histories-第6章

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the　troops　were　very　extensively　corrupted　and　that　it　would　be



destruction　to　oppose　them；　he　made　many　suspect　him　of　complicity。



The　rest　of　the　tribunes　and　centurions　preferred　immediate　safety



to　danger　and　duty。　Such　was　the　temper　of　men's　minds；　that；　while



there　were　few　to　venture　on　so　atrocious　a　treason；　many　wished　it



done；　and　all　were　ready　to　acquiesce。



　　Meanwhile　the　unconscious　Galba；　busy　with　his　sacrifice；　was



importuning　the　gods　of　an　empire　that　was　now　another's。　A　rumour



reached　him；　that　some　senator　unknown　was　being　hurried　into　the



camp；　before　long　it　was　affirmed　that　this　senator　was　Otho。　At　the



same　time　came　messengers　from　all　parts　of　the　city；　where　they　had



chanced　to　meet　the　procession；　some　exaggerating　the　danger；　some；



who　could　not　even　then　forget　to　flatter；　representing　it　as　less



than　the　reality。　On　deliberation　it　was　determined　to　sound　the



feeling　of　the　cohort　on　guard　in　the　palace；　but　not　through　Galba　in



person；　whose　authority　was　to　be　kept　unimpaired　to　meet　greater



emergencies。　They　were　accordingly　collected　before　the　steps　of　the



palace；　and　Piso　addressed　them　as　follows：…　〃Comrades；　this　is　the



sixth　day　since　I　became　a　Caesar　by　adoption；　not　knowing　what　was　to



happen；　whether　this　title　was　to　be　desired；　or　dreaded。　It　rests



with　you　to　determine　what　will　be　the　result　to　my　family　and　to



the　state。　It　is　not　that　I　dread　on　my　own　account　the　gloomier



issue；　for　I　have　known　adversity；　and　I　am　learning　at　this　very



moment　that　prosperity　is　fully　as　dangerous。　It　is　the　lot　of　my



father；　of　the　Senate；　of　the　Empire　itself；　that　I　deplore；　if　we



have　either　to　fall　this　day；　or　to　do　what　is　equally　abhorrent　to



the　good；　to　put　others　to　death。　In　the　late　troubles　we　had　this



consolation；　a　capital　unstained　by　bloodshed；　and　power　transferred



without　strife。　It　was　thought　that　by　my　adoption　provision　was



made　against　the　possibility　of　war；　even　after　Galba's　death。



　〃I　will　lay　no　claim　to　nobleness；　or　moderation；　for　indeed；　to



count　up　virtues　in　comparing　oneself　with　Otho　is　needless。　The



vices；　of　which　alone　he　boasts；　overthrew　the　Empire；　even　when　he



was　but　the　Emperor's　friend。　Shall　he　earn　that　Empire　now　by　his



manner　and　his　gait；　or　by　those　womanish　adornments？　They　are



deceived；　on　whom　luxury　imposes　by　its　false　show　of　liberality；　he



will　know　how　to　squander；　he　will　not　know　how　to　give。　Already　he　is



thinking　of　debaucheries；　of　revels；　of　tribes　of　mistresses。　These



things　he　holds　to　be　the　prizes　of　princely　power；　things；　in　which



the　wanton　enjoyment　will　be　for　him　alone；　the　shame　and　the　disgrace



for　all。　Never　yet　has　any　one　exercised　for　good　ends　the　power



obtained　by　crime。　The　unanimous　will　of　mankind　gave　to　Galba　the



title　of　Caesar；　and　you　consented　when　he　gave　it　to　me。　Were　the



Senate；　the　Country；　the　People；　but　empty　names；　yet；　comrades；　it　is



your　interest　that　the　most　worthless　of　men　should　not　create　an



Emperor。　We　have　occasionally　heard　of　legions　mutinying　against　their



generals；　but　your　loyalty；　your　character；　stand　unimpeached　up　to



this　time。　Even　with　Nero；　it　was　he　that　deserted　you；　not　you　that



deserted　him。　Shall　less　than　thirty　runaways　and　deserters　whom　no



one　would　allow　to　choose　a　tribune　or　centurion　for　themselves；



assign　the　Empire　at　their　pleasure？　Do　you　tolerate　the　precedent？　Do



you　by　your　inaction　make　the　crime　your　own？　This　lawless　spirit　will



pass　into　the　provinces；　and　though　we　shall　suffer　from　this　treason；



you　will　suffer　from　the　wars　that　will　follow。　Again；　no　more　is



offered　you　for　murdering　your　Prince；　than　you　will　have　if　you



shun　such　guilt。　We　shall　give　you　a　donative　for　your　loyalty；　as



surely　as　others　can　give　it　for　your　treason。〃



　　The　soldiers　of　the　body…guard　dispersed；　but　the　rest　of　the



cohort；　who　shewed　no　disrespect　to　the　speaker；　displayed　their



standards；　acting；　as　often　happens　in　a　disturbance；　on　mere



impulse　and　without　any　settled　plan；　rather　than；　as　was　afterwards



believed；　with　treachery　and　an　intention　to　deceive。　Celsus　Marius



was　sent　to　the　picked　troops　from　the　army　of　Illyricum；　then



encamped　in　the　Portico　of　Vipsanius。　Instructions　were　also　given



to　Amulius　Serenus　and　Quintius　Sabinus；　centurions　of　the　first　rank；



to　bring　up　the　German　soldiers　from　the　Hall　of　Liberty。　No



confidence　was　placed　in　the　legion　levied　from　the　fleet；　which　had



been　enraged　by　the　massacre　of　their　comrades；　whom　Galba　had



slaughtered　immediately　on　his　entry　into　the　capital。　Meanwhile



Cetrius　Severus；　Subrius　Dexter；　and　Pompeius　Longinus；　all　three



military　tribunes；　proceeded　to　the　Praetorian　camp；　in　the　hope



that　a　sedition；　which　was　but　just　commencing；　and　not　yet　fully



matured；　might　be　swayed　by　better　counsels。　Two　of　these　tribunes；



Subrius　and　Cetrius；　the　soldiers　assailed　with　menaces；　Longinus　they



seized　and　disarmed；　it　was　not　his　rank　as　an　officer；　but　his



friendship　with　Galba；　that　bound　him　to　that　Prince；　and　roused　a



stronger　suspicion　in　the　mutineers。　The　legion　levied　from　the



fleet　joined　the　Praetorians　without　any　hesitation。　The　Illyrian



detachments　drove　Celsus　away　with　a　shower　of　javelins。　The　German



veterans　wavered　long。　Their　frames　were　still　enfeebled　by



sickness；　and　their　minds　were　favourably　disposed　towards　Galba；　who；



finding　them　exhausted　by　their　long　return　voyage　from　Alexandria；



whither　they　had　been　sent　on　by　Nero；　had　supplied　their　wants　with　a



most　unsparing　attention。



　　The　whole　populace　and　the　slaves　with　them　were　now　crowding　the



palace；　clamouring　with　discordant　shouts　for　the　death　of　Otho　and



the　destruction　of　the　conspirators；　just　as　if　they　were　demanding



some　spectacle　in　the　circus　or　amphitheatre。　They　had　not　indeed



any　discrimination　or　sincerity；　for　on　that　same　day　they　would　raise



with　equal　zeal　a　wholly　different　cry。　It　was　their　traditional



custom　to　flatter　any　ruler　with　reckless　applause　and　meaningless



zeal。　Meanwhile　two　suggestions　were　keeping　Galba　in　doubt。　T。　Vinius



thought　that　he　should　remain　within　the　palace；　array　the　slaves



against　the　foe；　secure　the　approaches；　and　not　go　out　to　the



enraged　soldiers。　〃You　should；〃　he　said；　〃give　the　disaffected　time　to



repent；　the　loyal　time　to　unite。　Crimes　gain　by　hasty　action；　better



counsels　by　delay。　At　all　events；　you　will　still　have　the　same



facilities　of　going　out；　if　need　be；　whereas；　your　retreat；　should　you



repent　of　having　gone；　will　be　in　the　power　of　another。〃



　　The　rest　were　for　speedy　action；　〃before；〃　they　said；　〃the　yet



feeble　treason　of　this　handful　of　men　can　gather　strength。　Otho



himself　will　be　alarmed；　Otho；　who　stole　away　to　be　introduced　to　a



few　strangers；　but　who　now；　thanks　to　the　hesitation　and　inaction　in



which　we　waste　our　time；　is　learning　how　to　play　the　Prince。　We　must



not　wait　till；　having　arranged　matters　in　the　camp；　he　bursts　into　the



Forum；　and　under　Galba's　very　eyes　makes　his　way　to　the　Capitol；　while



our　noble　Emperor　with　his　brave　friends　barricades　the　doors　of　his



palace。　We　are　to　stand　a　siege　forsooth；　and　truly　we　shall　have　an



admirable　resource　in　the　slaves；　if　the　unanimous　feeling　of　this



vast　multitude；　and　that　which　can　do　so　much；　the　first　burst　of



indignation；　be　suffered　to　subside。　Moreover　that　cannot　be　safe



which　is　not　honourable。　If　we　must　fall；　let　us　go　to　meet　the



danger。　This　will　bring　more　odium　upon　Otho；　and　will　be　more



becoming　to　ourselves。〃　Vinius　opposing　this　advice；　Laco　assailed　him



with　threats；　encouraged　by　Icelus；　who　persisted　in　his　private



animosities　to　the　public　ruin。



　　Without　further　delay　Galba　sided　with　these　more　p