histories-第34章

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all　kept　at　a　distance　by　the　intimate　friends　of　Vitellius；　for　the



Emperor's　ears　were　so　formed；　that　all　profitable　counsels　were



offensive　to　him；　and　that　he　would　hear　nothing　but　what　would　please



and　ruin。



　　The　fleet　at　Misenum；　so　much　can　be　done　in　times　of　civil



discord　by　the　daring　of　even　a　single　man；　was　drawn　into　revolt　by



Claudius　Faventinus；　a　centurion　cashiered　by　Galba；　who　forged



letters　in　the　name　of　Vespasian　offering　a　reward　for　treachery。



The　fleet　was　under　the　command　of　Claudius　Apollinaris；　a　man　neither



firm　in　his　loyalty；　nor　energetic　in　his　treason。　Apinius　Tiro；　who



had　filled　the　office　of　praetor；　and　who　then　happened　to　be　at



Minturnae；　offered　to　head　the　revolt。　By　these　men　the　colonies　and



municipal　towns　were　drawn　into　the　movement；　and　as　Puteoli　was



particularly　zealous　for　Vespasian；　while　Capua　on　the　other　hand



remained　loyal　to　Vitellius；　they　introduced　their　municipal



jealousy　into　the　civil　war。　Claudius　Julianus；　who　had　lately



exercised　an　indulgent　rule　over　the　fleet　at　Misenum；　was　selected　by



Vitellius　to　soothe　the　irritation　of　the　soldiery。　He　was　supported



by　a　city　cohort　and　a　troop　of　gladiators　whose　chief　officer　he　was。



As　soon　as　the　two　camps　were　pitched；　Julianus；　without　much



hesitation；　went　over　to　the　side　of　Vespasian；　and　they　then　occupied



Tarracina；　which　was　protected　by　its　fortifications　and　position



rather　than　by　any　ability　of　theirs。



　　Vitellius；　when　informed　of　these　events；　left　a　portion　of　his　army



at　Narnia　under　the　command　of　the　prefect　of　the　Praetorian　Guard；



and　deputed　his　brother　Lucius　with　six　cohorts　of　infantry　and　500



cavalry　to　encounter　the　danger　that　now　threatened　him　on　the　side　of



Campania。　Sick　at　heart；　he　found　relief　in　the　zeal　of　the　soldiers



and　in　the　shouts　with　which　the　people　clamoured　for　arms；　while　he



gave　the　delusive　name　of　an　army　and　of　Roman　legions　to　a　cowardly



mob；　that　would　not　venture　on　any　thing　beyond　words。　At　the　instance



of　his　freedmen　（for　his　friends　were　the　less　faithful　the　more



distinguished　their　rank）　he　ordered　the　tribes　to　be　convoked；　and　to



those　who　gave　in　their　names　administered　the　oath　of　service。　As　the



numbers　were　excessive；　he　divided　the　business　of　enrolment　between



the　consuls。　He　required　the　Senators　to　furnish　a　prescribed　number



of　slaves　and　a　certain　weight　of　silver。　The　Roman　Knights　offered



their　services　and　money；　and　even　the　freedmen　voluntarily　sought　the



privilege　of　doing　the　same。　This　pretence　of　loyalty；　dictated　at



first　by　fear；　passed　into　enthusiasm；　and　many　expressed



compassion；　not　so　much　for　Vitellius；　as　for　the　fallen　condition



of　the　Imperial　power。　Vitellius　himself　failed　not　to　draw　out



their　sympathies　by　his　pitiable　looks；　his　voice；　and　his　tears；　he



was　liberal　in　his　promises　and　even　extravagant；　as　men　in　their



alarm　naturally　are。　He　even　expressed　a　wish　to　be　saluted　as　Caesar；



a　title　which　he　had　formerly　rejected。　But　now　he　had　a　superstitious



feeling　about　the　name；　and　it　is　a　fact　that　in　the　moment　of



terror　the　counsels　of　the　wise　and　the　voice　of　the　rabble　are



listened　to　with　equal　respect。　But　as　all　movements　that　originate　in



thoughtless　impulse；　however　vigorous　in　their　beginnings；　become



feeble　after　a　time；　the　throng　of　Senators　and　Knights　gradually



melted　away；　dispersing　at　first　tardily　and　during　the　absence　of　the



Emperor；　but　before　long　with　a　contemptuous　indifference　to　his



presence；　till；　ashamed　of　the　failure　of　his　efforts；　Vitellius



waived　his　claims　to　services　which　were　not　offered。



　　As　the　occupation　of　Mevania；　and　the　apparent　revival　of　the　war



with　new　vigour；　had　struck　terror　into　Italy；　so　now　did　the　timorous



retreat　of　Vitellius　give　an　unequivocal　bias　in　favour　of　the



Flavianists。　The　Samnites；　the　Peligni；　and　the　Marsi；　roused



themselves；　jealous　at　having　been　anticipated　by　Campania；　and；　as



men　who　serve　a　new　master；　were　energetic　in　all　the　duties　of　war。



The　army；　however；　was　much　distressed　by　bad　weather　in　its　passage



over　the　Apennines；　and　since　they　could　hardly　struggle　through　the



snow；　though　their　march　was　unmolested；　they　perceived　what　danger



they　would　have　had　to　encounter；　had　not　Vitellius　been　made　to



turn　back　by　that　good　fortune；　which；　not　less　often　than　the



wisdom　of　their　counsels；　helped　the　Flavianist　generals。　Here　they



fell　in　with　Petilius　Cerialis；　who　had　escaped　the　sentries　of



Vitellius　by　a　rustic　disguise　and　by　his　knowledge　of　the　country。



There　was　a　near　relationship　between　Cerialis　and　Vespasian；　and　he



was　not　without　reputation　as　a　soldier。　He　was　therefore　admitted



to　rank　among　the　generals。　It　has　been　said　by　many　that　the　means　of



escape　were　likewise　open　to　Flavius　Sabinus　and　to　Domitian；　and



indeed　messengers；　dispatched　by　Antonius；　contrived　under　various



disguises　to　make　their　way　to　them；　offering　them　a　place　of　refuge



and　a　protecting　force。　Sabinus　pleaded　his　ill　health；　unsuited　to



toil　and　adventure。　Domitian　did　not　want　the　courage；　but　he　feared



that　the　guards　whom　Vitellius　had　set　over　him；　though　they　offered



to　accompany　him　in　his　flight；　had　treacherous　designs。　And　Vitellius



himself；　out　of　a　regard　for　his　own　connexions；　did　not　meditate



any　cruelty　against　Domitian。



　　The　Flavianist　generals　on　their　arrival　at　Carsulae　took　a　few　days



for　repose；　while　the　eagles　and　standards　of　the　legions　were



coming　up。　Carsulae　appeared　a　good　position　for　an　encampment；　for　it



commanded　an　extensive　prospect；　provisions　could　be　safely　brought



up；　and　there　were　in　its　rear　several　very　wealthy　towns。　They　also



calculated　on　interviews　with　the　Vitellianists；　who　were　only　ten



miles　distant；　and　on　the　chances　of　defection。　The　soldiers　were



dissatisfied　with　this　prospect；　and　wished　for　victory　rather　than



for　peace。　They　would　not　even　await　the　arrival　of　their　own　legions；



whom　they　looked　upon　as　sharers　in　the　spoil　rather　than　in　the



dangers　of　the　campaign。　Antonius　summoned　them　to　an　assembly；　and



explained　to　them　that　Vitellius　had　still　forces；　which　would　waver



in　their　loyalty　if　they　had　time　to　reflect；　but　would　be　fierce　foes



if　driven　to　despair。　〃The　opening　of　a　civil　war　must；〃　he　said；



〃be　left　to　chance；　the　final　triumph　is　perfected　by　wise　counsels



and　skill。　The　fleet　of　Misenum　and　the　fairest　portion　of　Campania



have　already　revolted；　and　out　of　the　whole　world　Vitellius　has



nothing　left　but　the　country　between　Tarracina　and　Narnia。　From　our



victory　at　Cremona　sufficient　glory　has　accrued　to　us；　and　from　the



destruction　of　that　city　only　too　much　disgrace。　Let　us　not　be　eager



to　capture　rather　than　to　preserve　the　capital。　Greater　will　be　our



reward；　far　higher　our　reputation；　if　we　secure　without　bloodshed



the　safety　of　the　Senate　and　of　the　people　of　Rome。〃　By　this　and



similar　language　their　impatience　was　allayed。



　　Soon　after；　the　legions　arrived。　Alarmed　by　the　report　of　this



increase　to　the　army；　the　Vitellianist　cohorts　began　to　waver；　no



one　urged　them　to　fight；　many　urged　them　to　change　sides；　each　more



eager　than　the　other　to　hand　over　his　company　or　troop；　a　present　to



the　conqueror；　and　a　source　of　future　advantage　to　himself。　From　these



men　it　was　ascertained　that　Interamna；　situated　in　the　adjoining



plain；　was　occupied　by　a　garrison　of　400　cavalry。　Varus　was　at　once



dispatched　with　a　lightly　equipped　force；　and　cut　to　pieces　a　few



who　attempted　to　resist；　the　greater　number　threw　down　their　arms；　and



begged　for　quarter。　Some　fled　back　into　the　camp；　and　spread　panic



everywhere　by　exaggerated　reports　of　the　courage　and　strength　of　the



enemy；　seeking　thus　to　mitigate　the　disgrace　of　having　lost　the



position。　Among　the　Vitellianists　treason　went　unpunished；　all　loyalty



was　subverted　by　the　rewards　of　desertion；　and　nothing　was　left　but



emulation　in　perfidy。　There　were　numerous　desertions　among　the



tribunes　and　centurions；　the　common　soldiers　remained　obstinately



faithful　to　Vitellius；　till　Priscus　and　Alfenius；　deserting　the　camp



and　returning　to　Vitellius；　relieved　all　from　any　shame　they　might



feel　at　being　traitors。



　　About　the　same　time　Fabius　Valens　was　put　to　death　while　in



confinement　at　Urbinum。　His　head　was　displayed　to　the　Vitellianist



cohort；　that　they　might　not　cherish　any　further　hope；　for　they



generally　believed　that　Valens　had　made　his　way　into　Germany；　and



was　there　bringing　into　the　field　veteran　as　well　as　newly　levied



armies。　The　bloody　spectacle　reduced　them　to　despair；　and　it　was



amazing　how　the　army　of　Vespasian　welcomed　in　their　hearts　the



destruction　of　Valens　as　the　termination　of　the　war。　Valens　was　a



native　of　Anagnia；　and　belonged　to　an　Equestrian　family；　he　was　a



man　of　loose　character；　but　of　no　small　ability；　who　sought　to　gain　by



profligacy　a　reputation　for　elegance。　In　the　theatricals　performed



by　young　men　during　the　reign　of　Nero；　at　first　apparently　from



compulsion；　afterwards　of　his　own　free　choice；　he　repeatedly　acted



in　the　farces；　with　more　cleverness　than　propriety。　While　legate　of



a　legion；　he　first　supported；　then　slandered；　Verginius。　Fonteius



Capito　he　murdered；　either　after　he　had　corrupted　him；　or　because　he



had　failed　to　do　so。　Though　a　traitor　to　Galba　he　was　loyal　to



Vitellius；　and　gained　a　lustre　from　the　perfidy　of　others。



　　Finding　all　their　hopes　cut　off；　the　troops　of　Vitellius；



intending　to　pass　over　to　the　side　of　the　conqueror；　but　to　do　so　with



honour；　marched　down　with　their　standards　and　colours　into　the



plains　beneath　Narnia。　The　army　of　Vespasian；　prepared　and　equipped　as



if　for　action；　was　drawn　up　in　dense　array　on　both　sides　of　the



road。　The　Vitellianists　were　received　between　the　two　columns；　when



they　were　thus　surrounded；　Antonius　addressed　them　kindly。　One



division　was　ordered　to　remain　at　Narnia；　another　at　Interamna；　with



them　were　left　some　of　the　victorious　legions；　which　would　not　be



formidable　to　them　if　they　remained　quiet；　but　were　strong　enough　to



crush　all　turbulence。　At　the　same　time　Primus　and　Varus　did　not



neglect　to　forward　continual　messages　to　Vitellius；　offering　him



personal　safety；　the　enjoyment　of　wealth；　and　a　quiet　retreat　in



Campania；　provided　he　would　lay　down　his　arms　and　surrender　himself



and　his　children　to　Vespasian。　Mucianus　also　wrote　to　him　to　the



same　effect；　and　Vitellius　was　often　disposed　to　trust　these



overtures；　and　even　discussed　the　number　of　his　household　and　the



choice　of　a　residence　on　the　coast。　Such　a　lethargy　had　come　over



his　spirit；　that；　had　not　othe