histories-第49章

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sent　Cornelius　Martialis；　a　centurion　of　the　first　rank；　to　Vitellius；



with　instructions　to　complain　of　the　infraction　of　the　stipulated



terms。　〃There　has　evidently；〃　he　said；　〃been　a　mere　show　and



pretence　of　abdicating　the　Empire；　with　the　view　of　deceiving　a　number



of　distinguished　men。　If　not；　why；　when　leaving　the　Rostra；　had　he



gone　to　the　house　of　his　brother；　looking　as　it　did　over　the　Forum；



and　certain　to　provoke　the　gaze　of　the　multitude；　rather　than　to　the



Aventine；　and　the　family　house　of　his　wife？　This　would　have　befitted　a



private　individual　anxious　to　shun　all　appearance　of　Imperial　power。



But　on　the　contrary；　Vitellius　retraced　his　steps　to　the　palace；　the



very　stronghold　of　Empire；　thence　issued　a　band　of　armed　men。　One　of



the　most　frequented　parts　of　the　city　was　strewed　with　the　corpses



of　innocent　persons。　The　Capitol　itself　had　not　been　spared。　〃I；〃　said



Sabinus；　〃was　only　a　civilian　and　a　member　of　the　Senate；　while　the



rivalry　of　Vitellius　and　Vespasian　was　being　settled　by　conflicts



between　legions；　by　the　capture　of　cities；　by　the　capitulation　of



cohorts；　with　Spain；　Germany；　and　Britain　in　revolt；　the　brother　of



Vespasian　still　remained　firm　to　his　allegiance；　till　actually　invited



to　discuss　terms　of　agreement。　Peace　and　harmony　bring　advantage　to



the　conquered；　but　only　credit　to　the　conqueror。　If　you　repent　of　your



compact；　it　is　not　against　me；　whom　you　treacherously　deceived；　that



you　must　draw　the　sword；　nor　is　it　against　the　son　of　Vespasian；　who



is　yet　of　tender　age。　What　would　be　gained　by　the　slaughter　of　one　old



man　and　one　stripling？　You　should　go　and　meet　the　legions；　and　fight



there　for　Empire；　everything　else　will　follow　the　issue　of　that



struggle。〃　To　these　representations　the　embarrassed　Vitellius　answered



a　few　words　in　his　own　exculpation；　throwing　all　the　blame　upon　the



soldiers；　with　whose　excessive　zeal　his　moderation　was；　he　said；



unable　to　cope。　He　advised　Martialis　to　depart　unobserved　through　a



concealed　part　of　the　palace；　lest　he　should　be　killed　by　the



soldiers；　as　the　negotiator　of　this　abhorred　convention。　Vitellius　had



not　now　the　power　either　to　command　or　to　forbid。　He　was　no　longer



Emperor；　he　was　merely　the　cause　of　war。



　　Martialis　had　hardly　returned　to　the　Capitol；　when　the　infuriated



soldiery　arrived；　without　any　leader；　every　man　acting　on　his　own



impulse。　They　hurried　at　quick　march　past　the　Forum　and　the　temples



which　hang　over　it；　and　advanced　their　line　up　the　opposite　hill　as



far　as　the　outer　gates　of　the　Capitol。　There　were　formerly　certain



colonnades　on　the　right　side　of　the　slope　as　one　went　up；　the



defenders；　issuing　forth　on　the　roof　of　these　buildings；　showered



tiles　and　stones　on　the　Vitellianists。　The　assailants　were　not　armed



with　anything　but　swords；　and　it　seemed　too　tedious　to　send　for



machines　and　missiles。　They　threw　lighted　brands　on　a　projecting



colonnade；　and　following　the　track　of　the　fire　would　have　burst



through　the　half…burnt　gates　of　the　Capitol；　had　not　Sabinus；



tearing　down　on　all　sides　the　statues；　the　glories　of　former



generations；　formed　them　into　a　barricade　across　the　opening。　They



then　assailed　the　opposite　approaches　to　the　Capitol；　near　the　grove



of　the　Asylum；　and　where　the　Tarpeian　rock　is　mounted　by　a　hundred



steps。　Both　these　attacks　were　unexpected；　the　closer　and　fiercer　of



the　two　threatened　the　Asylum。　The　assailants　could　not　be　checked



as　they　mounted　the　continuous　line　of　buildings；　which；　as　was



natural　in　a　time　of　profound　peace；　had　grown　up　to　such　a　height



as　to　be　on　a　level　with　the　soil　of　the　Capitol。　A　doubt　arises　at



this　point；　whether　it　was　the　assailants　who　threw　lighted　brands



on　to　the　roofs；　or　whether；　as　the　more　general　account　has　it；　the



besieged　thus　sought　to　repel　the　assailants；　who　were　now　making



vigorous　progress。　From　them　the　fire　passed　to　the　colonnades



adjoining　the　temples；　the　eagles　supporting　the　pediment；　which



were　of　old　timber；　caught　the　flames。　And　so　the　Capitol；　with　its



gates　shut；　neither　defended　by　friends；　nor　spoiled　by　a　foe；　was



burnt　to　the　ground。



　　This　was　the　most　deplorable　and　disgraceful　event　that　had　happened



to　the　Commonwealth　of　Rome　since　the　foundation　of　the　city；　for　now；



assailed　by　no　foreign　enemy；　with　Heaven　ready　to　be　propitious；



had　our　vices　only　allowed；　the　seat　of　Jupiter　Supremely　Good　and



Great；　founded　by　our　ancestors　with　solemn　auspices　to　be　the



pledge　of　Empire；　the　seat；　which　neither　Porsenna；　when　the　city



was　surrendered；　nor　the　Gauls；　when　it　was　captured；　had　been　able　to



violate；　was　destroyed　by　the　madness　of　our　Emperors。　Once　before



indeed　during　civil　war　the　Capitol　had　been　consumed　by　fire；　but



then　only　through　the　crime　of　individuals；　now　it　was　openly



besieged；　and　openly　set　on　fire。　And　what　were　the　motives　of　this



conflict？　what　the　compensation　for　so　great　a　disaster？　was　it　for



our　country　we　were　fighting？　King　Tarquinius　Priscus　had　vowed　its



erection　in　his　war　with　the　Sabines；　and　had　laid　the　foundations



on　a　scale　which　suited　the　hopes　of　future　greatness　rather　than　what



the　yet　moderate　resources　of　Rome　could　achieve。　After　him；　Servius



Tullius；　heartily　assisted　by　the　allies；　and　Tarquinius　Superbus；



employing　the　spoils　of　war　from　the　conquered　Suessa　Pometia；



raised　the　superstructure。　But　the　glory　of　its　completion　was



reserved　for　the　days　of　liberty。　After　the　expulsion　of　the　Kings；



Horatius　Pulvillus；　in　his　second　consulate；　dedicated　it；　a



building　so　magnificent；　that　the　vast　wealth　afterwards　acquired　by



the　people　of　Rome　served　to　embellish　rather　than　increase　it。　It　was



rebuilt　on　the　same　site；　when；　after　an　interval　of　415　years；　it　was



burnt　to　the　ground　in　the　consulate　of　Lucius　Scipio　and　Caius



Norbanus。　Sulla；　after　his　final　triumph；　undertook　the　charge　of



restoring　it；　but　did　not　live　to　dedicate　it；　the　one　thing　denied　to



his　uniform　good　fortune。　The　name　of　Lutatius　Catulus；　the　dedicator；



remained　among　all　the　vast　erections　of　the　Emperors；　down　to　the



days　of　Vitellius。　This　was　the　building　that　was　now　on　fire。



　　The　catastrophe；　however；　caused　more　panic　among　the　besieged



than　among　the　besiegers。　In　fact；　the　troops　of　Vitellius　lacked



neither　skill　nor　courage　in　the　midst　of　peril。　Opposed　to　them



were　soldiers　without　self…possession；　and　a　spiritless　and；　so　to



speak；　infatuated　commander；　who　had　not　the　use　of　his　tongue　or



his　ears；　who　would　not　be　guided　by　other　men's　counsels；　and　could



not　carry　out　his　own；　who；　hurried　to　and　fro　by　the　shouts　of　the



enemy；　forbade　what　he　had　just　ordered；　and　ordered　what　he　had



just　forbidden。　Then；　as　usually　happens　when　everything　is　lost；



all　gave　orders；　and　no　one　obeyed。　At　last；　they　threw　away　their



arms；　and　began　to　look　about　for　ways　of　escape　and　means　of



concealment。　The　Vitellianists　burst　in；　carrying　everywhere　with



indiscriminate　ferocity　the　firebrand　and　the　sword。　A　few　of　the



military　men；　among　whom　the　most　conspicuous　were　Cornelius



Martialis；　Aemilius　Pacensis；　Casperius　Niger；　and　Didius　Sceva；



ventured　to　resist；　and　were　cut　down。　Flavius　Sabinus；　who　was



unarmed；　and　who　did　not　attempt　to　fly；　was　surrounded；　and　with



him　the　consul　Quinctius　Atticus；　marked　out　by　his　clinging　to　the



shadow　of　office；　and　by　his　folly　in　having　scattered　among　the



people　edicts　highly　eulogistic　of　Vespasian　and　insulting　to



Vitellius。　The　rest　escaped　by　various　chances；　some　disguised　as



slaves；　others　concealed　by　the　fidelity　of　dependants；　and　hiding



among　the　baggage。　Some　caught　the　watchword　by　which　the



Vitellianists　recognised　each　other；　and；　themselves　challenging



others　and　giving　it　when　chall