histories-第45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！


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　to　the　dignities　of　praetor　and　consul？　Do　you　suppose



that　Nero　will　be　the　last　of　the　tyrants？　Those　who　survived



Tiberius；　those　who　survived　Caligula；　thought　the　same；　and　yet　after



each　there　arose　another　ruler　yet　more　detestable　and　more　cruel。



We　are　not　afraid　of　Vespasian；　the　age　and　moderation　of　the　new



Emperor　reassure　us。　But　the　influence　of　an　example　outlives　the



individual　character。　We　have　lost　our　vigour；　Conscript　Fathers；　we



are　no　longer　that　Senate；　which；　when　Nero　had　fallen；　demanded



that　the　informers　and　ministers　of　the　tyrant　should　be　punished



according　to　ancient　custom。　The　first　day　after　the　downfall　of　a



wicked　Emperor　is　the　best　of　opportunities。〃



　　Montanus　was　heard　with　such　approval　on　the　part　of　the　Senate；



that　Helvidius　conceived　a　hope　that　Marcellus　also　might　be



overthrown。　He　therefore　began　with　a　panegyric　on　Cluvius　Rufus；　who；



though　not　less　rich　nor　less　renowned　for　eloquence；　had　never



imperilled　a　single　life　in　the　days　of　Nero。　By　this　comparison；　as



well　as　by　direct　accusations；　he　pressed　Eprius　hard；　and　stirred　the



indignation　of　the　Senators。　When　Marcellus　perceived　this；　he　made　as



if　he　would　leave　the　House；　exclaiming；　〃We　go；　Priscus；　and　leave



you　your　Senate；　act　the　king；　though　Caesar　himself　be　present。〃



Crispus　followed。　Both　were　enraged；　but　their　looks　were　different；



Marcellus　cast　furious　glances　about　him；　while　Crispus　smiled。　They



were　drawn　back；　however；　into　the　Senate　by　the　hasty　interference　of



friends。　The　contest　grew　fiercer；　while　the　well…disposed　majority　on



the　one　side；　and　a　powerful　minority　on　the　other；　fought　out　their



obstinate　quarrel；　and　thus　the　day　was　spent　in　altercation。



　　At　the　next　meeting　of　the　Senate　Caesar　began　by　recommending



that　the　wrongs；　the　resentments；　and　the　terrible　necessities　of



former　times；　should　be　forgotten；　and　Mucianus　spoke　at　great



length　in　favour　of　the　informers。　At　the　same　time　he　admonished　in



gentle　terms　and　in　a　tone　of　entreaty　those　who　were　reviving



indictments；　which　they　had　before　commenced　and　afterwards　dropped。



The　Senators；　when　they　found　themselves　opposed；　relinquished　the



liberty　which　they　had　begun　to　exercise。　That　it　might　not　be　thought



that　the　opinion　of　the　Senate　was　disregarded；　or　that　impunity　was



accorded　to　all　acts　done　in　the　days　of　Nero；　Mucianus　sent　back　to



their　islands　two　men　of　Senatorial　rank；　Octavius　Sagitta　and



Antistius　Sosianus；　who　had　quitted　their　places　of　banishment。



Octavius　had　seduced　one　Pontia　Postumia；　and；　on　her　refusing　to



marry　him；　in　the　frenzy　of　passion　had　murdered　her。　Sosianus　by



his　depravity　had　brought　many　to　ruin。　Both　had　been　condemned　and



banished　by　a　solemn　decision　of　the　Senate；　and；　though　others　were



permitted　to　return；　were　kept　under　the　same　penalty。　But　this　did



not　mitigate　the　hatred　felt　against　Mucianus。　Sosianus　and　Sagitta



were　utterly　insignificant；　even　if　they　did　return；　but　men　dreaded



the　abilities　of　the　informers；　their　wealth；　and　the　power　which　they



exercised　in　many　sinister　ways。



　　A　trial；　conducted　in　the　Senate　according　to　ancient　precedents；



brought　into　harmony　for　a　time　the　feelings　of　its　members。　Manlius



Patruitus；　a　Senator；　laid　a　complaint；　that　he　had　been　beaten　by　a



mob　in　the　colony　of　Sena；　and　that　by　order　of　the　magistrates；



that　the　wrong　had　not　stopped　here；　but　that　lamentations　and



wailings；　in　fact　a　representation　of　funeral　obsequies；　had　been



enacted　in　his　presence；　accompanied　with　contemptuous　and　insulting



expressions　levelled　against　the　whole　Senate。　The　persons　accused



were　summoned　to　appear；　and　after　the　case　had　been　investigated；



punishment　was　inflicted　on　those　who　were　found　guilty。　A



resolution　of　the　Senate　was　also　passed；　recommending　more　orderly



behaviour　to　the　people　of　Sena。　About　the　same　time　Antonius　Flamma



was　condemned　under　the　law　against　extortion；　at　the　suit　of　the



people　of　Cyrene；　and　was　banished　for　cruel　practices。



　　Amidst　all　this　a　mutiny　in　the　army　all　but　broke　out。　The　troops



who；　having　been　disbanded　by　Vitellius；　had　flocked　to　support



Vespasian；　asked　leave　to　serve　again　in　the　Praetorian　Guard；　and　the



soldiers　who　had　been　selected　from　the　legions　with　the　same　prospect



now　clamoured　for　their　promised　pay。　Even　the　Vitellianists　could　not



be　got　rid　of　without　much　bloodshed。　But　the　money　required　for



retaining　in　the　service　so　vast　a　body　of　men　was　immensely　large。



Mucianus　entered　the　camp　to　examine　more　accurately　the　individual



claims。　The　victorious　army；　wearing　their　proper　decorations　and



arms；　he　drew　up　with　moderate　intervals　of　space　between　the



divisions；　then　the　Vitellianists；　whose　capitulation　at　Bovillae　I



have　already　related；　and　the　other　troops　of　the　party；　who　had



been　collected　from　the　capital　and　its　neighbourhood；　were　brought



forth　almost　naked。　Mucianus　ordered　these　men　to　be　drawn　up　apart；



making　the　British；　the　German；　and　any　other　troops　that　there　were



belonging　to　other　armies；　take　up　separate　positions。　The　very



first　view　of　their　situation　paralyzed　them。　They　saw　opposed　to　them



what　seemed　a　hostile　array；　threatening　them　with　javelin　and



sword。　They　saw　themselves　hemmed　in；　without　arms；　filthy　and



squalid。　And　when　they　began　to　be　separated；　some　to　be　marched　to



one　spot；　and　some　to　another；　a　thrill　of　terror　ran　through　them



all。　Among　the　troops　from　Germany　the　panic　was　particularly　great；



for　they　believed　that　this　separation　marked　them　out　for



slaughter。　They　embraced　their　fellow　soldiers；　clung　to　their



necks；　begged　for　parting　kisses；　and　entreated　that　they　might　not　be



deserted；　or　doomed　in　a　common　cause　to　suffer　a　different　lot。



They　invoked　now　Mucianus；　now　the　absent　Emperor；　and；　as　a　last



resource；　heaven　and　the　Gods；　till　Mucianus　came　forward；　and　calling



them　〃soldiers　bound　by　the　same　oath　and　servants　of　the　same



Emperor；〃　stopped　the　groundless　panic。　And　indeed　the　victorious　army



seconded　the　tears　of　the　vanquished　with　their　approving　shouts。　This



terminated　the　proceedings　for　that　day。　But　when　Domitian　harangued



them　a　few　days　afterwards；　they　received　him　with　increased



confidence。　The　land　that　was　offered　them　they　contemptuously



rejected；　and　begged　for　regular　service　and　pay。　Theirs　were



prayers　indeed；　but　such　as　it　was　impossible　to　reject。　They　were



therefore　received　into　the　Praetorian　camp。　Then　such　as　had



reached　the　prescribed　age；　or　had　served　the　proper　number　of



campaigns；　received　an　honourable　discharge；　others　were　dismissed　for



misconduct；　but　this　was　done　by　degrees　and　in　detail；　always　the



safest　mode　of　reducing　the　united　strength　of　a　multitude。



　　It　is　a　fact　that；　whether　suggested　by　real　poverty　or　by　a　wish　to



give　the　appearance　of　it；　a　proposition　passed　the　Senate　to　the



effect　that　a　loan　of　sixty　million　sesterces　from　private　persons



should　be　accepted。　Pompeius　Silvanus　was　appointed　to　manage　the



affair。　Before　long；　either　the　necessity　ceased　or　the　pretence　was



dropped。　After　this；　on　the　motion　of　Domitian；　the　consulships



conferred　by　Vitellius　were　cancelled；　and　the　honours　of　a　censor's



funeral　were　paid　to　Sabinus；　great　lessons　both　of　the　mutability



of　fortune；　ever　bringing　together　the　highest　honours　and　the



lowest　humiliations。



　　About　the　same　time　the　proconsul　Lucius　Piso　was　murdered。　I



shall　make　the　account　of　this　murder　as　exact　as　possible　by　first



reviewing　a　few　earlier　circumstances；　which　have　a　bearing　on　the



origin　and　motives　of　such　deeds。　The　legion　and　the　auxiliaries



stationed　in　Africa　to　guard　the　frontiers　of　the　Empire　were　under



the　proconsul's　authority　during　the　reigns　of　the　divine　Augustus　and



Tiberius。　But　in　course　of　time　Caligula；　prompted　by　his　restless



temper　and　by　his　fear　of　Marcus　Silanus；　who　then　held　Africa；　took



away　the　legion　from　the　proconsul；　and　handed　it　over　to　a　legate



whom　he　sent　for　that　purpose。　The　patronage　was　equally　divided



between　the　two　officers。　A　source　of　disagreement　was　thus　studiously



sought　in　the　continual　clashing　of　their　authority；　and　it　was



further　developed　by　an　unprincipled　rivalry。　The　power　of　the　legates



grew　through　their　lengthened　tenure　of　office；　and；　perhaps；



because　an　inferior　feels　greater　interest　in　such　a　competition。



All　the　more　distinguished　of　the　proconsuls　cared　more　for　security



than　for　power。



　　At　this　time　the　legion　in　Africa　was　commanded　by　Valerius



Festus；　a　young　man　of　extravagant　habits　and　immoderate　ambition；　who



was　now　made　uneasy　by　his　relationship　to　Vitellius。　Whether　this　man



in　their　frequent　interviews　tempted　Piso　to　revolt；　or　whether　he



resisted　such　overtures；　is　not　known　for　certain；　for　no　one　was



present　at　their　confidential　meetings；　and；　after　Piso's　death；



many　were　disposed　to　ingratiate　themselves　with　the　murderer。　There



is　no　doubt　that　the　province　and　the　troops　entertained　feelings　of



hostility　to　Vespasian；　and　some　of　the　Vitellianists；　who　had　escaped



from　the　capital；　incessantly　represented　to　Piso　that　Gaul　was



hesitating　and　Germany　ready　to　revolt；　that　his　own　position　was



perilous；　and　that　for　one　who　in　peace　must　be　suspected；　war　was　the



safer　course。　While　this　was　going　on；　Claudius　Sagitta；　prefect　of



Petra's　Horse；　making　a　very　quick　passage；　reached　Africa　before



Papirius；　the　centurion　despatched　by　Mucianus。　He　declared　that　an



order　to　put　Piso　to　death　had　been　given　to　the　centurion；　and　that



Galerianus；　his　cousin　and　son…in…law；　had　perished；　that　his　only



hope　of　safety　was　in　bold　action；　that　in　such　action　two　paths



were　open；　he　might　defend　himself　on　the　spot；　or　he　might　sail　for



Gaul　and　offer　his　services　as　general　to　the　Vitellianist　armies。



Piso　was　wholly　unmoved　by　this　statement。　The　centurion　despatched　by



Mucianus；　on　landing　in　the　port　of　Carthage；　raised　his　voice；　and



invoked　in　succession　all　blessings　on　the　head　of　Piso；　as　if　he　were



Emperor；　and　bade　the　bystanders；　who　were　astonished　by　this　sudden



and　strange　proceeding；　take　up　the　same　cry。　The　credulous　mob　rushed



into　the　market…place；　and　demanded　that　Piso　should　shew　himself。



They　threw　everything　into　an　uproar　with　their　clamorous　shouts　of



joy；　careless　of　the　truth；　and　only　eager　to　flatter。　Piso；　acting　on



the　information　of　Sagitta；　or；　perhaps；　from　natural　modesty