histories-第30章

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of　alarm。　Meanwhile　a　slave　of　Verginius　happened　to　come　in　their



way。　He　was　charged　with　having　designed　the　assassination　of



Vitellius。　The　soldiers　rushed　to　the　scene　of　the　banquet；　and　loudly



demanded　the　death　of　Verginius。　Even　Vitellius；　tremblingly　alive



as　he　was　to　all　suspicions；　had　no　doubt　of　his　innocence。　Yet　he



could　hardly　check　the　troops　when　they　clamoured　for　the　death　of　a



man　of　consular　rank；　formerly　their　own　general。　Indeed　there　was



no　one　who　was　more　frequently　the　object　of　all　kinds　of　outbreaks



than　Verginius；　the　man　still　was　admired；　still　retained　his　high



reputation；　but　they　hated　him　with　the　hatred　of　those　who　are



despised。



　　The　next　day　Vitellius；　after　giving　audience　to　the　envoys　from　the



Senate　whom　he　had　ordered　to　wait　for　him　there；　proceeded　to　the



camp；　and　actually　bestowed　high　praise　on　the　loyalty　of　the



soldiers。　The　auxiliary　troops　loudly　complained　that　such　complete



impunity；　such　privileged　arrogance；　was　accorded　to　the　legions。



The　Batavian　cohorts　were　sent　back　to　Germany；　lest　they　should



venture　on　further　violence。　Destiny　was　thus　simultaneously　preparing



the　occasions　of　civil　and　of　foreign　war。　The　Gallic　auxiliaries　were



sent　back　to　their　respective　states；　a　vast　body　of　men；　which　in　the



very　earliest　stage　of　the　revolt　had　been　employed　to　make　an　idle



show　of　strength。　Besides　this；　in　order　to　eke　out　the　Imperial



resources；　which　had　been　impaired　by　a　series　of　bounties；　directions



were　given　that　the　battalions　of　the　legions　and　the　auxiliary　forces



should　be　reduced；　all　recruiting　being　forbidden。　Discharges　were



offered　without　distinction。　This　measure　was　disastrous　to　the　State；



and　distasteful　to　the　soldier；　who　found　that　the　same　duty　was



distributed　among　a　smaller　number；　and　that　his　toils　and　risks



came　round　in　a　more　frequent　succession。　Their　vigour　too　was



undermined　by　luxury；　a　luxury　that　transgressed　our　ancient



discipline　and　the　customs　of　our　ancestors；　in　whose　days　the　power



of　Rome　found　a　surer　foundation　in　valour　than　in　wealth。



　　Vitellius　then　directed　his　course　to　Cremona；　and　after



witnessing　the　spectacle　exhibited　by　Caecina；　he　conceived　a　desire



to　visit　the　plains　of　Bedriacum　and　to　survey　the　scene　of　the　recent



victory。　It　was　a　hideous　and　terrible　sight。　Not　forty　days　had



passed　since　the　battle；　and　there　lay　mangled　corpses；　severed　limbs；



the　putrefying　forms　of　men　and　horses；　the　soil　was　saturated　with



gore；　and；　what　with　levelled　trees　and　crops；　horrible　was　the



desolation。　Not　less　revolting　was　that　portion　of　the　road　which



the　people　of　Cremona　had　strewed　with　laurel　leaves　and　roses；　and　on



which　they　had　raised　altars；　and　sacrificed　victims　as　if　to　greet



some　barbarous　despot；　festivities　in　which　they　delighted　for　the



moment；　but　which　were　afterwards　to　work　their　ruin。　Valens　and



Caecina　were　present；　and　pointed　out　the　various　localities　of　the



field　of　battle；　shewing　how　from　one　point　the　columns　of　the　legions



had　rushed　to　the　attack；　how　from　another　the　cavalry　had　charged；



how　from　a　third　the　auxiliary　troops　had　turned　the　flank　of　the



enemy。　The　tribunes　and　prefects　extolled　their　individual



achievements；　and　mixed　together　fictions；　facts；　and　exaggerations。



The　common　soldiers　also　turned　aside　from　the　line　of　march　with



joyful　shouts；　and　recognized　the　various　scenes　of　conflict；　and



gazed　with　wonder　on　the　piles　of　weapons　and　the　heaps　of　slain。　Some



indeed　there　were　whom　all　this　moved　to　thoughts　of　the　mutability　of



fortune；　to　pity；　and　to　tears。　Vitellius　did　not　turn　away　his



eyes；　did　not　shudder　to　behold　the　unburied　corpses　of　so　many



thousands　of　his　countrymen；　nay；　in　his　exultation；　in　his



ignorance　of　the　doom　which　was　so　close　upon　himself；　he　actually



instituted　a　religious　ceremony　in　honour　of　the　tutelary　gods　of



the　place。



　　A　show　of　gladiators　was　then　given　by　Fabius　Valens　at　Bononia；



with　all　the　arrangements　introduced　from　the　capital。　The　nearer



the　Emperor　approached　to　Rome；　the　greater　was　the　license　of　his



march；　accompanied　as　it　was　by　players　and　herds　of　eunuchs；　in



fact　by　all　that　had　characterised　the　court　of　Nero。　Indeed；



Vitellius　used　to　make　a　display　of　his　admiration　for　Nero；　and　had



constantly　followed　him　when　he　sang；　not　from　the　compulsion　to　which



the　noblest　had　to　yield；　but　because　he　was　the　slave　and　chattel



of　profligacy　and　gluttony。　To　leave　some　months　of　office　open　for



Valens　and　Caecina；　the　consulates　of　others　were　abridged；　that　of



Martius　Macer　was　ignored　on　the　ground　of　his　having　been　one　of



Otho's　generals。　Valerius　Maximus；　who　had　been　nominated　consul　by



Galba；　had　his　dignity　deferred　for　no　offence；　but　because　he　was　a



man　of　gentle　temper；　and　could　submit　tamely　to　an　affront。



Pedanius　Costa　was　passed　over。　The　Emperor　disliked　him　because　he



had　risen　against　Nero；　and　roused　Verginius　to　revolt。　Other　reasons；



however；　were　alleged。　Finally；　after　the　servile　fashion　of　the　time；



thanks　were　voted　to　Vitellius。



　　A　deception；　which　was　started　with　considerable　vigour；　lasted



for　a　few；　and　but　a　few　days。　There　had　suddenly　sprung　up　a　man；　who



gave　out　that　he　was　Scribonianus　Camerinus；　that；　dreading　the



times　of　Nero；　he　had　concealed　himself　in　Histria；　where　the　old



family　of　the　Crassi　still　had　dependants；　estates；　and　a　popular



name。　He　admitted　into　the　secret　of　his　imposture　all　the　most



worthless　of　his　followers；　and　the　credulous　populace　and　some　of　the



soldiers；　either　from　not　knowing　the　truth；　or　impatient　for



revolution；　began　eagerly　to　rally　round　him。　When　he　was　brought



before　Vitellius；　and　asked　who　he　was；　as　his　account　of　himself



could　not　be　trusted；；　and　his　master　recognised　him　as　a　runaway



slave；　by　name　Geta；　he　was　executed　as　slaves　usually　are。



　　It　would　almost　pass　belief；　were　I　to　tell　to　what　a　degree　the



insolence　and　sloth　of　Vitellius　grew　upon　him　when　messengers　from



Syria　and　Judaea　brought　the　news　that　the　provinces　of　the　East　had



sworn　allegiance　to　him。　Though　as　yet　all　information　was　but　vague



and　uncertain；　Vespasian　was　the　subject　of　much　talk　and　rumour；



and　at　the　mention　of　his　name　Vitellius　often　roused　himself。　But



now；　both　the　Emperor　and　the　army；　as　if　they　had　no　rival　to　fear；



indulging　in　cruelty；　lust；　and　rapine；　plunged　into　all　the　licence



of　foreign　manners。



　　Vespasian；　on　the　other　hand；　was　taking　a　general　survey　of　the



chances　of　a　campaign　and　of　his　resources　both　immediate　and



remote。　The　soldiers　were　so　entirely　devoted　to　him；　that　as　he



dictated　the　oath　of　allegiance　and　prayed　for　all　prosperity　to



Vitellius；　they　listened　to　him　in　silence。　Mucianus　had　no　dislike　to



Vespasian；　and　was　strongly　inclined　towards　Titus。　Already　had



Alexander；　the　governor　of　Egypt；　declared　his　adhesion。　The　third



legion；　as　it　had　passed　over　from　Syria　to　Moesia；　Vespasian



counted　upon　as　devoted　to　himself；　and　it　was　hoped　that　the　other



legions　of　Illyricum　would　follow　its　example。　In　fact　the　whole



army　had　been　kindled　into　indignation　by　the　insolence　of　the



soldiers　who　came　among　them　from　Vitellius。　Savage　in　appearance；　and



speaking　a　rude　dialect；　they　ridiculed　everybody　else　as　their



inferiors。　But　in　such　gigantic　preparations　for　war　there　is



usually　delay。　Vespasian　was　at　one　moment　high　in　hope；　and　at



another　disposed　to　reflect　on　the　chances　of　failure。　What　a　day



would　that　be　when　he　should　expose　himself　with　his　sixty　years



upon　him；　and　the　two　young　men；　his　sons；　to　the　perils　of　war！　In



private　enterprises　men　may　advance　or　recede；　and　presume　more　or



less　upon　fortune　as　they　ma