralysed　by　the



strangeness　of　the　proceeding；　he　made　them　swear　allegiance　to



Vespasian。　At　the　same　time　the　images　of　Vitellius　were　torn　down；



and　persons　were　despatched　to　convey　the　intelligence　to　Antonius。



But　when　this　treason　became　noised　abroad　throughout　the　camp；　when



the　soldiers；　hurrying　back　to　head…quarters；　saw　the　name　of



Vespasian　written　on　the　colours；　and　the　images　of　Vitellius　thrown



upon　the　ground；　first　there　was　a　gloomy　silence；　then　all　their　rage



burst　out　at　once。　〃What；〃　they　cried；　〃has　the　glory　of　the　army　of



Germany　fallen　so　low；　that　without　a　battle；　even　without　a　wound；



they　should　yield　up　hands　ready　bound　and　arms　resigned　to　surrender？



What　legions　indeed　are　these　against　us？　Only　the　conquered。　The



first　and　the　twelfth；　the　sole　strength　of　the　Othonianist　army；



are　not　there；　and　even　them　we　routed　and　crushed　on　these　very



plains；　only　that　so　many　thousands　of　armed　men；　like　a　herd　of



slaves　for　sale；　might　be　given　as　a　present　to　the　exile　Antonius。



Thus；　forsooth；　the　adhesion　of　one　fleet　would　be　worth　eight



legions。　So　it　pleases　Bassus　and　Caecina；　after　robbing　the　Emperor



of　palaces；　gardens；　and　money；　to　rob　the　soldiers　of　their



Emperor。　But　we；　who　have　seen　nothing　of　toil　and　bloodshed；　we；



who　must　be　contemptible　even　to　the　Flavianists；　what　shall　we　answer



to　those　who　shall　ask　us　of　our　victories　and　our　defeats？〃



　　Joining　one　and　all　in　these　cries；　by　which　each　expressed　his



own　vexation；　they　proceeded；　following　the　lead　of　the　fifth



legion；　to　replace　the　images　of　Vitellius；　and　to　put　Caecina　in



irons。　They　elected　to　the　command　Fabius　Fabullus；　legate　of　the



fifth　legion；　and　Cassius　Longus；　prefect　of　the　camp；　they



massacred　the　soldiers　from　three　Liburnian　ships；　who　happened　to



fall　in　their　way；　but　who　were　perfectly　ignorant　and　innocent　of



these　proceedings；　they　then　abandoned　the　camp；　and；　after　breaking



down　the　bridge；　fell　back　on　Hostilia；　and　thence　on　Cremona；　in



order　to　effect　a　junction　with　the　two　legions；　the　1st　Italica　and



the　21st　Rapax；　which；　with　a　portion　of　the　cavalry；　Caecina　had　sent



on　to　occupy　Cremona。



　　On　this　becoming　known　to　Antonius；　he　determined　to　attack　the



hostile　armies；　while　they　were　still　distracted　in　feeling　and



divided　in　strength；　before　the　generals　could　recover　their



authority；　and　the　soldiers　their　subordination　along　with　that



confidence　which　would　spring　from　the　junction　of　the　legions。　He



concluded　indeed　that　Fabius　Valens　had　left　the　capital；　and　would



hasten　his　march；　on　hearing　of　the　treason　of　Caecina；　and　Fabius　was



loyal　to　Vitellius；　and　not　without　some　military　skill。　At　the　same



time　he　dreaded　the　approach　of　a　vast　body　of　Germans　by　way　of



Rhaetia。　Vitellius　had　also　summoned　reinforcements　from　Britain；



Gaul；　and　Spain；　whose　arms　would　have　wasted　like　a　wide…spread



pestilence；　had　not　Antonius；　fearful　of　this　very　danger；　hurried



on　an　engagement；　and　thus　secured　his　victory。　He　reached　Bedriacum



with　his　whole　army　in　two　days'　march　from　Verona。　The　next　day；



keeping　the　legions　to　fortify　the　position；　he　sent　the　auxiliary



infantry　into　the　territories　of　Cremona；　ostensibly　to　collect



supplies；　really　to　imbue　the　soldiery　with　a　taste　for　the　spoils



of　civil　war。　He　himself　advanced　with　4000　cavalry　as　far　as　the



8th　milestone　from　Bedriacum；　in　order　that　they　might　plunder　with



greater　freedom。　The　scouts；　as　usual；　took　a　wider　range。



　　It　was　almost　eleven　o'clock；　when　a　horseman　arrived　at　full



speed　with　the　news；　that　the　enemy　were　approaching；　that　a　small



body　was　moving　in　front；　but　that　the　stir　and　noise　could　be　heard



far　and　wide。　While　Antonius　was　deliberating　as　to　what　was　to　be



done；　Arrius　Varus；　eager　to　do　his　best；　charged　with　the　bravest



of　the　cavalry；　and　drove　back　the　Vitellianists；　inflicting　upon　them



some　slight　loss；　as　more　came　up；　the　fortune　of　the　day　changed；　and



those　who　had　been　most　eager　in　the　pursuit　found　themselves　last



in　the　flight。　This　rash　act　did　not　originate　with　Antonius；　he



anticipated　in　fact　what　actually　happened。　He　now　urged　his



soldiers　to　enter　on　the　battle　with　a　good　heart；　he　then　drew　off



the　squadrons　of　his　cavalry　to　the　two　flanks；　leaving　in　the　midst



an　open　space　in　which　to　receive　Varus　and　his　troopers；　the



legions　were　ordered　to　arm　themselves；　signals　were　made　over　the



country　that　every　man　should　leave　plundering；　and　join　the　battle　at



the　nearest　point。　Meanwhile　the　terror…stricken　Varus　plunged　into



the　disordered　ranks　of　his　friends；　and　brought　a　panic　with　him。　The



fresh　troops　were　driven　back　along　with　the　wounded　fugitives；



confused　by　their　own　alarm　and　by　the　difficulties　of　the　road。



　　In　the　midst　of　this　panic　Antonius　omitted　nothing　that　a



self…possessed　commander　or　a　most　intrepid　soldier　could　do。　He　threw



himself　before　the　terrified　fugitives；　he　held　back　those　who　were



giving　way；　and　wherever　the　struggle　was　hardest；　wherever　there



was　a　gleam　of　hope；　there　he　was　with　his　ready　skill；　his　bold　hand；



his　encouraging　voice；　easily　recognized　by　the　enemy；　and　a



conspicuous　object　to　his　own　men。　At　last　he　was　carried　to　such　a



pitch　of　excitement；　that　he　transfixed　with　a　lance　a　flying　standard



bearer；　and　then；　seizing　the　standard；　turned　it　towards　the　enemy。



Touched　by　the　reproach；　a　few　troopers；　not　more　than　a　hundred　in



number；　made　a　stand。　The　locality　favoured　them；　for　the　road　was



at　that　point　particularly　narrow；　while　the　bridge　over　the　stream



which　crossed　it　had　been　broken　down；　and　the　stream　itself；　with　its



varying　channel　and　its　precipitous　banks；　checked　their　flight。　It



was　this　necessity；　or　a　happy　chance；　that　restored　the　fallen



fortunes　of　the　party。　Forming　themselves　into　strong　and　close　ranks；



they　received　the　attack　of　the　Vitellianists；　who　were　now



imprudently　scattered。　These　were　at　once　overthrown。　Antonius　pursued



those　that　fled；　and　crushed　those　that　encountered　him。　Then　came　the



rest　of　his　troops；　who；　as　they　were　severally　disposed；　plundered；



made　prisoners；　or　seized　on　weapons　and　horses。　Roused　by　the



shouts　of　triumph；　those　who　had　lately　been　scattered　in　flight



over　the　fields　hastened　to　share　in　the　victory。



　　At　the　fourth　milestone　from　Cremona　glittered　the　standards　of



two　legions；　the　Italica　and　the　Rapax；　which　had　been　advanced　as　far



as　that　point　during　the　success　achieved　by　the　first　movement　of



their　cavalry。　But　when　fortune　changed；　they　would　not　open　their



ranks；　nor　receive　the　fugitives；　nor　advance　and　themselves　attack　an



enemy　now　exhausted　by　so　protracted　a　pursuit　and　conflict。



Vanquished　by　accident；　these　men　had　never　in　their　success　valued



their　general　as　much　as　they　now　in　disaster　felt　his　absence。　The



victorious　cavalry　charged　the　wavering　line；　the　tribune　Vipstanus



Messalla　followed　with　the　auxiliary　troops　from　Moesia；　whom；



though　hurriedly　brought　up；　long　service　had　made　as　good　soldiers　as



the　legionaries。　The　horse　and　foot；　thus　mixed　together；　broke



through　the　line　of　the　legions。　The　near　neighbourhood　of　the



fortifications　of　Cremona；　while　it　gave　more　hope　of　escape；



diminished　the　vigour　of　their　resistance。



　　An