histories-第48章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






temper　of　the　man　shrank　from　bloodshed　and　slaughter；　and　that　for



this　reason　he　had　held　frequent　conferences　with　Vitellius　to　discuss



the　question　of　peace　and　the　cessation　of　hostilities　upon　certain



conditions。　After　many　private　interviews；　they　finally；　so　report



said；　ratified　an　agreement　in　the　temple　of　Apollo。　The　words　of



their　conversation　had　two　witnesses　in　Cluvius　Rufus　and　Silius



Italicus。　Their　looks　were　noted　by　the　more　distant　spectators；　the



expression　of　Vitellius　was　abject　and　mean；　that　of　Sabinus　not



triumphant；　but　rather　akin　to　pity。



　　Could　Vitellius　have　swayed　the　feelings　of　his　partisans　as



easily　as　he　had　himself　yielded；　the　army　of　Vespasian　might　have



entered　the　capital　without　bloodshed。　But　the　more　loyal　his



adherents；　the　more　did　they　protest　against　peace　and　negotiation。



They　pointed　out　the　danger　and　disgrace　of　a　submission　in　which



the　caprice　of　the　conqueror　would　be　their　sole　guarantee。　〃And



Vespasian；〃　they　said；　〃is　not　so　arrogant　as　to　tolerate　such　a



subject　as　Vitellius。　Even　the　vanquished　would　not　endure　it。　Their



pity　would　be　dangerous　to　him。　You　certainly　are　an　old　man；　and　have



had　enough　both　of　prosperity　and　of　adversity；　but　think　what　a　name；



what　a　position；　you　will　leave　to　your　son　Germanicus。　Now　indeed



they　promise　you　wealth；　and　a　large　establishment；　and　a　luxurious



retreat　in　Campania；　but　when　Vespasian　has　once　seized　the　throne；



neither　he；　nor　his　friends；　nor　even　his　armies；　will　feel　themselves



secure　till　all　rivalry　has　been　extinguished。　Fabius　Valens；



captive　as　he　was；　and　reserved　against　the　chance　of　disaster；　was



yet　too　formidable　to　them；　and　certainly　Primus；　Fuscus；　and



Mucianus；　who　exhibits　the　temper　of　his　party；　will　not　be　allowed



power　over　Vitellius　except　to　put　him　to　death。　Caesar　did　not



leave　Pompey；　Augustus　did　not　leave　Antony　in　safety；　though；



perhaps；　Vespasian　may　show　a　more　lofty　spirit；　Vespasian；　who　was



a　dependant　of　Vitellius；　when　Vitellius　was　the　colleague　of



Claudius。　If　you　would　act　as　becomes　the　censorship；　the



thrice…repeated　consulate　of　your　father；　and　all　the　honours　of



your　illustrious　house；　let　despair　at　any　rate　arm　you　to



courageous　action。　The　troops　are　still　firm；　and　among　the　people



there　is　abundant　zeal。　Lastly；　nothing　can　happen　to　us　more　terrible



than　that　upon　which　we　are　voluntarily　rushing。　If　we　are



conquered；　we　must　die；　we　must　die；　if　we　capitulate。　All　that



concerns　us　is　this；　shall　we　draw　our　last　breath　amidst　scorn　and



insult；　or　in　a　valiant　struggle？〃



　　The　ears　of　Vitellius　were　deaf　to　manly　counsels。　His　whole　soul



was　overwhelmed　by　a　tender　anxiety；　lest　by　an　obstinate　resistance



he　might　leave　the　conqueror　less　mercifully　disposed　to　his　wife



and　children。　He　had　also　a　mother　old　and　feeble；　but　she；　expiring　a



few　days　before；　escaped　by　her　opportune　death　the　ruin　of　her　house；



having　gained　from　the　Imperial　dignity　of　her　son　nothing　but



sorrow　and　a　good　name。　On　the　18th　of　December；　after　hearing　of



the　defection　of　the　legion　and　the　auxiliary　infantry　which　had



surrendered　at　Narnia；　he　left　the　palace；　clad　in　mourning　robes；　and



surrounded　by　his　weeping　household。　With　him　went　his　little　son；



carried　in　a　litter；　as　though　in　a　funeral　procession。　The



greetings　of　the　people　were　flattering；　but　ill…suited　to　the　time；



the　soldiers　preserved　an　ominous　silence。



　　There　could　hardly　be　a　man　so　careless　of　human　interests　as　not　to



be　affected　by　this　spectacle。　There　was　the　Roman　Emperor；　lord　but　a



few　days　before　of　the　whole　human　race；　leaving　the　seat　of　his



power；　and　passing　through　the　midst　of　his　people　and　his　capital；　to



abdicate　his　throne。　Men　had　never　before　seen　or　heard　of　such　an



event。　Caesar；　the　Dictator；　had　fallen　by　sudden　violence；　Caligula



by　secret　treason。　The　shades　of　night　and　the　obscurity　of　a　rural



hiding…place　had　veiled　the　flight　of　Nero。　Piso　and　Galba　had；　it



might　be　said；　fallen　in　battle。　In　an　assembly　of　his　own　people；　and



in　the　midst　of　his　own　soldiers；　with　the　very　women　of　his　family



looking　on；　Vitellius　stood　and　spoke　a　few　words　suitable　to　the



sad　conjuncture。　〃He　gave　way；〃　he　said；　〃for　the　sake　of　peace；　for



the　sake　of　his　country；　let　them　only　remember　him；　and　think　with



compassion　of　his　brother；　of　his　wife；　of　his　young　and　innocent



children。〃　At　the　same　time　he　held　out　his　son；　commending　him



first　to　individual　bystanders；　then　to　the　whole　assembly。　At　last；



unable　to　speak　for　weeping；　he　unfastened　the　dagger　from　his　side；



and　offered　it　to　the　Consul；　Caecilius　Simplex；　who　was　standing　by



him；　as　if　to　indicate　that　he　surrendered　the　power　of　life　and　death



over　the　citizens。　The　Consul　rejecting　it；　and　those　who　were



standing　by　in　the　assembly　shouting　remontrance；　he　departed；　as　if



with　the　intention　of　laying　aside　the　emblems　of　Imperial　power　in



the　Temple　of　Concord；　and　of　betaking　himself　to　his　brother's　house。



Louder　shouts　here　met　him　from　the　crowd；　which　hindered　him　from



entering　a　private　house；　and　invited　him　to　return　to　the　palace。



Every　other　route　was　closed；　and　the　only　one　open　was　one　which



led　into　the　Via　Sacra。　Then　in　utter　perplexity　he　returned　to　the



palace。　The　rumour　that　he　had　renounced　the　Imperial　dignity　had



preceded　him　thither；　and　Flavius　Sabinus　had　sent　written　orders　to



the　tribunes　of　the　cohorts　to　keep　their　soldiers　under　restraint。



　　Then；　as　if　the　whole　State　had　passed　into　the　hands　of



Vespasian；　the　leading　men　of　the　Senate；　many　of　the　Equestrian



order；　with　all　the　city　soldiery　and　the　watch；　thronged　the　dwelling



of　Sabinus。　Intelligence　was　there　brought　to　him　of　the　enthusiasm　of



the　populace　and　of　the　threatening　attitude　of　the　German　cohorts。　He



had　now　gone　too　far　to　be　able　to　retreat；　and　every　one；　fearing　for



himself；　should　the　Vitellianists　come　upon　them　while　they　were



scattered　and　comparatively　weak；　urged　him；　in　spite　of　his



reluctance；　to　hostilities。　As　usually　happens；　however；　in　such



cases；　all　gave　the　advice；　but　few　shared　the　risk。　The　armed　retinue



which　was　escorting　Sabinus　was　met；　as　it　was　coming　down　by　the　Lake



Fundanus；　by　some　of　the　most　determined　of　the　Vitellianists。　From



this　unforeseen　collision　resulted　an　encounter　slight　indeed；　but



terminating　favourably　for　the　Vitellianists。　In　the　hurry　of　the



moment　Sabinus　adopted　the　safest　course　open　to　him；　and　occupied　the



Capitol　with　a　miscellaneous　body　of　soldiery；　and　some　Senators　and



Knights。　It　is　not　easy　to　give　the　names　of　these　persons；　since



after　the　triumph　of　Vespasian　many　pretended　to　have　rendered　this



service　to　his　party。　There　were　even　women　who　braved　the　dangers



of　the　siege；　the　most　conspicuous　among　them　being　Verulana　Gratilla；



who　was　taken　thither；　not　by　the　love　of　children　or　kindred；　but



by　the　fascination　of　war。　The　Vitellianists　kept　but　a　careless　watch



over　the　besieged；　and　thus　at　the　dead　of　night　Sabinus　was　able　to



bring　into　the　Capitol　his　own　children　and　Domitian　his　brother's



son；　and　to　send　by　an　unguarded　route　a　messenger　to　the　generals



of　the　Flavianist　party；　with　information　that　they　were　besieged；　and



that；　unless　succour　arrived；　they　must　be　reduced　to　distress。　The



night　passed　so　quietly　that　he　might　have　quitted　the　place　without



loss；　for；　brave　as　were　the　soldiers　of　Vitellius　in　encountering



danger；　they　were　far　from　attentive　to　the　laborious　duties　of



watching。　Besides　this；　the　sudden　fall　of　a　winter　storm　baffled　both



sight　and　hearing。



　　At　dawn　of　day；　before　either　side　commenced　hostilities；　Sabinus



sent　Cornelius　Martialis；　a　centurion　of　the