histories-第34章

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according　to　the　names　or　various　equipments　of　the　nations。　Before



each　eagle　were　the　prefects　of　the　camp；　the　tribunes；　and　the



centurions　of　highest　rank；　in　white　robes；　and　the　other　officers



by　the　side　of　their　respective　companies；　glittering　with　arms　and



decorations。　The　ornaments　and　chains　of　the　soldiers　presented　a



brilliant　appearance。　It　was　a　glorious　sight；　and　the　army　was　worthy



of　a　better　Emperor　than　Vitellius。　Thus　he　entered　the　capital；　and



he　there　embraced　his　mother　and　honoured　her　with　the　title　of



Augusta。



　　The　next　day；　as　if　he　were　addressing　the　Senate　and　people　of



another　State；　he　pronounced　a　high　panegyric　on　himself；　extolling



his　own　energy　and　moderation；　though　his　enormities　were　known　to　the



very　persons　who　were　present　and　to　the　whole　of　Italy；　his



progress　through　which　had　been　disgraced　by　sloth　and　profligacy。　Yet



the　mob；　who　had　no　patriotic　anxieties；　and　who；　without



distinguishing　between　truth　and　falsehood；　had　learnt　the　lesson　of



habitual　flattery；　applauded　him　with　shouts　and　acclamations；　and；



reluctant　as　he　was　to　assume　the　name　of　Augustus；　extorted　from



him　a　compliance　as　idle　as　his　previous　refusal。



　　The　country；　ready　to　find　a　meaning　in　every　circumstance；　regarded



it　as　an　omen　of　gloomy　import　that　Vitellius；　on　obtaining　the　office



of　supreme　Pontiff；　should　have　issued　a　proclamation　concerning　the



public　religious　ceremonial　on　the　18th　of　July；　a　day　which　from



old　times　the　disasters　of　Cremera　and　Allia　had　marked　as　unlucky。



Thus　utterly　regardless　of　all　law　human　and　divine；　with　freedmen　and



friends　as　reckless　as　himself；　he　lived　as　if　he　were　among　a　set



of　drunkards。　Still　at　the　consular　elections　he　was　present　in



company　with　the　candidates　like　an　ordinary　citizen；　and　by　shewing



himself　as　a　spectator　in　the　theatre；　as　a　partisan　in　the　circus；　he



courted　every　breath　of　applause　from　the　lowest　rabble。　Agreeable　and



popular　as　this　conduct　would　have　been；　had　it　been　prompted　by　noble



qualities；　it　was　looked　upon　as　undignified　and　contemptible　from　the



remembrance　of　his　past　life。　He　habitually　appeared　in　the　Senate



even　when　unimportant　matters　were　under　discussion；　and　it　once



happened　that　Priscus　Helvidius；　the　praetor　elect；　had　spoken　against



his　wishes。　Though　at　the　moment　provoked；　he　only　called　on　the



tribunes　of　the　people　to　support　his　insulted　authority；　and　then；



when　his　friends；　who　feared　his　resentment　was　deeper　than　it



appeared；　sought　to　appease　him；　he　replied　that　it　was　nothing



strange　that　two　senators　in　a　Commonwealth　should　disagree：　he　had



himself　been　in　the　habit　of　opposing　Thrasea。　Most　of　them　laughed　at



the　effrontery　of　such　a　comparison；　though　some　were　pleased　at　the



very　circumstance　of　his　having　selected；　not　one　of　the　most



influential　men　of　the　time；　but　Thrasea；　as　his　model　of　true　glory。



　　He　had　advanced　to　the　command　of　the　Praetorian　Guard　Publius



Sabinus；　a　prefect　of　the　cohort；　and　Julius　Priscus；　then　only　a



centurion。　It　was　through　the　influence　of　Caecina　and　Valens　that



they　respectively　rose　to　power。　Though　always　at　variance；　these



two　men　left　no　authority　to　Vitellius。　The　functions　of　Empire　were



discharged　by　Caecina　and　Valens。　They　had　long　before　been　led　to



suspect　each　other　by　animosities　scarcely　concealed　amid　the　cares　of



the　campaign　and　the　camp；　and　aggravated　by　unprincipled　friends



and　a　state　of　society　calculated　to　produce　such　feuds。　In　their



struggles　for　popularity；　in　their　long　retinues；　and　in　the　vast



crowds　at　their　levees；　they　vied　with　each　other　and　challenged



comparison；　while　the　favour　of　Vitellius　inclined　first　to　one；　and



then　to　the　other。　There　can　never　be　complete　confidence　in　a　power



which　is　excessive。　Vitellius　himself；　who　was　ever　varying　between



sudden　irritation　and　unseasonable　fondness；　they　at　once　despised　and



feared。　Still　this　had　not　made　them　less　keen　to　seize　on　palaces　and



gardens　and　all　the　wealth　of　the　Empire；　while　a　sad　and　needy　throng



of　nobles；　whom　with　their　children　Galba　had　restored　to　their



country；　received　no　relief　from　the　compassion　of　the　Emperor。　By



an　edict　which　gratified　the　leading　men　of　the　State；　while　it



approved　itself　even　to　the　populace；　Vitellius　gave　back　to　the



returned　exiles　their　rights　over　their　freedmen；　although　servile



ingenuity　sought　in　every　way　to　neutralise　the　boon；　concealing　money



in　quarters　which　either　obscurity　or　rank　rendered　secure。　Some



freedmen　had　made　their　way　into　the　palace　of　the　Emperor；　and　thus



became　more　powerful　even　than　their　patrons。



　　Meanwhile　the　soldiers；　as　their　numbers　overflowed　the　crowded



camp；　dispersed　throughout　the　porticoes；　the　temples；　and　the　whole



capital；　did　not　know　their　own　headquarters；　kept　no　watch；　and



ceased　to　brace　themselves　by　toil。　Amidst　the　allurements　of　the　city



and　all　shameful　excesses；　they　wasted　their　strength　in　idleness；　and



their　energies　in　riot。　At　last；　reckless　even　of　health；　a　large



portion　of　them　quartered　themselves　in　the　notoriously　pestilential



neighbourhood　of　the　Vatican；　hence　ensued　a　great　mortality　in　the



ranks。　The　Tiber　was　close　at　hand；　and　their　extreme　eagerness　for



the　water　and　their　impatience　of　the　heat　weakened　the



constitutions　of　the　Germans　and　Gauls；　always　liable　to　disease。　To



make　matters　worse；　the　organisation　of　the　service　was　deranged　by



unprincipled　intrigue　and　favour。　Sixteen　Praetorian　and　four　city



cohorts　were　being　raised；　each　to　consist　of　a　thousand　men。　In



this　levy　Valens　ventured　to　do　more　than　his　rival　on　the　pretence　of



his　having　rescued　Caecina　himself　from　peril。　Doubtless　his　arrival



had　restored　the　fortunes　of　the　party；　and　his　victory　had　reversed



the　unfavourable　rumours　occasioned　by　his　tardy　advance。　The　entire



army　too　of　Lower　Germany　was　attached　to　him；　this　circumstance；　it



is　thought；　first　made　the　allegiance　of　Caecina　waver。



　　Much　however　as　Vitellius　indulged　his　generals；　his　soldiers



enjoyed　yet　greater　licence。　Every　one　chose　his　own　service。



However　unfit；　he　might；　if　he　preferred　it；　be　enrolled　among　the



soldiers　of　the　capital。　Soldiers　again　of　good　character　were



allowed；　if　they　so　wished；　to　remain　with　the　legions；　or　in　the



cavalry；　and　this　was　the　choice　of　many　who　were　worn　out　with



disease；　or　who　shrank　from　the　unhealthiness　of　the　climate。　But



the　main　strength　of　the　legions　and　cavalry　was　drafted　from　them；



while　the　old　glory　of　the　Praetorian　camp　was　destroyed　by　these



20；000　men　indiscriminately　taken　rather　than　chosen　out　of　the



whole　army。　While　Vitellius　was　haranguing　the　troops；　the　men



called　out　for　the　execution　of　Asiaticus；　and　of　Flavius　and　Rufinus；



the　Gallic　chieftains；　because　they　had　fought　for　Vindex。　He　never



checked　these　cries；　for　to　say　nothing　of　the　cowardice　natural　to



that　feeble　soul；　he　was　aware　that　the　distribution　of　a　donative　was



imminent；　and；　having　no　money；　he　lavished　everything　else　on　the



soldiers。　A　contribution　in　the　form　of　a　tax　was　exacted　from　the



freedmen　of　former　Emperors　in　proportion　to　the　number　of　their





slaves。　Vitellius　himself；　thinking　only　how　to　squander；　was　building



a　stable　for　his　charioteers；　was　filling　the　circus　with　shows　of



gladiators　and　wild　beasts；　and　fooling　away　his　money　as　if　he　had



the　most　abundant　supplies。



　　Moreover　Caecina　and　Valens　celebrated　the　birthday　of　Vitellius



by　exhibiting　in　every　quarter　of　the　city　shows　of　gladiators　on　a



vast　and　hitherto　unparalleled　scale。　He　pleased　the　most　infamous



characters；　but　utterly　disgusted　all　the　respectable　citizens；　by



building　altars　in　the　Campus　Martius；　and　p