histories-第8章

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thrice　consul；　was　censor　and　colleague　of　Caesar；　Vitellius　has



long　since　derived　an　imperial　rank；　while　he　has　lost　the　security



that　belongs　to　a　subject。〃



　　These　arguments　roused　the　indolent　temper　of　the　man；　yet　roused



him　rather　to　wish　than　to　hope　for　the　throne。　Meanwhile　however　in



Upper　Germany　Caecina；　young　and　handsome；　of　commanding　stature；



and　of　boundless　ambition；　had　attracted　the　favour　of　the　soldiery　by



his　skilful　oratory　and　his　dignified　mien。　This　man　had；　when



quaestor　in　Baetica；　attached　himself　with　zeal　to　the　party　of　Galba；



who　had　appointed　him；　young　as　he　was；　to　the　command　of　a　legion；



but；　it　being　afterwards　discovered　that　he　had　embezzled　the　public



money；　Galba　directed　that　he　should　be　prosecuted　for　peculation。



Caecina；　grievously　offended；　determined　to　throw　everything　into



confusion；　and　under　the　disasters　of　his　country　to　conceal　his



private　dishonour。　There　were　not　wanting　in　the　army　itself　the



elements　of　civil　strife。　The　whole　of　it　had　taken　part　in　the　war



against　Vindex；　it　had　not　passed　over　to　Galba　till　Nero　fell；　even



then　in　this　transference　of　its　allegiance　it　had　been　anticipated　by



the　armies　of　Lower　Germany。　Besides　this；　the　Treveri；　the



Lingones；　and　the　other　states　which　Galba　had　most　seriously



injured　by　his　severe　edicts　and　by　the　confiscation　of　their



territory；　were　particularly　close　to　the　winter…quarters　of　the



legions。　Thence　arose　seditious　conferences；　a　soldiery　demoralized　by



intercourse　with　the　inhabitants　of　the　country；　and　tendencies　in



favour　of　Verginius；　which　could　easily　be　to　the　profit　of　any



other　person。



　　The　Lingones；　following　an　old　custom；　had　sent　presents　to　the



legions；　right　hands　clasped　together；　an　emblem　of　friendship。



Their　envoys；　who　had　assumed　a　studied　appearance　of　misery　and



distress；　passed　through　the　headquarters　and　the　men's　tents；　and



complaining；　now　of　their　own　wrongs；　now　of　the　rewards　bestowed　on



the　neighbouring　states；　and；　when　they　found　the　soldiers'　ears



open　to　their　words；　of　the　perils　and　insults　to　which　the　army



itself　was　exposed；　inflamed　the　passions　of　the　troops。　The　legions



were　on　the　verge　of　mutiny；　when　Hordeonius　Flaccus　ordered　the



envoys　to　depart；　and　to　make　their　departure　more　secret；　directed



them　to　leave　the　camp　by　night。　Hence　arose　a　frightful　rumour；



many　asserting　that　the　envoys　had　been　killed；　and　that；　unless　the



soldiers　provided　their　own　safety；　the　next　thing　would　be；　that



the　most　energetic　of　their　number；　and　those　who　had　complained　of



their　present　condition；　would　be　slaughtered　under　cover　of　night；



when　the　rest　of　the　army　would　know　nothing　of　their　fate。　The



legions　then　bound　themselves　by　a　secret　agreement。　Into　this　the



auxiliary　troops　were　admitted。　At　first　objects　of　suspicion；　from



the　idea　that　their　infantry　and　cavalry　were　being　concentrated　in



preparation　for　an　attack　on　the　legions；　these　troops　soon　became



especially　zealous　in　the　scheme。　The　bad　find　it　easier　to　agree



for　purposes　of　war　than　to　live　in　harmony　during　peace。



　　Yet　it　was　to　Galba　that　the　legions　of　Lower　Germany　took　the



oath　of　fidelity　annually　administered　on　the　first　of　January。　It　was



done；　however；　after　long　delay；　and　then　only　by　a　few　voices　from



the　foremost　ranks；　while　the　rest　preserved　an　absolute　silence；



every　one　waiting　for　some　bold　demonstration　from　his　neighbour；　in



obedience　to　that　innate　tendency　of　men；　which　makes　them　quick　to



follow　where　they　are　slow　to　lead。　And　even　in　the　various　legions



there　was　a　difference　of　feeling。　The　soldiers　of　the　1st　and　of



the　5th　were　so　mutinous；　that　some　of　them　threw　stones　at　the　images



of　Galba。　The　15th　and　16th　legions　ventured　on　nothing　beyond



uproar　and　threatening　expressions。　They　were　on　the　watch　for



something　that　might　lead　to　an　outbreak。　In　the　Upper　army；



however；　the　4th　and　13th　legions；　which　were　stationed　in　the　same



winter…quarters；　proceeded　on　this　same　first　of　January　to　break　in



pieces　the　images　of　Galba；　the　4th　legion　being　foremost；　the　18th



shewing　some　reluctance；　but　soon　joining　with　the　rest。　Not　however



to　seem　to　throw　off　all　their　reverence　for　the　Empire；　they　sought



to　dignify　their　oath　with　the　now　obsolete　names　of　the　Senate　and



people　of　Rome。　Not　a　single　legate　or　tribune　exerted　himself　for



Galba；　some；　as　is　usual　in　a　tumult；　were　even　conspicuously　active



in　mutiny；　though　no　one　delivered　anything　like　a　formal　harangue



or　spoke　from　a　tribunal。　Indeed　there　was　as　yet　no　one　to　be　obliged



by　such　services。



　　Hordeonius　Flaccus；　the　consular　legate；　was　present　and　witnessed



this　outrage；　but　he　dared　neither　check　the　furious　mutineers；　nor



keep　the　wavering　to　their　duty；　nor　encourage　the　well　affected。



Indolent　and　timid；　he　was　reserved　from　guilt　only　by　his　sloth。　Four



Centurions　of　the　18th　legion；　Nonius　Receptus；　Donatius　Valens；



Romilius　Marcellus；　Calpurnius　Repentinus；　striving　to　protect　the



images　of　Galba；　were　swept　away　by　a　rush　of　the　soldiers　and　put



in　irons。　After　this　no　one　retained　any　sense　of　duty；　any



recollection　of　his　late　allegiance；　but；　as　usually　happens　in



mutinies；　the　side　of　the　majority　became　the　side　of　all。　In　the



course　of　the　night　of　the　1st　of　January；　the　standard…bearer　of



the　4th　legion；　coming　to　the　Colonia　Agrippinensis；　announced　to



Vitellius；　who　was　then　at　dinner；　the　news　that　the　4th　and　18th



legions　had　thrown　down　the　images　of　Galba；　and　had　sworn



allegiance　to　the　Senate　and　people　of　Rome。　Such　a　form　of　oath



appeared　meaningless。　It　was　determined　to　seize　the　doubtful



fortune　of　the　hour；　and　to　offer　an　Emperor　to　their　choice。



Vitellius　sent　envoys　to　the　legions　and　their　legates；　who　were　to



say　that　the　army　of　Upper　Germany　had　revolted　from　Galba；　that　it



was　consequently　necessary　for　them；　either　to　make　war　on　the



revolters；　or；　if　they　preferred　peace　and　harmony；　to　create　an



Emperor；　and　who　were　to　suggest；　that　it　would　be　less　perilous　to



accept　than　to　look　for　a　chief。



　　The　nearest　winter…quarters　were　those　of　the　first　legion；　and



Fabius　Valens　was　the　most　energetic　of　the　legates。　This　officer　in



the　course　of　the　following　day　entered　the　Colonia　Agrippinensis　with



the　cavalry　of　the　legion　and　of　the　auxiliaries；　and　together　with



them　saluted　Vitellius　as　Emperor。　All　the　legions　belonging　to　the



same　province　followed　his　example　with　prodigious　zeal；　and　the



army　of　Upper　Germany　abandoned　the　specious　names　the　Senate　and



people　of　Rome；　and　on　the　3rd　of　January　declared　for　Vitellius。



One　could　be　sure　that　during　those　previous　two　days　it　had　not



really　been　the　army　of　the　State。　The　inhabitants　of　Colonia



Agrippinensis；　the　Treveri；　and　the　Lingones；　shewed　as　much　zeal　as



the　army；　making　offers　of　personal　service；　of　horses；　of　arms　and　of



money；　according　as　each　felt　himself　able　to　assist　the　cause　by



his　own　exertions；　by　his　wealth；　or　by　his　talents。　Nor　was　this　done



only　by　the　leading　men　in　the　colonies　or　the　camps；　who　had　abundant



means　at　hand；　and　might　indulge　great　expectations　in　the　event　of



victory；　but　whole　companies　down　to　the　very　ranks　offered　instead　of



money　their　rations；　their　belts；　and　the　bosses；　which；　richly



decorated　with　silver；　adorned　their　arms；　so　strong　were　the



promptings　from　without；　their　own　enthusiasm；　and　even　the



suggestions　of　avarice。



　　Vitellius；　after　bestowing　high　commendation　on　the　zeal　of　the



soldiers；　proceeded　to　distribute　among　Roman　Knights　the　offices　of



the　Imperial　court　usually　held　by　freedmen。　He　paid　the　furlough　fees



to　the　centurions　out　of　the　Imperial　treasury。　While　in　most



instances　he　acquiesced　in　the　fury　of　the　soldiers；　who　clamoured　for



numerous　executions；　in　some　few　he　eluded　it　under　the　pretence　of



imprisoning　the　accused。　Pompeius　Propinquus；　procurator　of　Belgica；



was　immediately　put　to　death。　Julius　Burdo；　prefect　of　the　German



fleet；　he　contrived　to　withdraw　from　the　scene　of　danger。　The



resentment　of　the　army　had　been　inflamed　against　this　officer　by　the



belief；　that　it　was　he　who　had　invented　the　charges　and　planned　the



treachery　which　had　destroyed　Capito。　The　memory　of　Capito　was　held　in



high　favour；　and　with　that　enraged　soldiery　it　was　possible　to



slaughter　in　open　day；　but　to　pardon　only　by　stealth。　He　was　kept　in



prison；　and　only　set　at　liberty　after　the　victory　of　Vitellius；　when



the　resentment　of　the　soldiery　had　subsided。　Meanwhile；　by　way　of　a



victim；　the　centurion　Crispinus　was　given　up　to　them；　this　man　had



actually　imbued　his　hands　in　the　blood　of　Capito。　Consequently　he



was　to　those　who　cried　for　vengeance　a　more　notorious　criminal；　and　to



him　who　punished　a　cheaper　sacrifice。



　　Julius　Civilis；　a　man　of　commanding　influence　among　the　Batavi；



was　next　rescued　from　like　circumstances　of　peril；　lest　that



high…spirited　nation　should　be　alienated　by　his　execution。　There



were　indeed　in　the　territory　of　the　Lingones　eight　Batavian　cohorts；



which　formed　the　auxiliary　force　of　the　14th　legion；　but　which　had；



among　the　many　dissensions　of　the　time；　withdrawn　from　it；　a　body　of



troops　which；　to　whatever　side　they　might　incline；　would；　whether　as



allies　or　enemies；　throw　a　vast　weight　into　the　scale。　Vitellius



ordered　the　centurions　Nonnius；　Donatius；　Romilius；　and　Calpurnius；　of



whom　I　have　before　spoken；　to　be　executed。　They　had　been　convicted



of　the　crime　of　fidelity；　among　rebels　the　worst　of　crimes。　New



adherents　soon　declared　themselves　in　Valerius　Asiaticus；　legate　of



the　Province　of　Belgica；　whom　Vitellius　soon　after　made　his



son…in…law；　and　Junius　Blaesus；　governor　of　Gallia　Lugdunensis；　who



brought　with　him　the　Italian　Legion　and　the　Taurine　Horse；　which　was



stationed　at　Lugdunum。　The　armies　of　Rhaetia　made　no　delay　in　at



once　joining　Vitellius；　and　even　in　Britain　there　was　no　hesitation。



　　Of　that　province　Trebellius　Maximus　was　governor；　a　man　whose　sordid



avarice　made　him　an　object　of　contempt　and　hatred　to　the　army。　His



unpopularity　was　heightened　by　the　efforts　of　Roscius　Caelius；　the



legate　of　the　20th　legion；　who　had　long　been　on　bad　terms　with　him；



and　who　now　seized　the　opportunity　of　a　civil　war　to　break　out　into



greater　violence。　Trebellius　charged　him　with　mutinous　designs；　and



with　disturbing　the　regularity　of　military　discipline；　Caelius



retorted　on　Trebellius　the　accusation　of　having　plundered　and



impoverished　the　legions。　Meanwhile　all　obedience　in　the　army　was



destroyed　by　these　disgraceful　quarrels　between　its　commanders