histories-第44章

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produced　disunion；　the　troops　from　the　Upper　army　dissociating　their



cause　from　that　of　their　comrades。　Nevertheless　the　statues　of



Vitellius　were　again　set　up　in　the　camp　and　in　the　neighbouring



Belgian　towns；　and　this　at　a　time　when　Vitellius　himself　had　fallen。



Then　the　men　of　the　1st；　the　4th；　and　the　18th　legions；　repenting　of



their　conduct；　followed　Vocula；　and　again　taking　in　his　presence　the



oath　of　allegiance　to　Vespasian；　were　marched　by　him　to　the　relief



of　Mogontiacum。　The　besieging　army；　an　heterogeneous　mass　of　Chatti；



Usipii；　and　Mattiaci；　had　raised　the　siege；　glutted　with　spoils；　but



not　without　suffering　loss。　Our　troops　attacked　them　on　the　way；



dispersed　and　unprepared。　Moreover　the　Treveri　had　constructed　a



breastwork　and　rampart　across　their　territory；　and　they　and　the



Germans　continued　to　contend　with　great　losses　on　both　sides　up　to　the



time　when　they　tarnished　by　rebellion　their　distinguished　services



to　the　Roman　people。



　　Meanwhile　Vespasian　（now　consul　for　the　second　time）　and　Titus



entered　upon　their　office；　both　being　absent　from　Rome。　People　were



gloomy　and　anxious　under　the　pressure　of　manifold　fears；　for；　over　and



above　immediate　perils；　they　had　taken　groundless　alarm　under　the



impression　that　Africa　was　in　rebellion　through　the　revolutionary



movements　of　Lucius　Piso。　He　was　governor　of　that　province；　and　was



far　from　being　a　man　of　turbulent　disposition。　The　fact　was　that　the



wheat…ships　were　detained　by　the　severity　of　the　weather；　and　the



lower　orders；　who　were　accustomed　to　buy　their　provisions　from　day



to　day；　and　to　whom　cheap　corn　was　the　sole　subject　of　public



interest；　feared　and　believed　that　the　ports　had　been　closed　and　the



supplies　stopped；　the　Vitellianists；　who　had　not　yet　given　up　their



party　feelings；　helping　to　spread　the　report；　which　was　not



displeasing　even　to　the　conquerors。　Their　ambition；　which　even　foreign



campaigns　could　not　fill　to　the　full；　was　not　satisfied　by　any



triumphs　that　civil　war　could　furnish。



　　On　the　1st　of　January；　at　a　meeting　of　the　Senate；　convoked　for



the　purpose　by　Julius　Frontinus；　praetor　of　the　city；　votes　of



thanks　were　passed　to　the　legates；　to　the　armies；　and　to　the　allied



kings。　The　office　of　praetor　was　taken　away　from　Tettius　Julianus；



as　having　deserted　his　legion　when　it　passed　over　to　the　party　of



Vespasian；　with　a　view　to　its　being　transferred　to　Plotius　Griphus。



Equestrian　rank　was　conferred　on　Hormus。　Then；　on　the　resignation　of



Frontinus；　Caesar　Domitian　assumed　the　office　of　praetor　of　the



city。　His　name　was　put　at　the　head　of　despatches　and　edicts；　but　the



real　authority　was　in　the　hands　of　Mucianus；　with　this　exception；　that



Domitian　ventured　on　several　acts　of　power；　at　the　instigation　of



his　friends；　or　at　his　own　caprice。　But　Mucianus　found　his　principal



cause　of　apprehension　in　Primus　Antonius　and　Varus　Arrius；　who；　in　the



freshness　of　their　fame；　while　distinguished　by　great　achievements　and



by　the　attachment　of　the　soldiery；　were　also　supported　by　the



people；　because　in　no　case　had　they　extended　their　severities　beyond



the　battle…field。　It　was　also　reported　that　Antonius　had　urged



Scribonianus　Crassus；　whom　an　illustrious　descent　added　to　the　honours



of　his　brother　made　a　conspicuous　person；　to　assume　the　supreme　power；



and　it　was　understood　that　a　number　of　accomplices　would　not　have



failed　to　support　him；　had　not　the　proposal　been　rejected　by



Scribonianus；　who　was　a　man　not　easily　to　be　tempted　even　by　a



certainty；　and　was　proportionately　apprehensive　of　risk。　Mucianus；



seeing　that　Antonius　could　not　be　openly　crushed；　heaped　many



praises　upon　him　in　the　Senate；　and　loaded　him　with　promises　in



secret；　holding　out　as　a　prize　the　government　of　Eastern　Spain；　then



vacant　in　consequence　of　the　departure　of　Cluvius　Rufus。　At　the　same



time　he　lavished　on　his　friends　tribuneships　and　prefectures；　and



then；　when　he　had　filled　the　vain　heart　of　the　man　with　hope　and



ambition；　he　destroyed　his　power　by　sending　into　winter　quarters　the



7th　legion；　whose　affection　for　Antonius　was　particularly　vehement。



The　3rd　legion；　old　troops　of　Varus　Arrius；　were　sent　back　to　Syria。



Part　of　the　army　was　on　its　way　to　Germany。　Thus　all　elements　of



disturbance　being　removed；　the　usual　appearance　of　the　capital；　the



laws；　and　the　jurisdiction　of　the　magistrates；　were　once　more



restored。



　　Domitian；　on　the　day　of　his　taking　his　seat　in　the　Senate；　made　a



brief　and　measured　speech　in　reference　to　the　absence　of　his　father



and　brother；　and　to　his　own　youth。　He　was　graceful　in　his　bearing；



and；　his　real　character　being　yet　unknown；　the　frequent　blush　on　his



countenance　passed　for　modesty。　On　his　proposing　the　restoration　of



the　Imperial　honours　of　Galba；　Curtius　Montanus　moved　that　respect



should　also　be　paid　to　the　memory　of　Piso。　The　Senate　passed　both



motions；　but　that　which　referred　to　Piso　was　not　carried　out。



Certain　commissioners　were　then　appointed　by　lot；　who　were　to　see　to



the　restitution　of　property　plundered　during　the　war；　to　examine　and



restore　to　their　place　the　brazen　tables　of　the　laws；　which　had　fallen



down　through　age；　to　free　the　Calendar　from　the　additions　with　which



the　adulatory　spirit　of　the　time　had　disfigured　it；　and　to　put　a　check



on　the　public　expenditure。　The　office　of　praetor　was　restored　to



Tettius　Julianus；　as　soon　as　it　was　known　that　he　had　fled　for



refuge　to　Vespasian。　Griphus　still　retained　his　rank。　It　was　then



determined　that　the　cause　of　Musonius　Rufus　against　Publius　Celer



should　be　again　brought　on。　Publius　was　condemned；　and　thus



expiation　was　made　to　the　shade　of　Soranus。　The　day　thus　marked　by



an　example　of　public　justice　was　not　barren　of　distinction　to



individuals。　Musonius　was　thought　to　have　fulfilled　the　righteous　duty



of　an　accuser；　but　men　spoke　very　differently　of　Demetrius；　a　disciple



of　the　Cynical　school　of　philosophy；　who　pleaded　the　cause　of　a



notorious　criminal　by　appeals　to　corrupt　influences　rather　than　by



fair　argument。　Publius　himself；　in　his　peril；　had　neither　spirit　nor



power　of　speech　left。　The　signal　for　vengeance　on　the　informers　having



been　thus　given；　Junius　Mauricus　asked　Caesar　to　give　the　Senate



access　to　the　Imperial　registers；　from　which　they　might　learn　what



impeachments　the　several　informers　had　proposed。　Caesar　answered；　that



in　a　matter　of　such　importance　the　Emperor　must　be　consulted。



　　The　Senate；　led　by　its　principal　members；　then　framed　a　form　of



oath；　which　was　eagerly　taken　by　all　the　magistrates　and　by　the



other　Senators　in　the　order　in　which　they　voted。　They　called　the



Gods　to　witness；　that　nothing　had　been　done　by　their　instrumentality



to　prejudice　the　safety　of　any　person；　and　that　they　had　gained　no



distinction　or　advantage　by　the　ruin　of　Roman　citizens。　Great　was



the　alarm；　and　various　the　devices　for　altering　the　words　of　the　oath；



among　those　who　felt　the　consciousness　of　guilt。　The　Senate



appreciated　the　scruple；　but　denounced　the　perjury。　This　public



censure；　as　it　might　be　called；　fell　with　especial　severity　on　three



men；　Sariolenus　Vocula；　Nonnius　Attianus；　and　Cestius　Severus；　all



of　them　infamous　for　having　practised　the　trade　of　the　informer　in　the



days　of　Nero。　Sariolenus　indeed　laboured　under　an　imputation　of　recent



date。　It　was　said　that　he　had　attempted　the　same　practices　during



the　reign　of　Vitellius。　The　Senators　did　not　desist　from　threatening



gestures；　till　he　quitted　the　chamber；　then　passing　to　Paccius



Africanus；　they　assailed　him　in　the　same　way。　It　was　he；　they　said；



who　had　singled　out　as　victims　for　Nero　the　brothers　Scribonius；



renowned　for　their　mutual　affection　and　for　their　wealth。　Africanus



dared　not　confess　his　guilt；　and　could　not　deny　it；　but　he　himself



turned　on　Vibius　Crispus；　who　was　pressing　him　with　questions；　and



complicating　a　charge　which　he　could　not　rebut；　shifted　the　blame　from



himself　by　associating　another　with　his　guilt。



　　Great　was　the　reputation　for　brotherly　affection；　as　well　as　for



eloquence；　which　Vipstanus　Messalla　earned　for　himself　on　that　day；　by



venturing；　though　not　yet　of　Senatorial　age；　to　plead　for　his



brother　Aquilius　Regulus。　The　fall　of　the　families　of　the　Crassi　and



Orfitus　had　brought　Regulus　into　the　utmost　odium。　Of　his　own　free



will；　as　it　seemed；　and　while　still　a　mere　youth；　he　had　undertaken



the　prosecution；　not　to　ward　off　any　peril　from　himself；　but　in　the



hope　of　gaining　power。　The　wife　of　Crassus；　Sulpicia　Praetextata；



and　her　four　children　were　ready；　should　the　Senate　take　cognizance　of



the　cause；　to　demand　vengeance。　Accordingly；　Messalla；　without



attempting　to　defend　the　case　or　the　person　accused；　had　simply　thrown



himself　in　the　way　of　the　perils　that　threatened　his　brother；　and



had　thus　wrought　upon　the　feelings　of　several　Senators。　On　this



Curtius　Montanus　met　him　with　a　fierce　speech；　in　which　he　went　to　the



length　of　asserting；　that　after　the　death　of　Galba；　money　had　been



given　by　Regulus　to　the　murderer　of　Piso；　and　that　he　had　even



fastened　his　teeth　in　the　murdered　man's　head。　〃Certainly；〃　he　said；



〃Nero　did　not　compel　this　act；　you　did　not　secure　by　this　piece　of



barbarity　either　your　rank　or　your　life。　We　may　bear　with　the



defence　put　forward　by　men　who　thought　it　better　to　destroy　others



than　to　come　into　peril　themselves。　As　for　you；　the　exile　of　your



father；　and　the　division　of　his　property　among　his　creditors；　had　left



you　perfectly　safe；　besides　that　your　youth　incapacitated　you　for



office；　there　was　nothing　in　you　which　Nero　could　either　covet　or



dread。　It　was　from　sheer　lust　of　slaughter　and　greed　of　gain　that　you；



unknown　as　you　were；　you；　who　had　never　pleaded　in　any　man's



defence；　steeped　your　soul　in　noble　blood；　when；　though　you　had



snatched　from　the　very　grave　of　your　Country　the　spoils　of　a　man　of



consular　rank；　had　been　fed　to　the　full　with　seven　million



sesterces；　and　shone　with　all　sacerdotal　honours；　you　yet



overwhelmed　in　one　common　ruin　innocent　boys；　old　men　of　illustrious



name；　and　noble　ladies；　when　you　actually　blamed　the　tardy　movements



of　Nero　in　wearying　himself　and　his　informers　with　the　overthrow　of



single　families；　and　declared　that　the　whole　Senate　might　be　destroyed



by　one　word。　Keep；　Conscript　Fathers；　preserve　a　man　of　such　ready



counsels；　that　every　age　may　be　furnished　with　its　teacher；　and　that



our　young　men　may　imitate　Regulus；　just　as　our　old　men　imitate



Marcellus　and　Crispus。　Even　unsuccessful　villany　finds　some　to　emulate



it：　what　will　happen；　if　it　flourish　and　be　strong？　And　the　man；



whom　we　dare　not　offend　when　he　holds　only　quaestor's　rank；　are　we



to　see　him　rise