histories-第54章

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The　savage　temper　of　Nero　amused　itself　under　these　forms；　and　I　found



the　friendship　of　such　a　Prince　as　harassing　as　others　found　their



exile。　Finally；　Helvidius　may　rival　the　Catos　and　the　Bruti　of　old



in　constancy　and　courage；　I　am　but　one　of　the　Senate　which　bows　to　the



same　yoke。　Besides；　I　would　advise　Priscus　not　to　climb　higher　than



the　throne；　or　to　impose　his　counsels　on　Vespasian；　an　old　man；　who



has　won　the　honours　of　a　triumph；　and　has　two　sons　grown　to　manhood。



For　as　the　worst　Emperors　love　an　unlimited　despotism；　so　the



noblest　like　some　check　on　liberty。〃　These　speeches；　which　were



delivered　with　much　vehemence　on　both　sides；　were　heard　with　much



diversity　of　feeling。　That　party　prevailed　which　preferred　that　the



envoys　should　be　taken　by　lot；　as　even　the　neutral　section　in　the



Senate　exerted　themselves　to　retain　the　old　practice；　while　the　more



conspicuous　members　inclined　to　the　same　view；　dreading　jealousy；



should　the　choice　fall　on　themselves。



　　Another　struggle　ensued。　The　praetors　of　the　Treasury　（the



Treasury　was　at　this　time　managed　by　praetors）　complained　of　the



poverty　of　the　State；　and　demanded　a　retrenchment　of　expenditure。



The　Consul　elect；　considering　how　great　was　the　evil　and　how　difficult



the　remedy；　was　for　reserving　the　matter　for　the　Emperor。　Helvidius



gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　measures　should　be　taken　at　the　discretion



of　the　Senate。　When　the　Consuls　came　to　take　the　votes；　Vulcatius



Tertullinus；　tribune　of　the　people；　put　his　veto　on　any　resolution



being　adopted　in　so　important　a　matter　in　the　absence　of　the



Emperor。　Helvidius　had　moved　that　the　Capitol　should　be　restored　at



the　public　expense；　and　that　Vespasian　should　give　his　aid。　All　the



more　moderate　of　the　Senators　let　this　opinion　pass　in　silence；　and　in



time　forgot　it；　but　there　were　some　who　remembered　it。



　　Musonius　Rufus　then　made　a　violent　attack　on　Publius　Celer；　accusing



him　of　having　brought　about　the　destruction　of　Barea　Soranus　by



perjury。　By　this　impeachment　all　the　hatreds　of　the　days　of　the



informers　seemed　to　be　revived；　but　the　accused　person　was　so



worthless　and　so　guilty　that　he　could　not　be　protected。　For　indeed　the



memory　of　Soranus　was　held　in　reverence；　Celer　had　been　a　professor　of



philosophy；　and　had　then　given　evidence　against　Barea；　thus



betraying　and　profaning　the　friendship　of　which　he　claimed　to　be　a



teacher。　The　next　day　was　fixed　for　the　trial。　But　it　was　not　of



Musonius　or　Publius；　it　was　of　Priscus；　of　Marcellus；　and　his



brother　informers；　that　men　were　thinking；　now　that　their　hearts



were　once　roused　to　vengeance。



　　While　things　were　in　this　state；　while　there　was　division　in　the



Senate；　resentment　among　the　conquered；　no　real　authority　in　the



conquerors；　and　in　the　country　at　large　no　laws　and　no　Emperor；



Mucianus　entered　the　capital；　and　at　once　drew　all　power　into　his



own　hands。　The　influence　of　Primus　Antonius　and　Varus　Arrius　was



destroyed；　for　the　irritation　of　Mucianus　against　them；　though　not



revealed　in　his　looks；　was　but　ill…concealed；　and　the　country；　keen　to



discover　such　dislikes；　had　changed　its　tone　and　transferred　its



homage。　He　alone　was　canvassed　and　courted；　and　he；　surrounding



himself　with　armed　men；　and　bargaining　for　palaces　and　gardens；　ceased



not；　what　with　his　magnificence；　his　proud　bearing；　and　his　guards；　to



grasp　at　the　power；　while　he　waived　the　titles　of　Empire。　The　murder



of　Calpurnius　Galerianus　caused　the　utmost　consternation。　He　was　a　son



of　Caius　Piso；　and　had　done　nothing；　but　a　noble　name　and　his　own



youthful　beauty　made　him　the　theme　of　common　talk；　and　while　the



country　was　still　unquiet　and　delighted　in　novel　topics；　there　were



persons　who　associated　him　with　idle　rumours　of　Imperial　honours。　By



order　of　Mucianus　he　was　surrounded　with　a　guard　of　soldiers。　Lest　his



execution　in　the　capital　should　excite　too　much　notice；　they　conducted



him　to　the　fortieth　milestone　from　Rome　on　the　Appian　Road；　and



there　put　him　to　death　by　opening　his　veins。　Julius　Priscus；　who　had



been　prefect　of　the　Praetorian　Guard　under　Vitellius；　killed　himself



rather　out　of　shame　than　by　compulsion。　Alfenius　Varus　survived　the



disgrace　of　his　cowardice。　Asiaticus；　who　was　only　a　freedman；



expiated　by　the　death　of　a　slave　his　evil　exercise　of　power。



　　At　this　time　the　country　was　hearing　with　anything　but　sorrow



rumours　that　daily　gained　strength　of　disasters　in　Germany。　Men



began　to　speak　of　slaughtered　armies；　of　captured　encampments；　of　Gaul



in　revolt；　as　if　such　things　were　not　calamities。　Beginning　at　an



earlier　period　I　will　discuss　the　causes　in　which　this　war　had　its



origin；　and　the　extent　of　the　movements　which　it　kindled　among



independent　and　allied　nations。



　　The　Batavians；　while　they　dwelt　on　the　other　side　of　the　Rhine；



formed　a　part　of　the　tribe　of　the　Chatti。　Driven　out　by　a　domestic



revolution；　they　took　possession　of　an　uninhabited　district　on　the



extremity　of　the　coast　of　Gaul；　and　also　of　a　neighbouring　island；



surrounded　by　the　ocean　in　front；　and　by　the　river　Rhine　in　the　rear



and　on　either　side。　Not　weakened　by　the　power　of　Rome　or　by　alliance



with　a　people　stronger　than　themselves；　they　furnished　to　the　Empire



nothing　but　men　and　arms。　They　had　had　a　long　training　in　the　German



wars；　and　they　had　gained　further　renown　in　Britain；　to　which



country　their　cohorts　had　been　transferred；　commanded；　according　to



ancient　custom；　by　the　noblest　men　in　the　nation。　They　had　also　at



home　a　select　body　of　cavalry；　who　practised　with　special　devotion　the



art　of　swimming；　so　that　they　could　stem　the　stream　of　the　Rhine



with　their　arms　and　horses；　without　breaking　the　order　of　their



squadrons。



　　Julius　Paullus　and　Claudius　Civilis；　scions　of　the　royal　family；



ranked　very　high　above　the　rest　of　their　nation。　Paullus　was



executed　by　Fonteius　Capito　on　a　false　charge　of　rebellion。　Civilis



was　put　in　chains　and　sent　to　Nero；　and；　though　acquitted　by　Galba；



again　stood　in　peril　of　his　life　in　the　time　of　Vitellius；　when　the



army　clamoured　for　his　execution。　Here　were　causes　of　deep　offence；



hence　arose　hopes　built　on　our　disasters。　Civilis；　however；　was



naturally　politic　to　a　degree　rarely　found　among　barbarians。　He　was



wont　to　represent　himself　as　Sertorius　or　Hannibal；　on　the　strength　of



a　similar　disfigurement　of　his　countenance。　To　avoid　the　opposition



which　he　would　encounter　as　a　public　enemy；　were　he　openly　to　revolt



from　Rome；　he　affected　a　friendship　for　Vespasian　and　a　zealous



attachment　to　his　party；　and　indeed　a　letter　had　been　despatched　to



him　by　Primus　Antonius；　in　which　he　was　directed　to　divert　the



reinforcements　which　Vitellius　had　called　up；　and　to　keep　the



legions　where　they　were　by　the　feint　of　an　outbreak　in　Germany。　The



same　policy　was　suggested　by　Hordeonius　in　person；　he　had　a　bias



towards　Vespasian；　and　feared　for　the　Empire；　the　utter　ruin　of



which　would　be　very　near；　were　a　fresh　war　with　so　many　thousands　of



armed　men　to　burst　upon　Italy。



　　Civilis；　who　was　resolved　on　rebellion；　and　intended；　while



concealing　his　ulterior　designs；　to　reveal　his　other　plans　as　occasion



presented　itself；　set　about　the　work　of　revolution　in　this　way。　By



command　of　Vitellius　all　the　Batavian　youth　was　then　being　summoned　to



the　conscription；　a　thing　naturally　vexatious；　and　which　the　officials



made　yet　more　burdensome　by　their　rapacity　and　profligacy；　while



they　selected　aged　and　infirm　persons；　whom　they　might　discharge　for　a



consideration；　and　mere　striplings；　but　of　distinguished　beauty　（and



many　attained　even　in　boyhood　to　a　noble　stature）；　whom　they　dragged



off　for　infamous　purposes。　This　caused　indignation；　and　the



ringleaders　of　the　concerted　rebellion　prevailed　upon　the　people　to



refuse　the　c