histories-第28章

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in　the　winter　quarters；　and　the　conscription　throughout　Gaul　was



hastily　proceeded　with；　in　order　that　the　muster　rolls　of　the



legions　which　remained　behind　might　be　filled　up。　The　defence　of　the



bank　of　the　Rhine　was　entrusted　to　Hordeonius　Flaccus。　Vitellius



himself　added　to　his　own　army　8000　men　of　the　British　conscription。　He



had　proceeded　a　few　days'　march；　when　he　received　intelligence　of



the　victory　at　Bedriacum；　and　of　the　termination　of　the　war　through



Otho's　death。　He　called　an　assembly；　and　heaped　praises　on　the



valour　of　the　soldiers。　When　the　army　demanded　that　he　should　confer



equestrian　rank　on　Asiaticus　his　freedman；　he　checked　the



disgraceful　flattery。　Then；　with　his　characteristic　fickleness；　in　the



privacy　of　a　banquet　he　granted　the　very　distinction　which　he　had



publicly　refused；　and　honoured　with　the　ring　of　Knighthood　this　same



Asiaticus；　a　slave　of　infamous　character；　ever　seeking　power　by



unprincipled　intrigues。



　　About　the　same　time　news　came　to　Vitellius　that　the　procurator



Albinus　had　fallen；　and　that　both　the　provinces　of　Mauritania　had



declared　for　him。　Lucceius　Albinus；　whom　Nero　had　appointed　to　the



government　of　Mauritania　Caesariensis；　to　which　Galba　had　subsequently



added　the　charge　of　the　province　of　Tingitana；　had　the　disposal　of



no　contemptible　force。　He　had　with　him　19　cohorts　of　infantry；　5



squadrons　of　cavalry；　and　a　vast　number　of　Moors；　a　force　trained　to



war　by　robbery　and　plunder。　When　Galba　had　fallen；　he　was　strongly



disposed　in　favour　of　Otho。　He　even　looked　beyond　Africa　and



threatened　Spain；　which　is　separated　from　it　only　by　a　narrow



strait。　This　alarmed　Cluvius　Rufus；　who　ordered　the　10th　legion　to



approach　the　coast；　as　if　he　intended　to　send　them　across。　Some　of　the



centurions　were　sent　on　before　to　gain　for　Vitellius　the　good…will



of　the　Moors。　This　was　no　difficult　task；　as　the　fame　of　the　German



army　was　great　in　the　provinces。　Besides　this；　a　report　was　circulated



that　Albinus；　scorning　the　title　of　procurator；　was　assuming　the



insignia　of　royalty　and　the　name　of　Juba。



　　The　tide　of　feeling　turned；　and　Asinius　Pollio；　one　of　the　stanchest



friends　of　Albinus；　prefect　of　one　of　the　squadrons　of　cavalry；　with



Festus　and　Scipio；　prefects　of　two　infantry　cohorts；　were　killed。



Albinus　himself；　who　was　sailing　from　the　province　Tingitana　to



Mauritania　Caesariensis；　was　murdered　as　he　reached　the　shore。　His



wife　threw　herself　in　the　way　of　the　murderers　and　was　killed　with



him。　Vitellius　made　no　inquiries　into　what　was　going　on。　He



dismissed　matters　of　even　the　greatest　importance　with　brief



hearing；　and　was　quite　unequal　to　any　serious　business。　He　directed



the　army　to　proceed　by　land；　but　sailed　himself　down　the　river　Arar。



His　progress　had　nothing　of　imperial　state　about　it；　but　was　marked　by



the　poverty　of　his　former　condition；　till　Junius　Blaesus；　governor



of　Gallia　Lugdunensis；　a　man　of　noble　birth；　whose　munificence　was



equal　to　his　wealth；　furnished　him　with　suitable　attendance；　and



escorted　him　with　a　splendid　retinue；　a　service　which　was　of　itself



displeasing；　though　Vitellius　masked　his　dislike　under　servile



compliments。　At　Lugdunum　the　generals　of　the　two　parties；　the



conquerors　and　the　conquered；　were　waiting　for　him。　Valens　and　Caecina



he　put　by　his　own　chair　of　state；　after　celebrating　their　praises



before　a　general　assembly。　He　then　ordered　the　whole　army　to　come



and　greet　his　infant　son；　he　brought　him　out；　wrapped　in　a　military



cloak；　and　holding　him　in　his　arms；　gave　him　the　title　of　Germanicus



and　surrounded　him　with　all　the　insignia　of　the　imperial　rank。　It



was　an　extravagant　distinction　for　a　day　of　prosperity；　but　it



served　as　a　consolation　in　adversity。



　　Then　the　bravest　centurions　among　the　Othonianists　were　put　to



death。　This；　more　than　anything　else；　alienated　from　Vitellius　the



armies　of　Illyricum。　At　the　same　time　the　other　legions；　influenced　by



the　contagion　of　example；　and　by　their　dislike　of　the　German　troops；



were　meditating　war。　Vitellius　detained　Suetonius　Paullinus　and



Licinus　Proculus　in　all　the　wretchedness　of　an　odious　imprisonment；



when　they　were　heard；　they　resorted　to　a　defence；　necessary　rather



than　honourable。　They　actually　claimed　the　merit　of　having　been



traitors；　attributing　to　their　own　dishonest　counsels　the　long　march



before　the　battle；　the　fatigue　of　Otho's　troops；　the　entanglement　of



the　line　with　the　baggage…wagons；　and　many　circumstances　which　were



really　accidental。　Vitellius　gave　them　credit　for　perfidy；　and



acquitted　them　of　the　crime　of　loyalty。　Salvius　Titianus；　the



brother　of　Otho；　was　never　in　any　peril；　for　his　brotherly　affection



and　his　apathetic　character　screened　him　from　danger。　Marius　Celsus



had　his　consulship　confirmed　to　him。　It　was　commonly　believed；



however；　and　was　afterwards　made　a　matter　of　accusation　in　the



Senate　against　Caecilius　Simplex；　that　he　had　sought　to　purchase



this　honour；　and　with　it　the　destruction　of　Celsus。　Vitellius　refused；



and　afterwards　bestowed　on　Simplex　a　consulship　that　had　not　to　be



bought　with　crime　or　with　money。　Trachalus　was　protected　against　his



accusers　by　Galeria　the　wife　of　Vitellius。



　　Amid　the　adventures　of　these　illustrious　men；　one　is　ashamed　to



relate　how　a　certain　Mariccus；　a　Boian　of　the　lowest　origin；



pretending　to　divine　inspiration；　ventured　to　thrust　himself　into



fortune's　game；　and　to　challenge　the　arms　of　Rome。　Calling　himself　the



champion　of　Gaul；　and　a　God　（for　he　had　assumed　this　title）；　he　had



now　collected　8000　men；　and　was　taking　possession　of　the



neighbouring　villages　of　the　Aedui；　when　that　most　formidable　state



attacked　him　with　a　picked　force　of　its　native　youth；　to　which



Vitellius　attached　some　cohorts；　and　dispersed　the　crowd　of



fanatics。　Mariccus　was　captured　in　the　engagement；　and　was　soon



after　exposed　to　wild　beasts；　but　not　having　been　torn　by　them　was



believed　by　the　senseless　multitude　to　be　invulnerable；　till　he　was



put　to　death　in　the　presence　of　Vitellius。



　　No　further　severities　were　exercised　on　the　persons　of　the



opposite　faction；　or　with　property　in　any　case；　the　wills　of　those　who



had　fallen　fighting　for　Otho　were　held　to　be　valid；　and　with　those　who



died　intestate；　the　law　was　carried　out。　Assuredly；　could　Vitellius



have　bridled　his　luxurious　tastes；　no　one　need　have　dreaded　his



rapacity。　He　had　a　scandalous　and　insatiable　passion　for　feasts；　the



provocatives　of　gluttony　were　conveyed　to　him　from　the　capital　and



from　Italy；　till　the　roads　from　both　seas　resounded　with　traffic；



the　leading　men　of　the　various　states　were　ruined　by　having　to　furnish



his　entertainments；　and　the　states　themselves　reduced　to　beggary；



the　soldiers　fast　degenerated　from　their　old　activity　and　valour；



through　habitual　indulgence　and　contempt　of　their　leader。　He　sent　on



before　him　to　the　capital　an　edict；　by　which　he　postponed　his



acceptance　of　the　title　of　Augustus　and　refused　that　of　Caesar；　though



he　relinquished　nothing　of　his　actual　power。　The　astrologers　were



banished　from　Italy。　The　Roman　Knights　were　forbidden；　under　severe



penalties；　to　degrade　themselves　by　appearing　in　public



entertainments；　or　in　the　arena。　Former　Emperors　had　encouraged　the



practice　by　bribes；　or　more　frequently　enforced　it　by　compulsion；



and　many　of　the　towns　and　colonies　had　vied　with　each　other　in



attracting　by　large　pay　the　most　profligate　of　the　youth。



　　Vitellius；　however；　when　his　brother　joined　him；　and　when　those



who　are　skilled　in　the　arts　of　despotism　began　to　creep　into　his



confidence；　grew　more　arrogant　and　cruel。　He　ordered　the　execution



of　Dolabella；　whose　banishment　by　Otho　to　the　Colonia　Aquinas　I　have



before　mentioned。　Dolabella；　on　hearing　of　the　death　of　Otho；　had



entered　the　capital。