histories-第14章

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the　Praetorian　Guard；　and　to　other　distinctions　due　to　merit；　went



on　to　practise　cruelty；　rapacity；　and　all　the　crimes　of　maturer　years。



He　perverted　Nero　to　every　kind　of　atrocity；　he　even　ventured　on



some　acts　without　the　Emperor's　knowledge；　and　ended　by　deserting



and　betraying　him。　Hence　there　was　no　criminal；　whose　doom　was　from



opposite　motives　more　importunately　demanded；　as　well　by　those　who



hated　Nero；　as　by　those　who　regretted　him。　During　the　reign　of　Galba



Tigellinus　had　been　screened　by　the　influence　of　Vinius；　who　alleged



that　he　had　saved　his　daughter。　And　doubtless　he　had　preserved　her



life；　not　indeed　out　of　mercy；　when　he　had　murdered　so　many；　but　to



secure　for　himself　a　refuge　for　the　future。　For　all　the　greatest



villains；　distrusting　the　present；　and　dreading　change；　look　for



private　friendship　to　shelter　them　from　public　detestation；　caring　not



to　be　free　from　guilt；　but　only　to　ensure　their　turn　in　impunity。　This



enraged　the　people　more　than　ever；　the　recent　unpopularity　of　Vinius



being　superadded　to　their　old　hatred　against　Tigellinus。　They　rushed



from　every　part　of　the　city　into　the　palace　and　forum；　and　bursting



into　the　circus　and　theatre；　where　the　mob　enjoy　a　special　license；



broke　out　into　seditious　clamours。　At　length　Tigellinus；　having



received　at　the　springs　of　Sinuessa　a　message　that　his　last　hour　was



come；　amid　the　embraces　and　caresses　of　his　mistresses　and　other



unseemly　delays；　cut　his　throat　with　a　razor；　and　aggravated　the



disgrace　of　an　infamous　life　by　a　tardy　and　ignominious　death。



　　About　the　same　time　a　demand　was　made　for　the　execution　of　Galvia



Crispinilla。　Various　artifices　on　the　part　of　the　Emperor；　who



incurred　much　obloquy　by　his　duplicity；　rescued　her　from　the　danger。



She　had　instructed　Nero　in　profligacy；　had　passed　over　into　Africa；



that　she　might　urge　Macer　into　rebellion；　and　had　openly　attempted



to　bring　a　famine　upon　Rome。　Yet　she　afterwards　gained　universal



popularity　on　the　strength　of　her　alliance　with　a　man　of　consular



rank；　and　lived　unharmed　through　the　reigns　of　Galba；　Otho；　and



Vitellius。　Soon　she　became　powerful　as　a　rich　and　childless　woman；



circumstances　which　have　as　great　weight　in　good　as　in　evil　times。



　　Meanwhile　frequent　letters；　disfigured　by　unmanly　flatteries；　were



addressed　by　Otho　to　Vitellius；　with　offers　of　wealth　and　favour　and



any　retreat　he　might　select　for　a　life　of　prodigal　indulgence。



Vitellius　made　similar　overtures。　Their　tone　was　at　first　pacific；　and



both　exhibited　a　foolish　and　undignified　hypocrisy。　Then　they　seemed



to　quarrel；　charging　each　other　with　debaucheries　and　the　grossest



crimes；　and　both　spoke　truth。　Otho；　having　recalled　the　envoys　whom



Galba　had　sent；　dispatched　others；　nominally　from　the　Senate；　to



both　the　armies　of　Germany；　to　the　Italian　legion；　and　to　the　troops



quartered　at　Lugdunum。　The　envoys　remained　with　Vitellius　too



readily　to　let　it　be　supposed　that　they　were　detained。　Some



Praetorians；　whom　Otho　had　attached　to　the　embassy；　ostensibly　as　a



mark　of　distinction；　were　sent　back　before　they　could　mix　with　the



legions。　Letters　were　also　addressed　by　Fabius　Valens　in　the　name　of



the　German　army　to　the　Praetorian　and　city　cohorts；　extolling　the



strength　of　his　party；　and　offering　terms　of　peace。　Valens　even



reproached　them　with　having　transferred　the　Imperial　power　to　Otho；



though　it　had　so　long　before　been　entrusted　to　Vitellius。



　　Thus　they　were　assailed　by　promises　as　well　as　by　threats；　were　told



that　they　were　not　strong　enough　for　war；　but　would　lose　nothing　by



peace。　Yet　all　this　did　not　shake　the　loyalty　of　the　Praetorians。



Nevertheless　secret　emissaries　were　dispatched　by　Otho　to　Germany；　and



by　Vitellius　to　Rome。　Both　failed　in　their　object。　Those　of



Vitellius　escaped　without　injury；　unnoticed　in　the　vast　multitude；



knowing　none；　and　themselves　unknown。　Those　of　Otho　were　betrayed　by



their　strange　faces　in　a　place　where　all　knew　each　other。　Vitellius



wrote　to　Titianus；　Otho's　brother；　threatening　him　and　his　son　with



death；　unless　the　lives　of　his　mother　and　his　children　were　spared。



Both　families　remained　uninjured。　This　in　Otho's　reign　was　perhaps　due



to　fear；　Vitellius　was　victorious；　and　gained　all　the　credit　of　mercy。



　　The　first　encouraging　tidings　came　to　Otho　from　Illyricum。　He



heard　that　the　legions　of　Dalmatia；　Pannonia；　and　Moesia　had　sworn



allegiance　to　him。　Similar　intelligence　was　received　from　Spain；　and



Cluvius　Rufus　was　commended　in　an　edict。　Immediately　afterwards　it



became　known　that　Spain　had　gone　over　to　Vitellius。　Even　Aquitania；



bound　though　it　was　by　the　oath　of　allegiance　to　Otho　which　Julius



Cordus　had　administered；　did　not　long　remain　firm。　Nowhere　was　there



any　loyalty　or　affection；　men　changed　from　one　side　to　the　other　under



the　pressure　of　fear　or　necessity。　It　was　this　influence　of　fear



that　drew　over　to　Vitellius　the　province　of　Gallia　Narbonensis；



which　turned　readily　to　the　side　that　was　at　once　the　nearer　and　the



stronger。　The　distant　provinces；　and　all　the　armies　beyond　the　sea；



still　adhered　to　Otho；　not　from　any　attachment　to　his　party；　but



because　there　was　vast　weight　in　the　name　of　the　capital　and　the



prestige　of　the　Senate；　and　also　because　the　claims　which　they　had



first　heard　had　prepossessed　their　minds。　The　army　of　Judaea　under



Vespasian；　and　the　legions　of　Syria　under　Mucianus；　swore　allegiance



to　Otho。　Egypt　and　the　Eastern　provinces　were　also　governed　in　his



name。　Africa　displayed　the　same　obedience；　Carthage　taking　the　lead。



In　that　city　Crescens；　one　of　Nero's　freedmen　（for　in　evil　times



even　this　class　makes　itself　a　power　in　the　State）；　without　waiting



for　the　sanction　of　the　proconsul；　Vipstanus　Apronianus；　had　given



an　entertainment　to　the　populace　by　way　of　rejoicings　for　the　new



reign；　and　the　people；　with　extravagant　zeal；　hastened　to　make　the



usual　demonstrations　of　joy。　The　example　of　Carthage　was　followed



the　other　cities　of　Africa。



　　As　the　armies　and　provinces　were　thus　divided；　Vitellius；　in　order



to　secure　the　sovereign　power；　was　compelled　to　fight。　Otho



continued　to　discharge　his　imperial　duties　as　though　it　were　a　time　of



profound　peace。　Sometimes　he　consulted　the　dignity　of　the



Commonwealth；　but　often　in　hasty　acts；　dictated　by　the　expediency　of



the　moment；　he　disregarded　its　honour。　He　was　himself　to　be　consul



with　his　brother　Titianus　till　the　1st　of　March；　the　two　following



months　he　assigned　to　Verginius　as　a　compliment　to　the　army　of



Germany。　With　Verginius　was　to　be　associated　Pompeius　Vopiscus；



avowedly　on　the　ground　of　their　being　old　friends；　though　many



regarded　the　appointment　as　meant　to　do　honour　to　the　people　of



Vienna。　The　other　consulships　still　remained　as　Nero　or　Galba　had



arranged　them。　Caelius　Sabinus　and　his　brother　Flavius　were　to　be



consuls　till　the　1st　of　July；　Arrius　Antoninus　and　Marius　Celsus



from　that　time　to　the　1st　of　September。　Even　Vitellius；　after　his



victory；　did　not　interfere　with　these　appointments。　On　aged



citizens；　who　had　already　held　high　office；　Otho　bestowed；　as　a



crowning　dignity；　pontificates　and　augurships；　while　he　consoled　the



young　nobles；　who　had　lately　returned　from　exile；　by　reviving　the



sacerdotal　offices；　held　by　their　fathers　and　ancestors。　Cadius　Rufus；



Pedius　Blaesus；　Saevinius　Pomptinius；　who　in　the　reigns　of　Claudius



and　Nero　had　been　convicted　under　indictments　for　extortion；　were



restored　to　their　rank　as　Senators。　Those　who　wished　to　pardon　them



resolved　by　a　change　of　names　to　make；　what　had　really　been



rapacity；　seem　to　have　been　treason；　a　charge　then　so　odious　that　it



made　even　good　laws　a　dead　letter。



　　By　similar　bounty　Otho　sought　to　win　the　affections　of　the　cities



and　provinces。　He　bestowed　on　the　coloni