histories-第39章

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Varus　and　Cornelius　Fuscus　praetorian　honours。　Then　they　remembered



the　Gods。　It　was　determined　that　the　Capitol　should　be　restored。　All



these　motions　Valerius　Asiaticus；　consul　elect；　proposed。　Most　of



the　Senators　signified　their　assent　by　their　looks；　or　by　raising



the　hand；　but　a　few；　who　either　held　a　distinguished　rank；　or　had　a



practised　talent　for　flattery；　declared　their　acquiescence　in



studied　speeches。　When　it　came　to　the　turn　of　Helvidius　Priscus；



praetor　elect；　to　vote；　he　delivered　an　opinion；　full　of　respect



indeed　to　a　worthy　Emperor；　and　yet　wholly　free　from　insincerity；



and　he　was　strongly　supported　by　the　sympathies　of　the　Senate。　To



Priscus　indeed　this　day　was　in　an　especial　manner　the　beginning　of　a



great　quarrel　and　a　great　renown。



　　As　I　have　again　happened　to　mention　a　man　of　whom　I　shall　often　have



to　speak；　the　subject　seems　to　demand　that　I　should　give　a　brief



account　of　his　life　and　pursuits；　and　of　his　fortunes。　Helvidius



Priscus　was　a　native　of　the　town　of　Carecina　in　Italy；　and　was　the　son



of　one　Cluvius；　who　had　been　a　centurion　of　the　first　rank。　In　early



youth　he　devoted　his　distinguished　talents　to　the　loftiest　pursuits；



not　wishing；　as　do　many；　to　cloak　under　an　imposing　name　a　life　of



indolence；　but　to　be　able　to　enter　upon　public　life　with　a　spirit



fortified　against　the　chances　of　fortune。　He　followed　those　teachers



of　philosophy　who　hold　nothing　to　be　good　but　what　is　honourable；



nothing　evil　but　what　is　base；　and　who　refuse　to　count　either　among



things　good　or　evil；　power；　rank；　or　indeed　any　thing　not　belonging　to



the　mind。　While　still　holding　the　quaestorship；　he　was　selected　by



Paetus　Thrasea　to　be　his　son…in…law；　and　from　the　example　of　his



father…in…law　imbibed　with　peculiar　eagerness　a　love　of　liberty。　As



a　citizen　and　as　a　Senator；　as　a　husband；　as　a　son…in…law；　as　a



friend；　and　in　all　the　relations　of　life；　he　was　ever　the　same；



despising　wealth；　steadily　tenacious　of　right；　and　undaunted　by



danger。



　　There　were　some　who　thought　him　too　eager　for　fame；　and　indeed　the



desire　of　glory　is　the　last　infirmity　cast　off　even　by　the　wise。　The



fall　of　his　father…in…law　drove　him　into　exile；　but　he　returned　when



Galba　mounted　the　throne；　and　proceeded　to　impeach　Marcellus　Eprius；



who　had　been　the　informer　against　Thrasea。　This　retribution；　as　great



as　it　was　just；　had　divided　the　Senate　into　two　parties；　for；　if



Marcellus　fell；　a　whole　army　of　fellow　culprits　was　struck　down。　At



first　there　was　a　fierce　struggle；　as　is　proved　by　the　great



speeches　delivered　by　both　men。　But　afterwards；　as　the　feelings　of



Galba　were　doubtful；　and　many　Senators　interceded；　Priscus　dropped　the



charge；　amidst　comments　varying　with　the　tempers　of　men；　some　praising



his　moderation；　and　others　deploring　a　lack　of　courage。　On　the　day；



however；　that　the　Senate　was　voting　about　the　Imperial　dignities　of



Vespasian；　it　had　been　resolved　that　envoys　should　be　sent　to　the



new　Emperor。　Hence　arose　a　sharp　altercation　between　Helvidius　and



Eprius。　Priscus　proposed　that　they　should　be　chosen　by　name　by　the



magistrates　on　oath；　Marcellus　demanded　the　ballot；　and　this　had



been　the　opinion　expressed　by　the　Consul　elect。



　　It　was　the　dread　of　personal　humiliation　that　made　Marcellus　so



earnest；　for　he　feared　that；　if　others　were　chosen；　he　should



himself　appear　slighted。　From　an　angry　conversation　they　passed　by



degrees　to　long　and　bitter　speeches。　Helvidius　asked；　〃Why　should



Marcellus　be　so　afraid　of　the　judgment　of　the　magistrates？　He　has



wealth　and　eloquence；　which　might　make　him　superior　to　many；　were　he



not　oppressed　by　the　consciousness　of　guilt。　The　chances　of　the　ballot



do　not　discriminate　men's　characters；　the　voting　and　the　judgment　of



the　Senate　were　devised　to　reach　the　lives　and　reputations　of



individuals。　It　concerns　the　interests　of　the　Commonwealth；　it



concerns　the　honour　due　to　Vespasian；　that　he　should　be　met　by　those



whom　the　Senate　counts　to　be　peculiarly　blameless；　and　who　may　fill



the　Emperor's　ear　with　honourable　counsels。　Vespasian　was　the　friend



of　Thrasea；　Soranus；　and　Sextius；　and　the　accusers　of　these　men；



though　it　may　not　be　expedient　to　punish　them；　ought　not　to　be　paraded



before　him。　By　this　selection　on　the　part　of　the　Senate　the　Emperor



will；　so　to　speak；　be　advised　whom　he　should　mark　with　approval；　and



from　whom　he　should　shrink。　There　can　be　no　more　effectual



instrument　of　good　government　than　good　friends。　Let　Marcellus　be



satisfied　with　having　urged　Nero　to　destroy　so　many　innocent



victims；　let　him　enjoy　the　wages　of　his　crimes　and　his　impunity；　but



let　him　leave　Vespasian　to　worthier　advisers。〃



　　Marcellus　declared；　〃It　is　not　my　opinion　that　is　assailed；　the



Consul　elect　has　made　a　motion　in　accordance　with　old　precedents；



which　directed　the　use　of　the　ballot　in　the　appointment　of　envoys；



in　order　that　there　might　be　no　room　for　intrigue　or　private



animosities。　Nothing　has　happened　why　customs　of　long　standing



should　fall　into　disuse；　or　why　the　honour　due　to　the　Emperor　should



be　turned　into　an　insult　to　any　man。　All　Senators　are　competent　to　pay



their　homage。　What　we　have　rather　to　avoid　is　this；　that　a　mind



unsettled　by　the　novelty　of　power；　and　which　will　keenly　watch　the



very　looks　and　language　of　all；　should　be　irritated　by　the　obstinacy



of　certain　persons。　I　do　not　forget　the　times　in　which　I　have　been



born；　or　the　form　of　government　which　our　fathers　and　grandfathers



established。　I　may　regard　with　admiration　an　earlier　period；　but　I



acquiesce　in　the　present；　and；　while　I　pray　for　good　Emperors；　I　can



endure　whomsoever　we　may　have。　It　was　not　through　my　speech　any　more



than　it　was　through　the　judgment　of　the　Senate　that　Thrasea　fell。



The　savage　temper　of　Nero　amused　itself　under　these　forms；　and　I　found



the　friendship　of　such　a　Prince　as　harassing　as　others　found　their



exile。　Finally；　Helvidius　may　rival　the　Catos　and　the　Bruti　of　old



in　constancy　and　courage；　I　am　but　one　of　the　Senate　which　bows　to　the



same　yoke。　Besides；　I　would　advise　Priscus　not　to　climb　higher　than



the　throne；　or　to　impose　his　counsels　on　Vespasian；　an　old　man；　who



has　won　the　honours　of　a　triumph；　and　has　two　sons　grown　to　manhood。



For　as　the　worst　Emperors　love　an　unlimited　despotism；　so　the



noblest　like　some　check　on　liberty。〃　These　speeches；　which　were



delivered　with　much　vehemence　on　both　sides；　were　heard　with　much



diversity　of　feeling。　That　party　prevailed　which　preferred　that　the



envoys　should　be　taken　by　lot；　as　even　the　neutral　section　in　the



Senate　exerted　themselves　to　retain　the　old　practice；　while　the　more



conspicuous　members　inclined　to　the　same　view；　dreading　jealousy；



should　the　choice　fall　on　themselves。



　　Another　struggle　ensued。　The　praetors　of　the　Treasury　（the



Treasury　was　at　this　time　managed　by　praetors）　complained　of　the



poverty　of　the　State；　and　demanded　a　retrenchment　of　expenditure。



The　Consul　elect；　considering　how　great　was　the　evil　and　how　difficult



the　remedy；　was　for　reserving　the　matter　for　the　Emperor。　Helvidius



gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　measures　should　be　taken　at　the　discretion



of　the　Senate。　When　the　Consuls　came　to　take　the　votes；　Vulcatius



Tertullinus；　tribune　of　the　people；　put　his　veto　on　any　resolution



being　adopted　in　so　important　a　matter　in　the　absence　of　the



Emperor。　Helvidius　had　moved　that　the　Capitol　should　be　restored　at



the　public　expense；　and　that　Vespasian　should　give　his　aid。　All　the



more　moderate　of　the　Senators　let　this　opinion　pass　in　silence；　and　in



time　forgot　it；　but　there　were　some　who　remembered　it。



　　Musonius　Rufus　then　made　a　violent　attack　on　Publius　Celer；　accusing



him　of　having　brought　about　the　destruction　of　Barea　Soranus　by



perjury。　By　this　impeachment　all　the　hatreds　of　the　days　of　the



informers　seemed　to　be　revived；　but　the　accused　person　was　so



worthless　and　so　guilty　that　he　could　not　be　protected。　For　indeed　the



memory　of　Soranus　was　held　in　reverence；　Celer　had　been　a　professor　of



philosophy；　and　had　then　given　evidence　against　Barea；　thus



betraying　and　profaning　the　friendship　of　which　he　claimed　to　be　a



teacher。　The　next　day　was　fixed　for　the　trial。　But　it　was　not　of



Musonius　or　Publius；　it　was　of　Priscus；　of　Marcellus；　and　his



brother　informers；　that　men　were　thinking；　now　that　their　hearts



were　once　roused　to　vengeance。



　　While　things　were　in　this　state；　while　there　was　division　in　the



Senate；　resentment　among　the　conquered；　no　real　authority　in　the



conquerors；　and　in　the　country　at　large　no　laws　and　no　Emperor；



Mucianus　entered　the　capital；　and　at　once　drew　all　power　into　his



own　hands。　The　influence　of　Primus　Antonius　and　Varus　Arrius　was



destroyed；　for　the　irritation　of　Mucianus　against　them；　though　not



revealed　in　his　looks；　was　but　ill…concealed；　and　the　country；　keen　to



discover　such　dislikes；　had　changed　its　tone　and　transferred　its



homage。　He　alone　was　canvassed　and　courted；　and　he；　surrounding



himself　with　armed　men；　and　bargaining　for　palaces　and　gardens；　ceased



not；　what　with　his　magnificence；　his　proud　bearing；　and　his　guards；　to



grasp　at　the　power；　while　he　waived　the　titles　of　Empire。　The　murder



of　Calpurnius　Galerianus　caused　the　utmost　consternation。　He　was　a　son



of　Caius　Piso；　and　had　done　nothing；　but　a　noble　name　and　his　own



youthful　beauty　made　him　the　theme　of　common　talk；　and　while　the



country　was　still　unquiet　and　delighted　in　novel　topics；　there　were



persons　who　associated　him　with　idle　rumours　of　Imperial　honours。　By



order　of　Mucianus　he　was　surrounded　with　a　guard　of　soldiers。　Lest　his



execution　in　the　capital　should　excite　too　much　notice；　they　conducted



him　to　the　fortieth　milestone　from　Rome　on　the　Appian　Road；　and



there　put　him　to　death　by　opening　his　veins。　Julius　Priscus；　who　had



been　prefect　of　the　Praetorian　Guard　under　Vitellius；　killed　himself



rather　out　of　shame　than　by　compulsion。　Alfenius　Varus　survived　the



disgrace　of　his　cowardice。　Asiaticus；　who　was　only　a　freedman；



expiated　by　the　death　of　a　slave　his　evil　exercise　of　power。



　　At　this　time　the　country　was　hearing　with　anything　but　sorrow



rumours　that　daily　gained　strength　of　disasters　in　Germany。　Men



began　to　speak　of　slaughtered　armies；　of　captured　encampments；　of　Gaul



in　revolt；　as　if　such　things　were　not　calamities。　Beginning　at　an



earlier　period　I　will　discuss　the　causes　in　which　this　war　had　its



origin；　and　the　extent　of　the　movements　which　it　kindled　among



independent　and　allied　nations。



　　The　Batavians；　while　they　dwelt　on　the　other　side　of　the　Rhine；



formed　a　part　of　the　tribe　of　the　Chatti。　Driven　out　by　a　domestic



revolution；　they　took　possession　of