histories-第9章

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destroyed　by　these　disgraceful　quarrels　between　its　commanders；　and



the　feud　rose　to　such　a　height　that　Trebellius　was　insulted　even　by



the　auxiliaries；　and　finding　himself　altogether　isolated；　as　the



infantry　and　cavalry　sided　with　Caelius；　he　fled　for　safety　to



Vitellius。　Yet　the　province　still　enjoyed　tranquility；　though　its



consular　governor　had　been　driven　from　it。　It　was　now　ruled　by　the



legates　of　the　legions；　who　were　equal　as　to　lawful　authority；



though　the　audacity　of　Caelius　made　him　the　more　powerful。



　　After　the　army　of　Britain　had　joined　him；　Vitellius；　who　had　now　a



prodigious　force　and　vast　resources；　determined　that　there　should　be



two　generals　and　two　lines　of　march　for　the　contemplated　war。　Fabius



Valens　was　ordered　to　win　over；　if　possible；　or；　if　they　refused　his



overtures；　to　ravage　the　provinces　of　Gaul　and　to　invade　Italy　by



way　of　the　Cottian　Alps；　Caecina　to　take　the　nearer　route；　and　to



march　down　from　the　Penine　range。　To　Valens　were　entrusted　the



picked　troops　of　the　army　of　Lower　Germany　with　the　eagle　of　the　5th



legion　and　the　auxiliary　infantry　and　cavalry；　to　the　number　of　40；000



armed　men；　Caecina　commanded　30；000　from　Upper　Germany；　the　strength



of　his　force　being　one　legion；　the　21st。　Both　had　also　some　German



auxiliaries；　and　from　this　source　Vitellius；　who　was　to　follow　with



his　whole　military　strength；　completed　his　own　forces。



　　Wonderful　was　the　contrast　between　the　army　and　the　Emperor。　The



army　was　all　eagerness；　they　cried　out　war；　while　Gaul　yet　wavered；



and　Spain　hesitated。　〃The　winter；〃　they　said；　〃the　delays　of　a



cowardly　inaction　must　not　stop　us。　We　must　invade　Italy；　we　must



seize　the　capital；　in　civil　strife；　where　action　is　more　needed　than



deliberation；　nothing　is　safer　than　haste。〃　Vitellius；　on　the



contrary；　was　sunk　in　sloth；　and　anticipated　the　enjoyment　of



supreme　power　in　indolent　luxury　and　prodigal　festivities。　By　midday



he　was　half…intoxicated；　and　heavy　with　food；　yet　the　ardour　and



vigour　of　the　soldiers　themselves　discharged　all　the　duties　of　a



general　as　well　as　if　the　Emperor　had　been　present　to　stimulate　the



energetic　by　hope　and　the　indolent　by　fear。　Ready　to　march　and　eager



for　action；　they　loudly　demanded　the　signal　for　starting；　the　title　of



Germanicus　was　at　once　bestowed　on　Vitellius；　that　of　Caesar　he



refused　to　accept；　even　after　his　victory。　It　was　observed　as　a



happy　omen　for　Fabius　Valens　and　the　forces　which　he　was　conducting　to



the　campaign；　that　on　the　very　day　on　which　they　set　out　an　eagle



moved　with　a　gentle　flight　before　the　army　as　it　advanced；　as　if　to



guide　it　on　its　way。　And　for　a　long　distance　so　loudly　did　the



soldiers　shout　in　their　joy；　so　calm　and　unterrified　was　the　bird；



that　it　was　taken　as　no　doubtful　omen　of　great　and　successful



achievements。



　　The　territory　of　the　Treveri　they　entered　with　all　the　security



naturally　felt　among　allies。　But　at　Divodurum；　a　town　of　the



Mediomatrici；　though　they　had　been　received　with　the　most　courteous



hospitality；　a　sudden　panic　mastered　them。　In　a　moment　they　took　up



arms　to　massacre　an　innocent　people；　not　for　the　sake　of　plunder；　or



fired　by　the　lust　of　spoil；　but　in　a　wild　frenzy　arising　from　causes



so　vague　that　it　was　very　difficult　to　apply　a　remedy。　Soothed　at



length　by　the　entreaties　of　their　general；　they　refrained　from　utterly



destroying　the　town；　yet　as　many　as　four　thousand　human　beings　were



slaughtered。　Such　an　alarm　was　spread　through　Gaul；　that　as　the　army



advanced；　whole　states；　headed　by　their　magistrates　and　with　prayers



on　their　lips；　came　forth　to　meet　it；　while　the　women　and　children　lay



prostrate　along　the　roads；　and　all　else　that　might　appease　an



enemy's　fury　was　offered；　though　war　there　was　none；　to　secure　the



boon　of　peace。



　　Valens　received　the　tidings　of　the　murder　of　Galba　and　the　accession



of　Otho　while　he　was　in　the　country　of　the　Leuci。　The　feelings　of



the　soldiers　were　not　seriously　affected　either　with　joy　or　alarm；



they　were　intent　on　war。　Gaul　however　ceased　to　hesitate：　Otho　and



Vitellius　it　hated　equally；　Vitellius　it　also　feared。　The　next



territory　was　that　of　the　Lingones　who　were　loyal　to　Vitellius。　The



troops　were　kindly　received；　and　they　vied　with　each　other　in　good



behaviour。　This　happy　state　of　things；　however；　was　of　short



duration　owing　to　the　violence　of　the　auxiliary　infantry；　which　had



detached　itself；　as　before　related；　from　the　14th　legion；　and　had　been



incorporated　by　Valens　with　his　army。　First　came　angry　words；　then　a



brawl　between　the　Batavi　and　the　legionaries；　which　as　the



partialities　of　the　soldiers　espoused　one　or　another　of　the　parties



was　almost　kindled　into　a　battle；　and　would　have　been　so；　had　not



Valens　by　punishing　a　few；　reminded　Batavi　of　the　authority　which　they



had　now　forgotten。　Against　the　Aedui　a　pretext　for　war　was　sought　in



vain。　That　people；　when　ordered　to　furnish　arms　and　money；　voluntarily



added　a　supply　of　provisions。　What　the　Aedui　did　from　fear；　the　people



of　Lugdunum　did　with　delight。　Yet　the　Italian　legion　and　the　Taurine



Horse　were　withdrawn。　It　was　resolved　that　the　18th　cohort　should　be



left　there；　as　it　was　their　usual　winter　quarters。　Manlius　Valens；



legate　of　the　Italian　legion；　though　he　had　served　the　party　well；　was



held　in　no　honour　by　Vitellius。　Fabius　Valens　had　defamed　him　by



secret　charges　of　which　he　knew　nothing；　publicly　praising　him　all　the



while；　that　he　might　the　less　suspect　the　treachery。



　　The　old　feud　between　Lugdunum　and　Vienna　had　been　kindled　afresh



by　the　late　war。　They　had　inflicted　many　losses　on　each　other　so



continuously　and　so　savagely　that　they　could　not　have　been　fighting



only　for　Nero　or　Galba。　Galba　had　made　his　displeasure　the　occasion



for　diverting　into　the　Imperial　treasury　the　revenues　of　Lugdunum；



while　he　had　treated　Vienna　with　marked　respect。　Thence　came　rivalry



and　dislike；　and　the　two　states；　separated　only　by　a　river；　were



linked　together　by　perpetual　feud。　Accordingly　the　people　of



Lugdunum　began　to　work　on　the　passions　of　individual　soldiers；　and



to　goad　them　into　destroying　Vienna；　by　reminding　them；　how　that



people　had　besieged　their　colony；　had　abetted　the　attempts　of



Vindex；　and　had　recently　raised　legions　for　Galba。　After　parading



these　pretexts　for　quarrel；　they　pointed　out　how　vast　would　be　the



plunder。　From　secret　encouragement　they　passed　to　open　entreaty。　〃Go；〃



they　said；　〃to　avenge　us　and　utterly　destroy　this　home　of　Gallic



rebellion。　There　all　are　foreigners　and　enemies；　we　are　a　Roman



colony；　a　part　of　the　Roman　army；　sharers　in　your　successes　and



reverses。　Fortune　may　declare　against　us。　Do　not　abandon　us　to　an



angry　foe。〃



　　By　these　and　many　similar　arguments　they　so　wrought　upon　the　troops；



that　even　the　legates　and　the　leaders　of　the　party　did　not　think　it



possible　to　check　their　fury；　but　the　people　of　Vienna；　aware　of　their



danger；　assumed　the　veils　and　chaplets　of　suppliants；　and；　as　the　army



approached；　clasped　the　weapons；　knees　and　feet　of　the　soldiers；　and



so　turned　them　from　their　purpose。　Valens　also　made　each　soldier　a



present　of　300　sesterces。　After　that　the　antiquity　and　rank　of　the



colony　prevailed；　and　the　intercession　of　Valens；　who　charged　them



to　respect　the　life　and　welfare　of　the　inhabitants；　received　a



favourable　hearing。　They　were　however　publicly　mulcted　of　their



arms；　and　furnished　the　soldiers　with　all　kinds　of　supplies　from　their



private　means。　Report；　however；　has　uniformly　asserted；　that　Valens



himself　was　bought　with　a　vast　sum。　Poor　for　many　years　and　suddenly



growing　rich；　he　could　but　ill　conceal　the　change　in　his　fortunes；



indulging　without　moderation　the　appetites　which　a　protracted



poverty　had　inflamed；　and；　after　a　youth　of　indigence；　becoming



prodigal　in　old　age。　The　army　then　proceeded　by　slow　marches　through



the　territory　of　the　Allobroges　and　Vocontii；　the　very　length　of



each　day's　march　and　the　changes　of　encampment　being　made　a　matter



of　traffic　by　the　general；　who　concluded　disgraceful　bargains　to　the



injury　of　the　holders　of　land　and　the　magistrates　of　the　different



states；　and　used　such　menaces；　that　at　Lucus；　a　municipal　town　of



the　Vocontii；　he　was　on　the　point　of　setting　fire　to　the　place；　when　a



present　of　money　soothed　his　rage。　When　money　was　not　forthcoming　he



was　bought　off　by　sacrifices　to　his　lust。　Thus　he　made　his　way　to



the　Alps。



　　Caecina　revelled　more　freely　in　plunder　and　bloodshed。　His



restless　spirit　had　been　provoked　by　the　Helvetii；　a　Gallic　race



famous　once　for　its　warlike　population；　afterwards　for　the



associations　of　its　name。　Of　the　murder　of　Galba　they　knew　nothing；



and　they　rejected　the　authority　of　Vitellius。　The　war　originated　in



the　rapacity　and　impatience　of　the　21st　legion；　who　had　seized　some



money　sent　to　pay　the　garrison　of　a　fortress；　which　the　Helvetii　had



long　held　with　their　own　troops　and　at　their　own　expense。　The　Helvetii



in　their　indignation　intercepted　some　letters　written　in　the　name　of



the　army　of　Germany；　which　were　on　their　way　to　the　legions　of



Pannonia；　and　detained　the　centurion　and　some　of　his　soldiers　in



custody。　Caecina；　eager　for　war；　hastened　to　punish　every　delinquency；



as　it　occurred；　before　the　offender　could　repent。　Suddenly　moving



his　camp　he　ravaged　a　place；　which　during　a　long　period　of　peace　had



grown　up　into　something　like　a　town；　and　which　was　much　resorted　to　as



an　agreeable　watering　place。　Despatches　were　sent　to　the　Rhaetian



auxiliaries；　instructing　them　to　attack　the　Helvetii　in　the　rear　while



the　legion　was　engaging　them　in　front。



　　Bold　before　the　danger　came　and　timid　in　the　moment　of　peril；　the



Helvetii；　though　at　the　commencement　of　the　movement　they　had　chosen



Claudius　Severus　for　their　leader；　knew　not　how　to　use　their　arms；



to　keep　their　ranks；　or　to　act　in　concert。　A　pitched　battle　with



veteran　troops　would　be　destruction；　a　siege　would　be　perilous　with



fortifications　old　and　ruinous。　On　the　one　side　was　Caecina　at　the



head　of　a　powerful　army；　on　the　other　were　the　auxiliary　infantry



and　cavalry　of　Rhaetia　and　the　youth　of　that　province；　inured　to



arms　and　exercised　in　habits　of　warfare。　All　around　were　slaughter　and



devastation。　Wandering　to　and　fro　between　the　two　armies；　the　Helvetii



threw　aside　their　arms；　and　with　a　large　proportion　of　wounded　and



stragglers　fled　for　refuge　to　Mount　Vocetius。　They　were　immediately



dislodged　by　the　attack　of　some　Thracian　infantry。　Closely　pursued



by　the　Germans　and　Rhaetians　they　were　cut　down　in　their　forests　and



even　in　their　hiding　places。　Thousands　were　put　to　the　sword；



thousands　more　were　sold　into　slavery。　Ev