histories-第44章

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centurions　and　soldiers　promoted　by　Vitellius；　who　felt　uneasy　in



exchanging　for　another　ruler　one　whom　they　knew　already。



　　These　dissensions；　and　the　continual　rumours　of　civil　war；　raised



the　courage　of　the　Britons。　They　were　led　by　one　Venutius；　who；



besides　being　naturally　high　spirited；　and　hating　the　name　of　Rome；



was　fired　by　his　private　animosity　against　Queen　Cartismandua。



Cartismandua　ruled　the　Brigantes　in　virtue　of　her　illustrious　birth；



and　she　strengthened　her　throne；　when；　by　the　treacherous　capture　of



king　Caractacus；　she　was　regarded　as　having　given　its　chief



distinction　to　the　triumph　of　Claudius　Caesar。　Then　followed　wealth



and　the　self…indulgence　of　prosperity。　Spurning　her　husband



Venutius；　she　made　Vellocatus；　his　armour…bearer；　the　partner　of　her



bed　and　throne。　By　this　enormity　the　power　of　her　house　was　at　once



shaken　to　its　base。　On　the　side　of　the　husband　were　the　affections



of　the　people；　on　that　of　the　adulterer；　the　lust　and　savage　temper　of



the　Queen。　Accordingly　Venutius　collected　some　auxiliaries；　and；　aided



at　the　same　time　by　a　revolt　of　the　Brigantes；　brought　Cartismandua



into　the　utmost　peril。　She　asked　for　some　Roman　troops；　and　our



auxiliary　infantry　and　cavalry；　after　fighting　with　various　success；



contrived　to　rescue　the　Queen　from　her　peril。　Venutius　retained　the



kingdom；　and　we　had　the　war　on　our　hands。



　　About　the　same　time；　Germany　suffered　from　the　supineness　of　our



generals　and　the　mutinous　conduct　of　our　legions；　the　assaults　of



enemies　and　the　perfidy　of　allies　all　but　overthrew　the　power　of　Rome。



Of　this　war；　its　origin　and　its　issue；　for　it　lasted　long；　I　shall



hereafter　speak。　The　Dacians　also　were　in　motion；　a　people　which　never



can　be　trusted；　and　which；　now　that　our　legions　were　withdrawn　from



Moesia；　had　nothing　to　fear。　They　quietly　watched　the　opening　of　the



campaign；　but　when　they　heard　that　Italy　was　in　a　blaze　of　war；　and



that　the　whole　Empire　was　divided　against　itself；　they　stormed　the



winter　quarters　of　the　auxiliary　infantry　and　cavalry；　and　occupied



both　banks　of　the　Danube。　They　were　then　preparing　to　destroy　the　camp



of　the　legions；　but　Mucianus　sent　the　6th　legion　against　them；　for



he　knew　of　the　victory　of　Cremona；　and　he　feared　this　double



pressure　of　barbarian　power　with　Dacians　and　Germans　invading　Italy



from　opposite　sides。　We　were　helped；　as　often　before；　by　the　good



fortune　of　the　Roman　people；　which　brought　to　the　spot　Mucianus　with



the　armies　of　the　East；　and　by　the　decisive　settlement　which　in　the



meantime　was　effected　at　Cremona。　Fonteius　Agrippa　was　removed　from



Asia　（which　province　he　had　governed　as　proconsul　for　a　year）　to



Moesia；　and　had　some　troops　given　him　from　the　army　of　Vitellius。　That



this　army　should　be　dispersed　through　the　provinces　and　closely



occupied　with　foreign　wars；　was　sound　policy　and　essential　to　peace。



　　All　other　nations　were　equally　restless。　A　sudden　outbreak　had



been　excited　in　Pontus　by　a　barbarian　slave；　who　had　before



commanded　the　royal　fleet。　This　was　Anicetus；　a　freedman　of　Polemon；



once　a　very　powerful　personage；　who；　when　the　kingdom　was　converted



into　a　Roman　province；　ill　brooked　the　change。　Accordingly　he　raised



in　the　name　of　Vitellius　the　tribes　that　border　on　Pontus；　bribed　a



number　of　very　needy　adventurers　by　the　hope　of　plunder；　and；　at　the



head　of　a　force　by　no　means　contemptible；　made　a　sudden　attack　on



the　old　and　famous　city　of　Trapezus；　founded　by　the　Greeks　on　the



farthest　shore　of　the　Pontus。　There　he　destroyed　a　cohort；　once　a　part



of　the　royal　contingent。　They　had　afterwards　received　the　privileges



of　citizenship；　and　while　they　carried　their　arms　and　banners　in　Roman



fashion；　they　still　retained　the　indolence　and　licence　of　the　Greek。



Anicetus　also　set　fire　to　the　fleet；　and；　as　the　sea　was　not



guarded；　escaped；　for　Mucianus　had　brought　up　to　Byzantium　the　best　of



the　Liburnian　ships　and　all　the　troops。　The　barbarians　even　insolently



scoured　the　sea　in　hastily　constructed　vessels　of　their　own　called



〃camarae；〃　built　with　narrow　sides　and　broad　bottoms；　and　joined



together　without　fastenings　of　brass　or　iron。　Whenever　the　water　is



rough　they　raise　the　bulwarks　with　additional　planks　according　to



the　increasing　height　of　the　waves；　till　the　vessel　is　covered　in　like



a　house。　Thus　they　roll　about　amid　the　billows；　and；　as　they　have　a



prow　at　both　extremities　alike　and　a　convertible　arrangement　of



oars；　they　may　be　paddled　in　one　direction　or　another　indifferently



and　without　risk。



　　The　matter　attracted　the　attention　of　Vespasian；　and　induced　him



to　dispatch　some　veterans　from　the　legions　under　Virdius　Geminus；　a



tried　soldier。　Finding　the　enemy　in　disorder　and　dispersed　in　the



eager　pursuit　of　plunder；　he　attacked　them；　and　drove　them　to　their



ships。　Hastily　fitting　out　a　fleet　of　Liburnian　ships　he　pursued



Anicetus；　and　overtook　him　at　the　mouth　of　the　river　Cohibus；　where　he



was　protected　by　the　king　of　the　Sedochezi；　whose　alliance　he　had



secured　by　a　sum　of　money　and　other　presents。　This　prince　at　first



endeavoured　to　protect　the　suppliant　by　a　threat　of　hostilities；　when；



however；　the　choice　was　presented　to　him　between　war　and　the　profit　to



be　derived　from　treachery；　he　consented；　with　the　characteristic



perfidy　of　barbarians；　to　the　destruction　of　Anicetus；　and　delivered



up　the　refugees。　So　ended　this　servile　war。　Amidst　the　joy　of　this



success；　while　everything　was　prosperous　beyond　his　hopes；　tidings



of　the　victory　of　Cremona　reached　Vespasian　in　Aegypt。　This　made　him



hasten　his　advance　to　Alexandria；　for；　now　that　the　army　of



Vitellius　was　shattered；　he　sought　to　apply　the　pressure　of　famine



to　the　capital；　which　is　always　dependent　on　foreign　supplies。　He



was　indeed　also　preparing　to　invade　by　sea　and　land　the　province　of



Africa；　which　lies　on　the　same　line　of　coast；　intending　by　thus



closing　the　supplies　of　corn　to　cause　famine　and　dissension　among



the　enemy。



　　While　with　this　world…wide　convulsion　the　Imperial　power　was



changing　hands；　the　conduct　of　Primus　Antonius；　after　the　fall　of



Cremona；　was　by　no　means　as　blameless　as　before。　Either　he　believed



that　the　necessities　of　the　war　had　been　satisfied；　and　that　all



else　would　follow　easily；　or；　perhaps；　success；　working　on　such　a



temperament；　developed　his　latent　pride；　rapacity　and　other　vices。



He　swept　through　Italy　as　if　it　were　a　conquered　country　and



caressed　the　legions　as　if　they　were　his　own；　by　all　his　words　and



acts　he　sought　to　pave　for　himself　the　way　to　power。　To　imbue　the　army



with　a　spirit　of　licence；　he　offered　to　the　legions　the　commissions　of



the　centurions　killed　in　the　war。　By　their　vote　the　most　turbulent　men



were　elected。　The　soldiers　in　fact　were　not　under　the　control　of　the



generals；　but　the　generals　were　themselves　constrained　to　follow　the



furious　impulses　of　the　soldiers。　These　mutinous　proceedings；　so



ruinous　to　discipline；　Antonius　soon　turned　to　his　own　profit；



regardless　of　the　near　approach　of　Mucianus；　a　neglect　more　fatal　than



any　contempt　for　Vespasian。



　　As　winter　was　approaching；　and　the　low　country　was　flooded　by　the



Padus；　the　army　marched　on　without　its　heavy　baggage。　The　standards



and　eagles　of　the　victorious　legions；　the　old　and　wounded　soldiers；



and　even　many　effective　men；　were　left　at　Verona。　The　auxiliary



infantry　and　cavalry；　with　some　picked　troops　from　the　legions；



appeared　sufficient　for　a　war　that　was　all　but　finished。　They　had　been



joined　by　the　11th　legion；　which　at　first　had　hesitated；　but　now　in



the　hour　of　success　felt　alarm　at　having　stood　aloof。　A　recent　levy　of



6000　Dalmatians　was　attached　to　the　legion。　They　were　under　the



command　of　Pompeius　Silvanus；　a　man　of　consular　rank；　the　real



direction　of　affair