histories-第24章

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war。　In　a　few　days　the　14th　legion；　itself　highly　renowned；　will



arrive　with　the　troops　from　Moesia。　He　may　then　again　consider　the



question；　and　should　a　battle　be　resolved　on；　we　shall　fight　with



increased　strength。〃



　　Marius　Celsus　acquiesced　in　the　opinion　of　Paullinus；　and　Annius



Gallus；　who　a　few　days　before　had　been　seriously　injured　by　the　fall



of　his　horse；　was　reported　to　agree　by　those　who　had　been　sent　to



ascertain　his　opinion。　Otho　was　inclined　to　risk　a　decisive　battle。



His　brother　Titianus；　and　Proculus；　the　prefect　of　the　Praetorian



Guard；　ignorant　and　therefore　impatient；　declared　that　fortune；　the



Gods；　and　the　genius　of　Otho；　were　with　their　counsels；　and　would　be



with　their　enterprises。　That　no　one　might　dare　to　oppose　their



views；　they　had　taken　refuge　in　flattery。　It　having　been　resolved　to



give　battle；　it　became　a　question　whether　it　would　be　better　for　the



Emperor　to　be　present　in　person；　or　to　withdraw。　Paullinus　and



Celsus　no　longer　opposed；　for　they　would　not　seem　to　put　the　Emperor



in　the　way　of　peril；　and　these　same　men　who　suggested　the　baser　policy



prevailed　on　him　to　retire　to　Brixellum；　and　thus　secure　from　the



hazards　of　the　field；　to　reserve　himself　for　the　administration　of



empire。　That　day　first　gave　the　death…blow　to　the　party　of　Otho。　Not



only　did　a　strong　detachment　of　the　Praetorian　cohorts；　of　the



bodyguard；　and　of　the　cavalry；　depart　with　him；　but　the　spirit　of



those　who　remained　was　broken；　for　the　men　suspected　their　generals；



and　Otho；　who　alone　had　the　confidence　of　the　soldiers；　while　he



himself　trusted　in　none　but　them；　had　left　the　generals'　authority



on　a　doubtful　footing。



　　Nothing　of　this　escaped　the　Vitellianists；　for；　as　is　usual　in　civil



wars；　there　were　many　deserters；　and　the　spies；　while　busy　in



inquiring　into　the　plans　of　the　enemy；　failed　to　conceal　their　own。



Meanwhile　Caecina　and　Valens　remained　quiet；　and　watched　intently



for　the　moment　when　the　enemy　in　his　blindness　should　rush　upon



destruction；　and　found　the　usual　substitute　for　wisdom　in　waiting



for　the　folly　of　others。　They　began　to　form　a　bridge；　making　a　feint



of　crossing　the　Padus；　in　the　face　of　an　opposing　force　of　gladiators；



they　wished　also　to　keep　their　own　soldiers　from　passing　their



unoccupied　time　in　idleness。　Boats　were　ranged　at　equal　distances　from



each　other；　connected　at　both　ends　by　strong　beams；　and　with　their



heads　turned　against　the　current；　while　anchors　were　thrown　out



above　to　keep　the　bridge　firm。　The　cables；　however；　instead　of　being



taut；　hung　loose　in　the　water；　in　order　that　as　the　stream　rose　the



vessels　might　rise　without　their　arrangement　being　disturbed。　On　the



end　of　the　bridge　was　placed　a　turret；　it　was　built　out　on　the　last



boat；　and　from　it　engines　and　machines　might　be　worked　to　repel　the



enemy。　The　soldiers　of　Otho　also　raised　a　turret　on　the　opposite　bank；



and　hurled　from　it　stones　and　flaming　missiles。



　　In　the　middle　of　the　river　was　an　island。　While　the　gladiators



were　making　their　way　to　it　in　boats；　the　Germans　swam　and　outstripped



them。　A　considerable　number；　as　it　chanced；　had　effected　the



passage；　when　Macer；　having　manned　some　light　gallies；　attacked　them



with　the　most　active　of　his　gladiators。　But　the　gladiator　has　not　in



battle　the　firmness　of　the　regular　soldier；　and　now；　as　they　stood



on　rocking　vessels；　they　could　not　direct　their　blows　like　men　who　had



a　sure　footing　on　land。　As　the　men　in　their　alarm　made　confused



movements；　rowers　and　combatants　were　mingled　together　in　disorder；



upon　this；　the　Germans　themselves　leapt　into　the　shallows；　laid　hold



of　the　boats；　climbed　over　the　gunwales；　or　sank　them　with　their



hands。　All　this　passed　in　the　sight　of　both　armies；　and　the　more　it



delighted　the　Vitellianists；　the　more　vehemently　did　the



Othonianists　curse　the　cause　and　author　of　the　disaster。



　　The　conflict　was　terminated　by　the　flight　of　the　vanquished；　who



carried　off　what　boats　were　left。　Then　they　cried　out　for　the



execution　of　Macer。　He　had　been　wounded　by　a　javelin　thrown　from　a



distance；　and　the　soldiers　had　made　a　rush　upon　him　with　drawn　swords；



when　he　was　saved　by　the　interference　of　the　tribunes　and



centurions。　Soon　after　Vestricius　Spurinna；　having　received　orders



to　that　effect　from　Otho；　joined　with　his　cohorts；　leaving　but　a



moderate　force　in　garrison　at　Placentia。　After　this　Otho　sent



Flavius　Sabinus；　consul　elect；　to　take　the　command　of　the　troops　which



had　been　under　Macer；　the　soldiers　were　delighted　by　this　change　of



generals；　while　the　generals　were　led　by　these　continual　outbreaks



to　regard　with　disgust　so　hateful　a　service。



　　I　find　it　stated　by　some　authors　that　either　the　dread　of　or　the



disgust　felt　for　both　Emperors；　whose　wickedness　and　infamy　were



coming　out　every　day　into　more　open　notoriety；　made　the　two　armies



hesitate　whether　they　should　not　cease　their　strife；　and　either



themselves　consult　together；　or　allow　the　Senate　to　choose　an　Emperor；



and　that；　for　this　reason；　Otho's　generals　recommended　a　certain



measure　of　delay；　Paullinus　especially　entertaining　hopes　for　himself；



on　the　ground　that　he　was　the　senior　among　the　men　of　consular　rank；



that　he　was　well　known　as　a　soldier；　and　had　attained　great



distinction　and　fame　by　his　campaigns　in　Britain。　Though　I　would　allow



that　there　were　some　few　who　in　their　secret　wishes　prayed　for　peace



in　the　stead　of　disorder；　for　a　worthy　and　blameless　Emperor　in　the



room　of　men　utterly　worthless　and　wicked；　yet　I　cannot　suppose　that



Paullinus；　wise　as　he　was；　could　have　hoped　in　an　age　thoroughly



depraved　to　find　such　moderation　in　the　common　herd；　as　that　men；



who　in　their　passion　for　war　had　trampled　peace　under　foot；　should　now



in　their　affection　for　peace　renounce　the　charms　of　war；　nor　can　I



think　that　armies　differing　in　language　and　in　character；　could　have



united　in　such　an　agreement；　or　that　lieutenants　and　generals；　who



were　for　the　most　part　burdened　by　the　consciousness　of　profligacy；　of



poverty；　and　of　crime；　could　have　endured　any　Emperor　who　was　not



himself　stained　by　vice；　as　well　as　bound　by　obligation　to　themselves。



　　That　old　passion　for　power　which　has　been　ever　innate　in　man



increased　and　broke　out　as　the　Empire　grew　in　greatness。　In　a　state　of



moderate　dimensions　equality　was　easily　preserved；　but　when　the



world　had　been　subdued；　when　all　rival　kings　and　cities　had　been



destroyed；　and　men　had　leisure　to　covet　wealth　which　they　might



enjoy　in　security；　the　early　conflicts　between　the　patricians　and



the　people　were　kindled　into　flame。　At　one　time　the　tribunes　were



factious；　at　another　the　consuls　had　unconstitutional　power；　it　was　in



the　capital　and　the　forum　that　we　first　essayed　civil　wars。　Then



rose　C。　Marius；　sprung　from　the　very　dregs　of　the　populace；　and　L。



Sulla；　the　most　ruthless　of　the　patricians；　who　perverted　into



absolute　dominion　the　liberty　which　had　yielded　to　their　arms。　After



them　came　Cn。　Pompeius；　with　a　character　more　disguised　but　no　way



better。　Henceforth　men's　sole　object　was　supreme　power。　Legions　formed



of　Roman　citizens　did　not　lay　down　their　arms　at　Pharsalia　and



Philippi；　much　less　were　the　armies　of　Otho　and　Vitellius　likely　of



their　own　accord　to　abandon　their　strife。　They　were　driven　into



civil　war　by　the　same　wrath　from　heaven；　the　same　madness　among　men；



the　same　incentives　to　crime。　That　these　wars　were　terminated　by



what　we　may　call　single　blows；　was　owing　to　want　of　energy　in　the



chiefs。　But　these　reflections　on　the　character　of　ancient　and　modern



times　have　carried　me　too　far　from　my　subject。　I　now　return　to　the



course　of　events。



　　Otho　having　started　for　Brixellum；　the　honours　of　supreme　command



devolved　on　his　brother　Titianus；　while　the　real　power　and　con