histories-第27章

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built　a　tomb　unpretending　and　therefore　likely　to　stand。



　　Thus　Otho　ended　his　life　in　the　37th　year　of　his　age。　He　came　from



the　municipal　town　of　Ferentinum。　His　father　was　of　consular；　his



grandfather　of　praetorian　rank。　His　family　on　the　mother's　side　was　of



less　distinction；　but　yet　respectable。　What　his　boyhood　and　his



youth　had　been；　we　have　already　shewn。　By　two　daring　acts；　one　most



atrocious；　the　other　singularly　noble；　he　earned　in　the　eyes　of



posterity　about　an　equal　share　of　infamy　and　of　glory。　I　should



think　it　unbecoming　the　dignity　of　the　task　which　I　have　undertaken；



to　collect　fabulous　marvels；　and　to　amuse　with　fiction　the　tastes　of



my　readers；　at　the　same　time　I　would　not　venture　to　impugn　the



credit　of　common　report　and　tradition。　The　natives　of　these　parts



relate　that　on　the　day　when　the　battle　was　being　fought　at



Bedriacum；　a　bird　of　unfamiliar　appearance　settled　in　a　much



frequented　grove　near　Regium　Lepidum；　and　was　not　frightened　or　driven



away　by　the　concourse　of　people；　or　by　the　multitude　of　birds　that



flocked　round　it；　until　Otho　killed　himself；　then　it　vanished。　When



they　came　to　compute　the　time；　it　was　found　that　the　commencement



and　the　end　of　this　strange　occurrence　tallied　with　the　last　scenes　of



Otho's　life。



　　At　the　funeral　the　mutinous　spirit　of　the　soldiers　was　kindled



afresh　by　their　sorrow　and　regret；　and　there　was　no　one　to　check　them。



They　turned　to　Verginius；　and　in　threatening　language；　at　one　time



besought　him　to　accept　the　Imperial　dignity；　at　another；　to　act　as



envoy　to　Caecina　and　Valens。　Verginius　secretly　departed　by　a　back　way



from　his　house；　and　thus　managed　to　elude　them　when　they　burst　in。



Rubrius　Gallus　was　charged　with　the　petition　of　the　cohorts　which



had　been　quartered　at　Brixellum。　An　amnesty　was　immediately　granted　to



them；　while　at　the　same　time　the　forces　which　had　been　commanded　by



Flavius　Sabinus　signified　through　him　their　submission　to　the



conqueror。



　　Hostilities　had　ceased　everywhere；　but　a　considerable　number　of



the　Senate；　who　had　accompanied　Otho　from　Rome；　and　had　been



afterwards　left　at　Mutina；　encountered　the　utmost　peril。　News　of　the



defeat　was　brought　to　this　place。　The　soldiers；　however；　rejected　it



as　a　false　report；　and　judging　the　Senate　to　be　hostile　to　Otho；



watched　their　language；　and　put　an　unfavourable　construction　on



their　looks　and　manner。　Proceeding　at　last　to　abuse　and　insults；



they　sought　a　pretext　for　beginning　a　massacre；　while　a　different



anxiety　also　weighed　upon　the　Senators；　who；　knowing　that　the　party　of



Vitellius　was　in　the　ascendant；　feared　that　they　might　seem　to　have



been　tardy　in　welcoming　the　conqueror。　Thus　they　met　in　great　alarm



and　distracted　by　a　twofold　apprehension；　no　one　was　ready　with　any



advice　of　his　own；　but　looked　for　safety　in　sharing　any　mistake　with



many　others。　The　anxieties　of　the　terrified　assembly　were　aggravated



when　the　Senate　of　Mutina　made　them　an　offer　of　arms　and　money；　and；



with　an　ill…timed　compliment；　styled　them　〃Conscript　Fathers。〃



　　There　then　ensued　a　notable　quarrel；　Licinius　Caecina　inveighing



against　Marcellus　Eprius；　for　using　ambiguous　language。　The　rest



indeed　did　not　express　their　opinions；　but　the　name　of　Marcellus；



exposed　as　it　was　to　odium　from　the　hateful　recollection　of　his　career



as　an　informer；　had　roused　in　Caecina；　who　was　an　unknown　man；　and　had



lately　been　made　a　Senator；　the　hope　of　distinguishing　himself　by



making　great　enemies。　The　moderation　of　wiser　men　put　an　end　to　the



dispute。　They　all　returned　to　Bononia；　intending　there　to　deliberate



again；　and　also　expecting　further　news　in　the　meantime。　At　Bononia



they　posted　men　on　the　different　roads　to　make　enquiries　of　every



newcomer；　one　of　Otho's　freedmen；　on　being　questioned　as　to　the



cause　of　his　departure；　replied　that　he　was　entrusted　with　his



master's　last　commands；　Otho　was　still　alive；　he　said；　when　he　left



him；　but　his　only　thoughts　were　for　posterity；　and　he　had　torn　himself



from　all　the　fascinations　of　life。　They　were　struck　with　admiration；



and　were　ashamed　to　put　any　more　questions；　and　then　the　hearts　of　all



turned　to　Vitellius。



　　Lucius　Vitellius；　the　brother　of　the　Emperor；　was　present　at　their



deliberations；　and　was　preparing　to　receive　their　flatteries；　when



of　a　sudden　Coenus；　a　freedman　of　Nero；　threw　them　all　into



consternation　by　an　outrageous　falsehood。　He　asserted　that；　by　the



arrival　of　the　14th　legion；　joined　to　the　forces　from　Brixellum；　the



victorious　army　had　been　routed　and　the　fortunes　of　the　party　changed。



The　object　of　this　fabrication　was　that　the　passports　of　Otho；　which



were　beginning　to　be　disregarded；　might　through　more　favourable　news



recover　their　validity。　Coenus　was　conveyed　with　rapidity　to　the



capital；　but　a　few　days　after　suffered　the　penalty　of　his　crime　by　the



order　of　Vitellius。　The　peril　of　the　Senators　was　increased　by　the



soldiers　of　Otho's　army　believing　that　the　intelligence　thus　brought



was　authentic。　Their　alarm　was　heightened　by　the　fact　that　their



departure　from　Mutina　and　their　desertion　of　the　party　had　the



appearance　of　a　public　resolution。　They　did　not　meet　again　for　general



deliberation；　but　every　man　consulted　his　own　safety；　till　letters



arrived　from　Fabius　Valens　which　removed　their　fear。　Besides；　the　very



glory　of　Otho's　death　made　the　news　travel　more　quickly。



　　At　Rome；　however；　there　was　no　alarm；　the　games　of　Ceres　were



attended　as　usual。　When　trustworthy　messengers　brought　into　the



theatre　the　news　that　Otho　was　dead；　and　that　all　the　troops　in　the



capital　had　taken　the　oath　to　Vitellius　under　the　direction　of　Flavius



Sabinus；　prefect　of　the　city；　the　spectators　greeted　the　name　of



Vitellius　with　applause。　The　people　carried　round　the　temples　images



of　Galba；　ornamented　with　laurel　leaves　and　flowers；　and　piled



chaplets　in　the　form　of　a　sepulchral　mound　near　the　lake　of　Curtius；



on　the　very　spot　which　had　been　stained　with　the　blood　of　the　dying



man。　In　the　Senate　all　the　customary　honours；　which　had　been　devised



during　the　long　reigns　of　other　Emperors；　were　forthwith　decreed。



Public　acknowledgments　and　thanks　were　also　given　to　the　armies　of



Germany；　and　envoys　were　sent　charged　with　congratulations。　There



was　read　a　letter　from　Fabius　Valens　to　the　consuls；　which　was　written



in　a　not　unbecoming　style；　but　they　liked　better　the　modesty　of



Caecina　in　not　writing　at　all。



　　Italy；　however；　was　prostrated　under　sufferings　heavier　and　more



terrible　than　the　evils　of　war。　The　soldiers　of　Vitellius；　dispersed



through　the　municipal　towns　and　colonies；　were　robbing　and



plundering　and　polluting　every　place　with　violence　and　lust。



Everything；　lawful　or　unlawful；　they　were　ready　to　seize　or　to　sell；



sparing　nothing；　sacred　or　profane。　Some　persons　under　the　soldiers'



garb　murdered　their　private　enemies。　The　soldiers　themselves；　who　knew



the　country　well；　marked　out　rich　estates　and　wealthy　owners　for



plunder；　or　for　death　in　case　of　resistance；　their　commanders　were



in　their　power　and　dared　not　check　them。　Caecina　indeed　was　not　so



rapacious　as　he　was　fond　of　popularity；　Valens　was　so　notorious　for



his　dishonest　gains　and　peculations　that　he　was　disposed　to　conceal



the　crimes　of　others。　The　resources　of　Italy　had　long　been　impaired；



and　the　presence　of　so　vast　a　force　of　infantry　and　cavalry；　with



the　outrages；　the　losses；　and　the　wrongs　they　inflicted；　was　more　than



it　could　well　endure。



　　Meanwhile　Vitellius；　as　yet　unaware　of　his　victory；　was　bringing



up　the　remaining　strength　of　the　army　of　Germany　just　as　if　the



campaign　had　yet　to　be　fought。　A　few　of　the　old　soldiers　were　left



in　the　winter　quarters；　and　the　conscription　throughout　Gaul　was



hastily　proceeded　with；　in　order　that　the