histories-第51章

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the　report　of　the　siege　of　the　Capitol　put　all　alike　on　the　alert。



　　Antonius　marched　by　the　Via　Flaminia；　and　arrived　at　Saxa　Rubra；



when　the　night　was　far　spent；　too　late　to　give　any　help。　There　he



received　nothing　but　gloomy　intelligence；　that　Sabinus　was　dead；



that　the　Capitol　had　been　burnt　to　the　ground；　that　Rome　was　in



consternation；　and　also　that　the　populace　and　the　slaves　were　arming



themselves　for　Vitellius。　And　Petilius　Cerialis　had　been　defeated　in　a



cavalry　skirmish。　While　he　was　hurrying　on　without　caution；　as　against



a　vanquished　enemy；　the　Vitellianists；　who　had　disposed　some



infantry　among　their　cavalry；　met　him。　The　conflict　took　place　not　far



from　the　city　among　buildings；　gardens；　and　winding　lanes；　which



were　well　known　to　the　Vitellianists；　but　disconcerting　to　their



opponents；　to　whom　they　were　strange。　Nor　indeed　were　all　the



cavalry　one　in　heart；　for　there　were　with　them　some　who　had　lately



capitulated　at　Narnia；　and　who　were　anxiously　watching　the　fortunes　of



the　rival　parties。　Tullius　Flavianus；　commanding　a　squadron；　was　taken



prisoner；　the　rest　fled　in　disgraceful　confusion；　but　the　victors



did　not　continue　the　pursuit　beyond　Fidenae。



　　By　this　success　the　zeal　of　the　people　was　increased。　The　mob　of　the



city　armed　itself。　Some　few　had　military　shields；　the　greater　part



seized　such　arms　as　came　to　hand；　and　loudly　demanded　the　signal　of



battle。　Vitellius　expressed　his　thanks　to　them；　and　bade　them　sally



forth　to　defend　the　capital。　Then　the　Senate　was　called　together；



and　envoys　were　selected　to　meet　the　armies　and　urge　them　in　the



name　of　the　Commonwealth　to　union　and　peace。　The　reception　of　these



envoys　was　not　everywhere　the　same。　Those　who　fell　in　with　Petilius



Cerialis　were　exposed　to　extreme　peril；　for　the　troops　disdained　all



offers　of　peace。　The　praetor　Arulenus　Rusticus　was　wounded。　This



deed　seemed　all　the　more　atrocious；　when；　over　and　above　the　insult



offered　to　the　dignity　of　the　envoy　and　praetor；　men　considered　the



private　worth　of　the　man。　His　companions　were　dispersed；　and　the



lictor　that　stood　next　to　him；　venturing　to　push　aside　the　crowd；



was　killed。　Had　they　not　been　protected　by　an　escort　provided　by　the



general；　the　dignity　of　the　ambassador；　respected　even　by　foreign



nations；　would　have　been　profaned　with　fatal　violence　by　the　madness



of　Roman　citizens　before　the　very　walls　of　their　Country。　The　envoys



who　met　Antonious　were　more　favourably　received；　not　because　the



troops　were　of　quieter　temper；　but　because　the　general　had　more



authority。



　　One　Musonius　Rufus；　a　man　of　equestrian　rank；　strongly　attached　to



the　pursuit　of　philosophy　and　to　the　tenets　of　the　Stoics；　had



joined　the　envoys。　He　mingled　with　the　troops；　and；　enlarging　on　the



blessings　of　peace　and　the　perils　of　war；　began　to　admonish　the



armed　crowd。　Many　thought　it　ridiculous；　more　thought　it　tiresome；



some　were　ready　to　throw　him　down　and　trample　him　under　foot；　had　he



not　yielded　to　the　warnings　of　the　more　orderly　and　the　threats　of



others；　and　ceased　to　display　his　ill…timed　wisdom。　The　Vestal　virgins



also　presented　themselves　with　a　letter　from　Vitellius　to　Antonius。　He



asked　for　one　day　of　truce　before　the　final　struggle；　and　said；　that



if　they　would　permit　some　delay　to　intervene；　everything　might　be　more



easily　arranged。　The　sacred　virgins　were　sent　back　with　honour；　but



the　answer　returned　to　Vitellius　was；　that　all　ordinary　intercourse　of



war　had　been　broken　off　by　the　murder　of　Sabinus　and　the　conflagration



of　the　Capitol。



　　Antonius；　however；　summoned　the　legions　to　an　assembly；　and



endeavoured　to　calm　them；　proposing　that　they　should　encamp　near　the



Mulvian　bridge；　and　enter　the　capital　on　the　following　day。　His　reason



for　delay　was　the　fear　that　the　soldiers；　once　exasperated　by



conflict；　would　respect　neither　the　people　nor　the　Senate；　nor　even



the　shrines　and　temples　of　the　Gods。　They；　however；　looked　with



dislike　on　all　procrastination　as　inimical　to　victory。　At　the　same



time　the　colours　that　glittered　among　the　hills；　though　followed　by　an



unwarlike　population；　presented　the　appearance　of　a　hostile　array。



They　advanced　in　three　divisions；　one　column　straight　from　where



they　had　halted　along　the　Via　Flaminia；　another　along　the　bank　of



the　Tiber；　a　third　moved　on　the　Colline　Gate　by　the　Via　Salaria。　The



mob　was　routed　by　a　charge　of　the　cavalry。　Then　the　Vitellianist



troops；　themselves　also　drawn　up　in　three　columns　of　defence；　met



the　foe。　Numerous　engagements　with　various　issue　took　place　before　the



walls；　but　they　generally　ended　in　favour　of　the　Flavianists；　who



had　the　advantage　of　more　skilful　generalship。　Only　that　division



suffered　which　had　wound　its　way　along　narrow　and　slippery　roads　to



the　left　quarter　of　the　city　as　far　as　the　gardens　of　Sallust。　The



Vitellianists；　taking　their　stand　on　the　garden…walls；　kept　off　the



assailants　with　stones　and　javelins　till　late　in　the　day；　when　they



were　taken　in　the　rear　by　the　cavalry；　which　had　then　forced　an



entrance　by　the　Colline　Gate。　In　the　Campus　Martius　also　the　hostile



armies　met；　the　Flavianists　with　all　the　prestige　of　fortune　and



repeated　victory；　the　Vitellianists　rushing　on　in　sheer　despair。



Though　defeated；　they　rallied　again　in　the　city。



　　The　populace　stood　by　and　watched　the　combatants；　and；　as　though



it　had　been　a　mimic　conflict；　encouraged　first　one　party　and　then



the　other　by　their　shouts　and　plaudits。　Whenever　either　side　gave　way；



they　cried　out　that　those　who　concealed　themselves　in　the　shops；　or



took　refuge　in　any　private　house；　should　be　dragged　out　and　butchered；



and　they　secured　the　larger　share　of　the　booty；　for；　while　the



soldiers　were　busy　with　bloodshed　and　massacre；　the　spoils　fell　to　the



crowd。　It　was　a　terrible　and　hideous　sight　that　presented　itself



throughout　the　city。　Here　raged　battle　and　death；　there　the　bath　and



the　tavern　were　crowded。　In　one　spot　were　pools　of　blood　and　heaps



of　corpses；　and　close　by　prostitutes　and　men　of　character　as　infamous；



there　were　all　the　debaucheries　of　luxurious　peace；　all　the　horrors　of



a　city　most　cruelly　sacked；　till　one　was　ready　to　believe　the



Country　to　be　mad　at　once　with　rage　and　lust。　It　was　not　indeed　the



first　time　that　armed　troops　had　fought　within　the　city；　they　had　done



so　twice　when　Sulla；　once　when　Cinna　triumphed。　The　bloodshed　then　had



not　been　less；　but　now　there　was　an　unnatural　recklessness；　and



men's　pleasures　were　not　interrupted　even　for　a　moment。　As　if　it



were　a　new　delight　added　to　their　holidays；　they　exulted　in　and



enjoyed　the　scene；　indifferent　to　parties；　and　rejoicing　over　the



sufferings　of　the　Commonwealth。



　　The　most　arduous　struggle　was　the　storming　of　the　camp；　which　the



bravest　of　the　enemy　still　held　as　a　last　hope。　It　was；　therefore；



with　peculiar　energy　that　the　conquerors；　among　whom　the　veteran



cohorts　were　especially　forward；　brought　to　bear　upon　it　at　once　all



the　appliances　which　have　been　discovered　in　reducing　the　strongest



cities；　the　testudo；　the　catapult；　the　earth…work；　and　the



firebrand。　They　repeatedly　shouted　〃that　all　the　toil　and　danger



they　had　endured　in　so　many　conflicts　would　be　crowned　by　this



achievement。　The　capital　has　been　restored　to　the　Senate　and　people　of



Rome；　and　their　temples　to　the　Gods；　but　the　soldier's　peculiar



distinction　is　in　the　camp；　this　is　his　country；　and　this　his　home；



unless　this　be　recovered　forthwith；　the　night　must　be　passed　under



arms。〃　On　the　other　hand　the　Vitellianists；　though　unequal　in



numbers　and　doomed　to　defeat；　could　yet　disturb　the　victory；　delay　the



conclusion　of　peace；　and　pollute　both　hearth　and　altar　with　blood；　and



they　clung　to　these　last　consolations　of　the　vanquished。　Many；



desperately　wounded；　breath