histories-第7章

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animosities　to　the　public　ruin。



　　Without　further　delay　Galba　sided　with　these　more　plausible



advisers。　Piso　was　sent　on　into　the　camp；　as　being　a　young　man　of



noble　name；　whose　popularity　was　of　recent　date；　and　who　was　a



bitter　enemy　to　T。　Vinius；　that　is；　either　he　was　so　in　reality；　or



these　angry　partisans　would　have　it　so；　and　belief　in　hatred　is　but



too　ready。　Piso　had　hardly　gone　forth　when　there　came　a　rumour；　at



first　vague　and　wanting　confirmation；　that　Otho　had　been　slain　in



the　camp；　soon；　as　happens　with　these　great　fictions；　men　asserted



that　they　had　been　present；　and　had　seen　the　deed；　and；　between　the



delight　of　some　and　the　indifference　of　others；　the　report　was



easily　believed。　Many　thought　the　rumour　had　been　invented　and



circulated　by　the　Othonianists；　who　were　now　mingling　with　the



crowd；　and　who　disseminated　these　false　tidings　of　success　to　draw



Galba　out　of　the　palace。



　　Upon　this　not　only　did　the　people　and　the　ignorant　rabble　break



out　into　applause　and　vehement　expressions　of　zeal；　but　many　of　the



Knights　and　Senators；　losing　their　caution　as　they　laid　aside　their



fear；　burst　open　the　doors　of　the　palace；　rushed　in；　and　displayed



themselves　to　Galba；　complaining　that　their　revenge　had　been



snatched　from　them。　The　most　arrant　coward；　the　man；　who；　as　the　event



proved；　would　dare　nothing　in　the　moment　of　danger；　was　the　most



voluble　and　fierce　of　speech。　No　one　knew　anything；　yet　all　were



confident　in　assertion；　till　at　length　Galba　in　the　dearth　of　all　true



intelligence；　and　overborne　by　the　universal　delusion；　assumed　his



cuirass；　and　as；　from　age　and　bodily　weakness；　he　could　not　stand　up



against　the　crowd　that　was　still　rushing　in；　he　was　elevated　on　a



chair。　He　was　met　in　the　palace　by　Julius　Atticus；　a　soldier　of　the



body…guard；　who；　displaying　a　bloody　sword；　cried　〃I　have　slain　Otho。〃



〃Comrade；〃　replied　Galba；　〃who　gave　the　order？〃　So　singularly　resolute



was　his　spirit　in　curbing　the　license　of　the　soldiery；　threats　did　not



dismay　him；　nor　flatteries　seduce。



　　There　was　now　no　doubt　about　the　feeling　of　all　the　troops　in　the



camp。　So　great　was　their　zeal；　that；　not　content　with　surrounding　Otho



with　their　persons　in　close　array；　they　elevated　him　to　the



pedestal；　on　which　a　short　time　before　had　stood　the　gilt　statue　of



Galba；　and　there；　amid　the　standards；　encircled　him　with　their



colours。　Neither　tribunes　nor　centurions　could　approach。　The　common



soldiers　even　insisted　that　all　the　officers　should　be　watched。



Everything　was　in　an　uproar　with　their　tumultuous　cries　and　their



appeals　to　each　other；　which　were　not；　like　those　of　a　popular



assembly　or　a　mob；　the　discordant　expressions　of　an　idle　flattery；



on　the　contrary；　as　soon　as　they　caught　sight　of　any　of　the　soldiers



who　were　flocking　in；　they　seized　him；　gave　him　the　military



embrace；　placed　him　close　to　Otho；　dictated　to　him　the　oath　of



allegiance；　commending　sometimes　the　Emperor　to　his　soldiers；



sometimes　the　soldiers　to　their　Emperor。　Otho　did　not　fail　to　play　his



part；　he　stretched　out　his　arms；　and　bowed　to　the　crowd；　and　kissed



his　hands；　and　altogether　acted　the　slave；　to　make　himself　the　master。



It　was　when　the　whole　legion　from　the　fleet　had　taken　the　oath　to　him；



that　feeling　confidence　in　his　strength；　and　thinking　that　the　men；　on



whose　individual　feeling　he　had　been　working；　should　be　roused　by　a



general　appeal；　he　stood　before　the　rampart　of　the　camp；　and　spoke



as　follows：



　　〃Comrades；　I　cannot　say　in　what　character　I　have　presented　myself　to



you；　I　refuse　to　call　myself　a　subject；　now　that　you　have　named　me



Prince；　or　Prince；　while　another　reigns。　Your　title　also　will　be



equally　uncertain；　so　long　as　it　shall　be　a　question；　whether　it　is



the　Emperor　of　the　Roman　people；　or　a　public　enemy；　whom　you　have　in



your　camp。　Mark　you；　how　in　one　breath　they　cry　for　my　punishment



and　for　your　execution。　So　evident　it　is；　that　we　can　neither



perish；　nor　be　saved；　except　together。　Perhaps；　with　his　usual



clemency；　Galba　has　already　promised　that　we　should　die；　like　the　man；



who；　though　no　one　demanded　it；　massacred　so　many　thousands　of



perfectly　guiltless　soldiers。　A　shudder　comes　over　my　soul；　whenever　I



call　to　mind　that　ghastly　entry；　Galba's　solitary　victory；　when；



before　the　eyes　of　the　capital　he　gave　orders　to　decimate　the



prisoners；　the　suppliants；　whom　he　had　admitted　to　surrender。　These



were　the　auspices　with　which　he　entered　the　city。　What　is　the　glory



that　he　has　brought　to　the　throne？　None　but　that　he　has　murdered



Obultronius　Sabinus　and　Cornelius　Marcellus　in　Spain；　Betuus　Chilo



in　Gaul；　Fonteius　Capito　in　Germany；　Clodius　Macer　in　Africa；



Cingonius　on　the　high　road；　Turpilianus　in　the　city；　Nymphidius　in　the



camp。　What　province；　what　camp　in　the　world；　but　is　stained　with　blood



and　foul　with　crime；　or；　as　he　expresses　it　himself；　purified　and



chastened？　For　what　others　call　crimes　he　calls　reforms；　and；　by



similar　misnomers；　he　speaks　of　strictness　instead　of　barbarity；　of



economy　instead　of　avarice；　while　the　cruelties　and　affronts　inflicted



upon　you　he　calls　discipline。　Seven　months　only　have　passed　since　Nero



fell；　and　already　Icelus　has　seized　more　than　the　Polycleti；　the



Vatinii；　and　the　Elii　amassed。　Vinius　would　not　have　gone　so　far



with　his　rapacity　and　lawlessness　had　he　been　Emperor　himself；　as　it



is；　he　has　lorded　it　over　us　as　if　we　had　been　his　own　subjects；　has



held　us　as　cheap　as　if　we　had　been　another's。　That　one　house　would



furnish　the　donative；　which　is　never　given　you；　but　with　which　you　are



daily　upbraided。



　　〃Again；　that　we　might　have　nothing　to　hope　even　from　his



successor；　Galba　fetches　out　of　exile　the　man　in　whose　ill…humour



and　avarice　he　considers　that　he　has　found　the　best　resemblance　to



himself。　You　witnessed；　comrades；　how　by　a　remarkable　storm　even　the



Gods　discountenanced　that　ill…starred　adoption；　and　the　feeling　of　the



Senate；　of　the　people　of　Rome；　is　the　same。　It　is　to　your　valour



that　they　look；　in　you　these　better　counsels　find　all　their　support；



without　you；　noble　as　they　may　be；　they　are　powerless。　It　is　not　to



war　or　to　danger　that　I　invite　you；　the　swords　of　all　Roman　soldiers



are　with　us。　At　this　moment　Galba　has　but　one　half…armed　cohort；　which



is　detaining；　not　defending　him。　Let　it　once　behold　you；　let　it



receive　my　signal；　and　the　only　strife　will　be；　who　shall　oblige　me



most。　There　is　no　room　for　delay　in　a　business　which　can　only　be



approved　when　it　is　done。〃　He　then　ordered　the　armoury　to　be　opened。



The　soldiers　immediately　seized　the　arms　without　regard　to　rule　or



military　order；　no　distinction　being　observed　between　Praetorians



and　legionaries；　both　of　whom　again　indiscriminately　assumed　the



shields　and　helmets　of　the　auxiliary　troops。　No　tribune　or　centurion



encouraged　them；　every　man　acted　on　his　own　impulse　and　guidance；



and　the　vilest　found　their　chief　incitement　in　the　dejection　of　the



good。



　　Meanwhile；　appalled　by　the　roar　of　the　increasing　sedition　and　by



the　shouts　which　reached　the　city；　Piso　had　overtaken　Galba；　who　in



the　interval　had　quitted　the　palace；　and　was　approaching　the　Forum。



Already　Marius　Celsus　had　brought　back　discouraging　tidings。　And　now



some　advised　that　the　Emperor　should　return　to　the　palace；　others　that



he　should　make　for　the　Capitol；　many　again　that　he　should　occupy　the



Rostra；　though　most　did　but　oppose　the　opinions　of　others；　while；　as



ever　happens　in　these　ill…starred　counsels；　plans　for　which　the



opportunity　had　slipped　away　seemed　the　best。　It　is　said　that　Laco；



without　Galba's　knowledge；　meditated　the　death　of　Vinius；　either



hoping　by　this　execution　to　appease　the　fury　of　the　soldiers；　or



believing　him　to　be　an　accomplice　of　Otho；　or；　it　may　be；　out　of