histories-第52章

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



desperately　wounded；　breathed　their　last　on　the　towers　and　ramparts。



When　the　gates　were　torn　down；　the　survivors　threw　themselves　in　a



body　on　the　conquerors；　and　fell　to　a　man；　with　their　wounds　in



front　and　their　faces　turned　towards　the　foe；　so　anxious　were　they



even　in　their　last　hours　to　die　with　honour。　When　the　city　had　been



taken；　Vitellius　caused　himself　to　be　carried　in　a　litter　through



the　back　of　the　palace　to　the　Aventine；　to　his　wife's　dwelling；



intending；　if　by　any　concealment　he　could　escape　for　that　day；　to　make



his　way　to　his　brother's　cohorts　at　Tarracina。　Then；　with



characteristic　weakness；　and　following　the　instincts　of　fear；　which；



dreading　everything；　shrinks　most　from　what　is　immediately　before



it；　he　retraced　his　steps　to　the　desolate　and　forsaken　palace；



whence　even　the　meanest　slaves　had　fled；　or　where　they　avoided　his



presence。　The　solitude　and　silence　of　the　place　scared　him；　he　tried



the　closed　doors；　he　shuddered　in　the　empty　chambers；　till；　wearied



out　with　his　miserable　wanderings；　he　concealed　himself　in　an　unseemly



hiding…place；　from　which　he　was　dragged　out　by　the　tribune　Julius



Placidus。　His　hands　were　bound　behind　his　back；　and　he　was　led　along



with　tattered　robes；　a　revolting　spectacle；　amidst　the　invectives　of



many；　the　tears　of　none。　The　degradation　of　his　end　had　extinguished



all　pity。　One　of　the　German　soldiers　met　the　party；　and　aimed　a　deadly



blow　at　Vitellius；　perhaps　in　anger；　perhaps　wishing　to　release　him



the　sooner　from　insult。　Possibly　the　blow　was　meant　for　the　tribune。



He　struck　off　that　officer's　ear；　and　was　immediately　dispatched。



　　Vitellius；　compelled　by　threatening　swords；　first　to　raise　his



face　and　offer　it　to　insulting　blows；　then　to　behold　his　own　statues



falling　round　him；　and　more　than　once　to　look　at　the　Rostra　and　the



spot　where　Galba　was　slain；　was　then　driven　along　till　they　reached



the　Gemoniae；　the　place　where　the　corpse　of　Flavius　Sabinus　had



lain。　One　speech　was　heard　from　him　shewing　a　spirit　not　utterly



degraded；　when　to　the　insults　of　a　tribune　he　answered；　〃Yet　I　was



your　Emperor。〃　Then　he　fell　under　a　shower　of　blows；　and　the　mob



reviled　the　dead　man　with　the　same　heartlessness　with　which　they　had



flattered　him　when　he　was　alive。



　　Luceria　was　his　native　place。　He　had　nearly　completed　his　57th　year。



His　consulate；　his　priesthood；　his　high　reputation；　his　place　among



the　first　men　of　the　State；　he　owed；　not　to　any　energy　of　his　own；　but



to　the　renown　of　his　father。　The　throne　was　offered　him　by　men　who　did



not　know　him。　Seldom　have　the　affections　of　the　army　attached



themselves　to　any　man　who　sought　to　gain　them　by　his　virtues　as　firmly



as　they　did　to　him　from　the　indolence　of　his　character。　Yet　he　had　a



certain　frankness　and　generosity；　qualities　indeed　which　turn　to　a



man's　ruin；　unless　tempered　with　discretion。　Believing　that　friendship



may　be　retained　by　munificent　gifts　rather　than　by　consistency　of



character；　he　deserved　more　of　it　than　he　secured。　Doubtless　it　was



good　for　the　State　that　Vitellius　should　be　overthrown；　but　they　who



betrayed　Vitellius　to　Vespasian　cannot　make　a　merit　of　their



treachery；　since　they　had　themselves　revolted　from　Galba。　The　day



was　now　fast　drawing　to　a　close；　and　the　Senate　could　not　be　convened；



owing　to　the　panic　of　the　magistrates　and　Senators；　who　had　stolen　out



of　the　city；　or　were　concealing　themselves　in　the　houses　of



dependants。　When　nothing　more　was　to　be　feared　from　the　enemy；



Domitian　came　forward　to　meet　the　leaders　of　the　party；　he　was



universally　saluted　by　the　title　of　Caesar；　and　the　troops；　in　great



numbers；　armed　as　they　were；　conducted　him　to　his　father's　house。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　IV；　January　…　November；　A。D。　70







　　WHEN　Vitellius　was　dead；　the　war　had　indeed　come　to　an　end；　but



peace　had　yet　to　begin。　Sword　in　hand；　throughout　the　capital；　the



conquerors　hunted　down　the　conquered　with　merciless　hatred。　The



streets　were　choked　with　carnage；　the　squares　and　temples　reeked



with　blood；　for　men　were　massacred　everywhere　as　chance　threw　them



in　the　way。　Soon；　as　their　license　increased；　they　began　to　search　for



and　drag　forth　hidden　foes。　Whenever　they　saw　a　man　tall　and　young



they　cut　him　down；　making　no　distinction　between　soldiers　and



civilians。　But　the　ferocity；　which　in　the　first　impulse　of　hatred



could　be　gratified　only　by　blood；　soon　passed　into　the　greed　of



gain。　They　let　nothing　be　kept　secret；　nothing　be　closed；



Vitellianists；　they　pretended；　might　be　thus　concealed。　Here　was　the



first　step　to　breaking　open　private　houses；　here；　if　resistance　were



made；　a　pretext　for　slaughter。　The　most　needy　of　the　populace　and



the　most　worthless　of　the　slaves　did　not　fail　to　come　forward　and



betray　their　wealthy　masters；　others　were　denounced　by　friends。



Everywhere　were　lamentations；　and　wailings；　and　all　the　miseries　of



a　captured　city；　till　the　license　of　the　Vitellianist　and



Othonianist　soldiery；　once　so　odious；　was　remembered　with　regret。



The　leaders　of　the　party；　so　energetic　in　kindling　civil　strife；



were　incapable　of　checking　the　abuse　of　victory。　In　stirring　up　tumult



and　strife　the　worst　men　can　do　the　most；　but　peace　and　quiet　cannot



be　established　without　virtue。



　　Domitian　had　entered　into　possession　of　the　title　and　residence　of



Caesar；　but　not　yet　applying　himself　to　business；　was　playing　the　part



of　a　son　of　the　throne　with　debauchery　and　intrigue。　The　office　of



prefect　of　the　Praetorian　Guard　was　held　by　Arrius　Varus；　but　the



supreme　power　was　in　the　hands　of　Primus　Antonius；　who　carried　off



money　and　slaves　from　the　establishment　of　the　Emperor；　as　if　they



were　the　spoils　of　Cremona。　The　other　generals；　whose　moderation　or



insignificance　had　shut　them　out　from　distinction　in　the　war；　had



accordingly　no　share　in　its　prizes。　The　country；　terror…stricken　and



ready　to　acquiesce　in　servitude；　urgently　demanded　that　Lucius



Vitellius　with　his　cohorts　should　be　intercepted　on　his　way　from



Tarracina；　and　that　the　last　sparks　of　war　should　be　trodden　out。



The　cavalry　were　sent　on　to　Aricia；　the　main　body　of　the　legions



halted　on　this　side　of　Bovillae。　Without　hesitation　Vitellius



surrendered　himself　and　his　cohorts　to　the　discretion　of　the



conqueror；　and　the　soldiers　threw　down　their　ill…starred　arms　in



rage　quite　as　much　as　in　alarm。　The　long　train　of　prisoners；　closely



guarded　by　armed　men；　passed　through　the　capital。　Not　one　of　them　wore



the　look　of　a　suppliant；　sullen　and　savage；　they　were　unmoved　by　the



shouts　and　jests　of　the　insulting　rabble。　A　few；　who　ventured　to　break



away；　were　overpowered　by　the　force　that　hemmed　them　in；　the　rest　were



thrown　into　prison。　Not　one　of　them　uttered　an　unworthy　word；　even



in　disaster　the　honour　of　the　soldier　was　preserved。　After　this　Lucius



Vitellius　was　executed。　Equally　vicious　with　his　brother；　he　had　yet



shewn　greater　vigilance　during　that　brother's　reign；　and　may　be



said；　not　so　much　to　have　shared　his　elevation；　as　to　have　been



dragged　down　by　his　fall。



　　About　the　same　time　Lucilius　Bassus　was　sent　with　some　light　cavalry



to　establish　order　in　Campania；　where　the　towns　were　still



disturbed；　but　by　mutual　animosities　rather　than　by　any　spirit　of



opposition　to　the　new　Emperor。　The　sight　of　the　soldiery　restored



quiet；　and　the　smaller　colonies　escaped　unpunished。　At　Capua；　however；



the　third　legion　was　stationed　to　pass　the　winter；　and　the　noble



families　suffered　severely。　Tarracina；　on　the　other　hand；　received



no　relief；　so　much　more　inclined　are　we　to　requite　an　injury　than　an



obligation。　Gratitude　is　a　burden；　while　there　seems　to　be　a　profit　in



revenge。　They　were　consoled　by　seeing　the　slave　of　Verginius　Capito；



w