histories-第63章

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report；　came　to　the　ears　of　Festus；　he　sent　some　cavalry　to　put　Piso



to　death。　They　rode　over　at　full　speed；　and　broke　into　the　dwelling　of



the　proconsul　in　the　dim　light　of　early　dawn；　with　their　swords



drawn　in　their　hands。　Many　of　them　were　unacquainted　with　the　person



of　Piso；　for　the　legate　had　selected　some　Moorish　and　Carthaginian



auxiliaries　to　perpetrate　the　deed。　Near　the　proconsul's　chamber



they　chanced　to　meet　a　slave；　and　asked　him　who　he　was；　and　where　Piso



was　to　be　found？　The　slave　with　a　noble　untruth　replied；　〃I　am　he；〃



and　was　immediately　cut　down。　Soon　after　Piso　was　killed；　for　there



was　on　the　spot　one　who　recognized　him；　Baebius　Massa；　one　of　the



procurators　of　Africa；　a　name　even　then　fatal　to　the　good；　and



destined　often　to　reappear　among　the　causes　of　the　sufferings　which　he



had　ere　long　to　endure。　From　Adrumetum；　where　he　had　stayed　to　watch



the　result；　Festus　went　to　the　legion；　and　gave　orders　that



Cetronius　Pisanus；　prefect　of　the　camp；　should　be　put　in　irons。　He　did



this　out　of　private　pique；　but　he　called　the　man　an　accomplice　of



Piso。　Some　few　centurions　and　soldiers　he　punished；　others　he



rewarded；　neither　the　one　nor　the　other　deservedly；　but　he　wished



men　to　believe　that　he　had　extinguished　a　war。　He　then　put　an　end　to　a



quarrel　between　the　Censes　and　the　Leptitani；　which；　originating　in



robberies　of　corn　and　cattle　by　two　rustic　populations；　had　grown　from



this　insignificant　beginning　till　it　was　carried　on　in　pitched



battles。　The　people　of　Ceea；　who　were　inferior　in　numbers；　had



summoned　to　their　aid　the　Garamantes；　a　wild　race　incessantly　occupied



in　robbing　their　neighbours。　This　had　brought　the　Leptitani　to



extremities；　their　territories　had　been　ravaged　far　and　wide；　and　they



were　trembling　within　their　walls；　when　the　Garamantes　were　put　to



flight　by　the　arrival　of　the　auxiliary　infantry　and　cavalry；　and　the



whole　of　the　booty　was　recaptured；　with　the　exception　of　some　which



the　plunderers；　in　their　wanderings　through　inaccessible　hamlets；



had　sold　to　more　distant　tribes。



　　Vespasian　had　heard　of　the　victory　of　Cremona；　and　had　received



favourable　tidings　from　all　quarters；　and　he　was　now　informed　of　the



fall　of　Vitellius　by　many　persons　of　every　rank；　who；　with　a　good



fortune　equal　to　their　courage；　risked　the　perils　of　the　wintry　sea。



Envoys　had　come　from　king　Vologesus　to　offer　him　40；000　Parthian



cavalry。　It　was　a　matter　of　pride　and　joy　to　him　to　be　courted　with



such　splendid　offers　of　help　from　the　allies；　and　not　to　want　them。　He



thanked　Vologesus；　and　recommended　him　to　send　ambassadors　to　the



Senate；　and　to　learn　for　himself　that　peace　had　been　restored。　While



his　thoughts　were　fixed　on　Italy　and　on　the　state　of　the　Capital；　he



heard　an　unfavourable　account　of　Domitian；　which　represented　him　as



overstepping　the　limits　of　his　age　and　the　privileges　of　a　son。　He



therefore　entrusted　Titus　with　the　main　strength　of　the　army　to



complete　what　had　yet　to　be　done　in　the　Jewish　war。



　　It　was　said　that　Titus　before　his　departure　had　a　long　interview



with　his　father；　in　which　he　implored　him　not　to　let　himself　be　easily



excited　by　the　reports　of　slanderers；　but　to　shew　an　impartial　and



forgiving　temper　towards　his　son。　〃Legions　and　fleets；〃　he　reminded



him；　〃are　not　such　sure　bulwarks　of　Imperial　power　as　a　numerous



family。　As　for　friends；　time；　altered　fortunes；　perhaps　their　passions



or　their　errors；　may　weaken；　may　change；　may　even　destroy；　their



affection。　A　man's　own　race　can　never　be　dissociated　from　him；　least



of　all　with　Princes；　whose　prosperity　is　shared　by　others；　while　their



reverses　touch　but　their　nearest　kin。　Even　between　brothers　there



can　be　no　lasting　affection；　except　the　father　sets　the　example。〃



Vespasian；　delighted　with　the　brotherly　affection　of　Titus　rather　than



reconciled　to　Domitian；　bade　his　son　be　of　good　cheer；　and



aggrandise　the　State　by　war　and　deeds　of　arms。　He　would　himself



provide　for　the　interests　of　peace；　and　for　the　welfare　of　his　family。



He　then　had　some　of　the　swiftest　vessels　laden　with　corn；　and



committed　them　to　the　perils　of　the　still　stormy　sea。　Rome　indeed



was　in　the　very　critical　position　of　not　having　more　than　ten　days'



consumption　in　the　granaries；　when　the　supplies　from　Vespasian



arrived。



　　The　work　of　rebuilding　the　Capitol　was　assigned　by　him　to　Lucius



Vestinius；　a　man　of　the　Equestrian　order；　who；　however；　for　high



character　and　reputation　ranked　among　the　nobles。　The　soothsayers　whom



he　assembled　directed　that　the　remains　of　the　old　shrine　should　be



removed　to　the　marshes；　and　the　new　temple　raised　on　the　original



site。　The　Gods；　they　said；　forbade　the　old　form　to　be　changed。　On



the　21st　of　June；　beneath　a　cloudless　sky；　the　entire　space　devoted　to



the　sacred　enclosure　was　encompassed　with　chaplets　and　garlands。



Soldiers；　who　bore　auspicious　names；　entered　the　precincts　with　sacred



boughs。　Then　the　vestal　virgins；　with　a　troop　of　boys　and　girls；　whose



fathers　and　mothers　were　still　living；　sprinkled　the　whole　space



with　water　drawn　from　the　fountains　and　rivers。　After　this；



Helvidius　Priscus；　the　praetor；　first　purified　the　spot　with　the　usual



sacrifice　of　a　sow；　a　sheep；　and　a　bull；　and　duly　placed　the



entrails　on　turf；　then；　in　terms　dictated　by　Publius　Aelianus；　the



high…priest；　besought　Jupiter；　Juno；　Minerva；　and　the　tutelary　deities



of　the　place；　to　prosper　the　undertaking；　and　to　lend　their　divine



help　to　raise　the　abodes　which　the　piety　of　men　had　founded　for



them。　He　then　touched　the　wreaths；　which　were　wound　round　the



foundation　stone　and　entwined　with　the　ropes；　while　at　the　same　moment



all　the　other　magistrates　of　the　State；　the　Priests；　the　Senators；　the



Knights；　and　a　number　of　the　citizens；　with　zeal　and　joy　uniting　their



efforts；　dragged　the　huge　stone　along。　Contributions　of　gold　and



silver　and　virgin　ores；　never　smelted　in　the　furnace；　but　still　in



their　natural　state；　were　showered　on　the　foundations。　The　soothsayers



had　previously　directed　that　no　stone　or　gold　which　had　been



intended　for　any　other　purpose　should　profane　the　work。　Additional



height　was　given　to　the　structure；　this　was　the　only　variation　which



religion　would　permit；　and　the　one　feature　which　had　been　thought



wanting　in　the　splendour　of　the　old　temple。



　　Meanwhile　the　tidings　of　the　death　of　Vitellius；　spreading　through



Gaul　and　Germany；　had　caused　a　second　war。　Civilis　had　thrown　aside



all　disguise；　and　was　now　openly　assailing　the　Roman　power；　while



the　legions　of　Vitellius　preferred　even　a　foreign　yoke　to　the　rule



of　Vespasian。　Gaul　had　gathered　fresh　courage　from　the　belief　that　the



fortunes　of　our　armies　had　been　everywhere　disastrous；　for　a　report



was　rife　that　our　winter　camps　in　Moesia　and　Pannonia　were　hemmed　in



by　the　Sarmatians　and　Dacians。　Rumours　equally　false　were　circulated



respecting　Britain。　Above　all；　the　conflagration　of　the　Capitol　had



made　them　believe　that　the　end　of　the　Roman　Empire　was　at　hand。　The



Gauls；　they　remembered；　had　captured　the　city　in　former　days；　but；



as　the　abode　of　Jupiter　was　uninjured；　the　Empire　had　survived；



whereas　now　the　Druids　declared；　with　the　prophetic　utterances　of　an



idle　superstition；　that　this　fatal　conflagration　was　a　sign　of　the



anger　of　heaven；　and　portended　universal　empire　for　the　Transalpine



nations。　A　rumour　had　also　gone　forth　that　the　chiefs　of　Gaul；　whom



Otho　had　sent　against　Vitellius；　had；　before　their　departure；　bound



themselves　by　a　compact　not　to　fall　the　cause　of　freedom；　should　the



power　of　Rome　be　broken　by　a　continuous　succession　of　civil　wars　and



internal　calamities。



　　Before　the　murder　of　Flaccus　Hordeonius　nothing　had　come　out　by



which　any　conspiracy　could　be　discovered。　After　his　death；



messengers　passed　to