histories-第25章

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



were　in　the　hands　of　the　prefect　Proculus。　Celsus　and　Paullinus；　as　no



one　made　any　use　of　their　skill；　did　but　screen　with　their　idle



title　of　general　the　blunders　of　others。　The　tribunes　and　centurions



were　perplexed　to　see　that　better　men　were　despised；　and　that　the　most



worthless　carried　the　day。　The　common　soldiers　were　full　of　eagerness；



but　liked　to　criticise　rather　than　to　obey　the　orders　of　their



officers。　It　was　resolved　to　move　the　camp　forward　to　the　fourth



milestone　from　Bedriacum；　but　it　was　done　so　unskilfully；　that



though　it　was　spring；　and　there　were　so　many　rivers　in　the



neighbourhood；　the　troops　were　distressed　for　want　of　water。　Then



the　subject　of　giving　battle　was　discussed；　Otho　in　his　despatches



ever　urging　them　to　make　haste；　and　the　soldiers　demanding　that　the



Emperor　should　be　present　at　the　conflict；　many　begged　that　the　troops



quartered　beyond　the　Padus　should　be　brought　up。　It　is　not　so　easy



to　determine　what　was　best　to　be　done；　as　it　is　to　be　sure　that　what



was　done　was　the　very　worst。



　　They　started　for　a　campaign　rather　than　for　a　battle；　making　for　the



confluence　of　the　Padus　and　Addua；　a　distance　of　sixteen　miles　from



their　position。　Celsus　and　Paullinus　remonstrated　against　exposing



troops　wearied　with　a　march　and　encumbered　with　baggage　to　any



enemy；　who；　being　himself　ready　for　action　and　having　marched　barely



four　miles；　would　not　fail　to　attack　them；　either　when　they　were　in



the　confusion　of　an　advance；　or　when　they　were　dispersed　and　busy　with



the　work　of　entrenchment。　Titianus　and　Proculus；　overcome　in　argument；



fell　back　on　the　Imperial　authority。　It　was　true　that　a　Numidian　had



arrived　at　full　gallop　with　an　angry　message　from　Otho；　in　which　the



Emperor；　sick　of　delay　and　impatient　of　suspense；　sharply　rebuked



the　inactivity　of　the　generals；　and　commanded　that　matters　should　be



brought　to　an　issue。



　　The　same　day；　while　Caecina　was　engaged　on　the　construction　of　a



bridge；　two　tribunes　of　the　Praetorian　Guard　came　to　him　and　begged　an



interview。　He　was　on　the　point　of　hearing　their　proposals　and



sending　back　his　own；　when　the　scouts　arrived　at　headlong　speed　with



the　news　that　the　enemy　were　close　at　hand。　The　address　of　the



tribunes　was　thus　abruptly　terminated。　Thus　it　remained　uncertain



whether　deception；　or　treason；　or　some　honourable　arrangement；　had



been　in　their　thoughts。　Caecina　dismissed　the　tribunes　and　rode　back



to　the　camp。　There　he　found　that　Fabius　Valens　had　given　the　signal



for　battle；　and　that　the　troops　were　under　arms。　While　the　legions



were　casting　lots　for　the　order　of　march；　the　cavalry　charged；　and；



strange　to　say；　were　kept　only　by　the　courage　of　the　Italian　legion



from　being　driven　back　on　the　entrenchments　by　an　inferior　force　of



Othonianists。　These　men；　at　the　sword's　point；　compelled　the　beaten



squadron　to　wheel　round　and　resume　the　conflict。　The　line　of　the



Vitellianists　was　formed　without　hurry；　for；　though　the　enemy　was



close　at　hand；　the　sight　of　their　arms　was　intercepted　by　the　thick



brushwood。　In　Otho's　army　the　generals　were　full　of　fear；　and　the



soldiers　hated　their　officers；　the　baggage…wagons　and　the



camp…followers　were　mingled　with　the　troops；　and　as　there　were　steep



ditches　on　both　sides　the　road；　it　would　have　been　found　too　narrow



even　for　an　undisturbed　advance。　Some　were　gathering　round　their



standards；　others　were　seeking　them；　everywhere　was　heard　the　confused



shouting　of　men　who　were　joining　the　ranks；　or　calling　to　their



comrades；　and　each；　as　he　was　prompted　by　courage　or　by　cowardice；



rushed　on　to　the　front；　or　slunk　back　to　the　rear。



　　From　the　consternation　of　panic　their　feelings　passed　under　the



influence　of　a　groundless　joy　into　languid　indifference；　some



persons　spreading　the　lie　that　Vitellius'　army　had　revolted。　Whether



this　rumour　was　circulated　by　the　spies　of　Vitellius；　or　originated　in



treachery　or　in　accident　among　the　partisans　of　Otho；　has　never　been



clearly　ascertained。　Forgetting　their　warlike　ardour；　the　Othonianists



at　once　greeted　the　foe；　as　they　were　answered　by　an　angry　murmur；



they　caused　apprehensions　of　treachery　in　many　of　their　own　side；



who　did　not　know　what　the　greeting　meant。　Then　the　enemy's　line



charged　with　its　ranks　unbroken；　in　strength　and　in　numbers



superior；　the　Othonianists；　scattered　and　weary　as　they　were；　met



the　attack　with　spirit。　The　ground　was　so　entangled　with　trees　and



vineyards　that　the　battle　assumed　many　forms。　They　met　in　close　and　in



distant　conflict；　in　line　and　in　column。　On　the　raised　road　they　stood



foot　to　foot；　they　pushed　with　their　bodies　and　their　shields；　and



ceasing　to　throw　their　javelins；　they　struck　through　helmets　and



breastplates　with　swords　and　battle…axes。　Recognising　each　other　and



distinctly　seen　by　the　rest　of　the　combatants；　they　were　fighting　to



decide　the　whole　issue　of　the　war。



　　In　an　open　plain　between　the　Padus　and　the　road；　two　legions



happened　to　meet。　On　the　side　of　Vitellius　was　the　21st；　called　the



Rapax；　a　corps　of　old　and　distinguished　renown。　On　that　of　Otho　was



the　1st；　called　Adjutrix；　which　had　never　before　been　brought　into　the



field；　but　was　high…spirited；　and　eager　to　gain　its　first　triumph。　The



men　of　the　1st；　overthrowing　the　foremost　ranks　of　the　21st；　carried



off　the　eagle。　The　21st；　infuriated　by　this　loss；　not　only　repulsed



the　1st；　and　slew　the　legate；　Orfidius　Benignus；　but　captured　many



colours　and　standards　from　the　enemy。　In　another　quarter　the　13th



legion　was　put　to　flight　by　a　charge　of　the　5th。　The　14th　was



surrounded　by　a　superior　force。　Otho's　generals　had　long　since　fled



and　Caecina　and　Valens　strengthened　their　army　with　the　reserves。



New　reinforcements　were　supplied　by　Varus　Alfenius　with　his　Batavians。



They　had　routed　the　band　of　gladiators；　which　had　been　ferried



across　the　river；　and　which　had　been　cut　to　pieces　by　the　opposing



cohorts　while　they　were　actually　in　the　water。　Thus　flushed　with



victory；　they　charged　the　flank　of　the　enemy。



　　The　centre　of　their　line　had　been　penetrated；　and　the　Othonianists



fled　on　all　sides　in　the　direction　of　Bedriacum。　The　distance　was　very



great；　and　the　roads　were　blocked　up　with　heaps　of　corpses；　thus　the



slaughter　was　the　greater；　for　captives　taken　in　civil　war　can　be



turned　to　no　profit。　Suetonius　Paullinus　and　Licinius　Proculus；　taking



different　roads；　avoided　the　camp。　Vedius　Aquila；　legate　of　the　13th



legion；　in　the　blindness　of　fear；　fell　in　the　way　of　the　furious



soldiery。　Late　in　the　day　he　entered　the　entrenchments；　and　found



himself　the　centre　of　a　mob　of　clamorous　and　mutinous　fugitives。



They　did　not　refrain　from　abuse　or　actual　violence；　they　reviled　him



as　a　deserter　and　traitor；　not　having　any　specific　charge　against　him；



but　all；　after　the　fashion　of　the　mob；　imputing　to　him　their　own



crimes。　Titianus　and　Celsus　were　favoured　by　the　darkness。　By　that



time　the　sentries　had　been　posted；　and　the　soldiers　reduced　to



order。　Annius　Gallus　had　prevailed　upon　them　by　his　prayers；　his



advice；　and　his　personal　influence；　not　to　aggravate　the　disaster　of



their　defeat　by　mutual　slaughter。　Whether　the　war　was　at　an　end；　or



whether　they　might　choose　to　resume　the　conflict；　the　vanquished　would



find　in　union　the　sole　mitigation　of　their　lot。　The　spirit　of　the　rest



of　the　army　was　broken；　but　the　Praetorians　angrily　complained　that



they　had　been　vanquished；　not　by　valour；　but　by　treachery。　〃The



Vitellianists　indeed；〃　they　said；　〃gained　no　bloodless　victory；



their　cavalry　was　defeated；　a　legion　lost　its　eagle。　We　have　still　the



troops　beyond　the　Padus；　and　Otho　himself。　The　legions　of　Moesia　are



coming；　a　great　part　of　the　army　remained　at　Bedriacum；　th