histories-第10章

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well　be　who　had　been　fortunate　enough　to　triumph　without　toil　or



danger　in　a　most　lucrative　war；　began　to　hanker　after　compaigns　and



battles；　and　to　prefer　prize　money　to　pay。　They　had　long　endured　a



service　which　the　character　of　the　country　and　of　the　climate　and



the　rigours　of　military　discipline　rendered　at　once　unprofitable　and



severe。　But　that　discipline；　inexorable　as　it　is　in　times　of　peace；　is



relaxed　by　civil　strife；　when　on　both　sides　are　found　the　agents　of



corruption；　and　treachery　goes　unpunished。　They　had　men；　arms　and



horses；　more　than　enough　for　all　purposes　of　utility　and　show；　but



before　the　war　they　had　been　acquainted　only　with　the　companies　and



squadrons　of　their　own　force；　as　the　various　armies　were　separated



from　each　other　by　the　limits　of　their　respective　provinces。　But　the



legions；　having　been　concentrated　to　act　against　Vindex；　and　having



thus　learnt　to　measure　their　own　strength　against　the　strength　of



Gaul；　were　now　on　the　lookout　for　another　war　and　for　new　conflicts。



They　called　their　neighbours；　not　〃allies〃　as　of　old；　but　〃the



enemy〃　and　〃the　vanquished。〃　Nor　did　that　part　of　Gaul　which　borders



on　the　Rhine　fail　to　espouse　the　same　cause；　and　to　the　bitterest



hostility　in　inflaming　the　army　against　the　Galbianists；　that　being



the　name；　which　in　their　contempt　for　Vindex　they　had　given　to　the



party。　The　rage　first　excited　against　the　Sequani　and　Aedui　extended



to　other　states　in　proportion　to　their　wealth；　and　they　revelled　in



imagination　on　the　storm　of　cities；　the　plunder　of　estates；　the　sack



of　dwelling…houses。　But；　besides　the　rapacity　and　arrogance　which



are　the　special　faults　of　superior　strength；　they　were　exasperated



by　the　bravadoes　of　the　Gallic　people；　who　in　a　spirit　of　insult　to



the　army　boasted　of　how　they　had　been　relieved　by　Galba　from　a



fourth　part　of　their　tribute；　and　had　received　grants　from　the



State。　There　was　also　a　report；　ingeniously　spread　and　recklessly



believed；　to　the　effect　that　the　legions　were　being　decimated；　and　all



the　most　energetic　centurions　dismissed。　From　all　quarters　arrived　the



most　alarming　tidings。　The　reports　from　the　capital　were　unfavourable；



while　the　disaffection　of　the　colony　of　Lugdunum；　which　obstinately



adhered　to　Nero；　gave　rise　to　a　multitude　of　rumours。　But　it　was　in



the　army　itself；　in　its　hatreds；　its　fears；　and　even　in　the　security



with　which　a　review　of　its　own　strength　inspired　it；　that　there　was



the　most　abundant　material　for　the　exercise　of　imagination　and



credulity。



　　Just　before　December　1　in　the　preceding　year；　Aulus　Vitellius　had



visited　Lower　Germany；　and　had　carefully　inspected　the　winter　quarters



of　the　legions。　Many　had　their　rank　restored　to　them；　sentences　of



degradation　were　cancelled；　and　marks　of　disgrace　partially　removed。



In　most　cases　he　did　but　court　popularity；　in　some　he　exercised　a



sound　discretion；　making　a　salutary　change　from　the　meanness　and



rapacity　which　Fonteius　Capito　had　shown　in　bestowing　and



withdrawing　promotion。　But　he　seemed　a　greater　personage　than　a　simple



consular　legate；　and　all　his　acts　were　invested　with　an　unusual



importance。　Though　sterner　judges　pronounced　Vitellius　to　be　a　man



of　low　tastes；　those　who　were　partial　to　him　attributed　to　geniality



and　good　nature　the　immoderate　and　indiscriminate　prodigality；　with



which　he　gave　away　what　was　his　own；　and　squandered　what　did　not



belong　to　him。　Besides　this；　men　themselves　eager　for　power　were　ready



to　represent　his　very　vices　as　virtues。　As　there　were　in　both　armies



many　of　obedient　and　quiet　habits；　so　there　were　many　who　were　as



unprincipled　as　they　were　energetic；　but　distinguished　above　all　for



boundless　ambition　and　singular　daring　were　the　legates　of　the



legions；　Fabius　Valens　and　Alienus　Caecina。　One　of　these　men；



Valens；　had　taken　offence　against　Galba；　under　the　notion　that　he



had　not　shewn　proper　gratitude　for　his　services　in　discovering　to



him　the　hesitation　of　Verginius　and　crushing　the　plans　of　Capito。　He



now　began　to　urge　Vitellius　to　action。　He　enlarged　on　the　zeal　of



the　soldiery。　〃You　have；〃　he　said；　〃everywhere　a　great　reputation；　you



will　find　nothing　to　stop　you　in　Hordeonius　Flaccus；　Britain　will　be



with　you；　the　German　auxiliaries　will　follow　your　standard。　All　the



provinces　waver　in　their　allegiance。　The　Empire　is　held　on　the



precarious　tenure　of　an　aged　life；　and　must　shortly　pass　into　other



hands。　You　have　only　to　open　your　arms；　and　to　meet　the　advances　of



fortune。　It　was　well　for　Verginius　to　hesitate；　the　scion　of　a　mere



Equestrian　family；　and　son　of　a　father　unknown　to　fame：　he　would



have　been　unequal　to　empire；　had　he　accepted　it；　and　yet　been　safe



though　he　refused　it。　But　from　the　honours　of　a　father　who　was



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