histories-第12节

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even　in　their　hiding　places。　Thousands　were　put　to　the　sword；



thousands　more　were　sold　into　slavery。　Every　place　having　been



completely　destroyed；　the　army　was　marching　in　regular　order　on



Aventicum；　the　capital　town；　when　a　deputation　was　sent　to　surrender



the　city。　This　surrender　was　accepted。　Julius　Alpinus；　one　of　the



principal　men；　was　executed　by　Caecina；　as　having　been　the　promoter　of



the　war。　All　the　rest　he　left　to　the　mercy　or　severity　of　Vitellius。



　　It　is　hard　to　say　whether　the　envoys　from　Helvetia　found　the　Emperor



or　his　army　less　merciful。　〃Exterminate　the　race；〃　was　the　cry　of



the　soldiers　as　they　brandished　their　weapons；　or　shook　their　fists　in



the　faces　of　the　envoys。　Even　Vitellius　himself　did　not　refrain　from



threatening　words　and　gestures；　till　at　length　Claudius　Cossus；　one　of



the　Helvetian　envoys；　a　man　of　well…known　eloquence；　but　who　then



concealed　the　art　of　the　orator　under　an　assumption　of　alarm；　and



was　therefore　more　effective；　soothed　the　rage　of　the　soldiers；　who；



like　all　multitudes；　were　liable　to　sudden　impulses；　and　were　now　as



inclined　to　pity　as　they　had　been　extravagant　in　fury。　Bursting　into



tears　and　praying　with　increasing　earnestness　for　a　milder　sentence；



they　procured　pardon　and　protection　for　the　state。



　　Caecina　while　halting　for　a　few　days　in　the　Helvetian　territory；



till　he　could　learn　the　decision　of　Vitellius；　and　at　the　same　time



making　preparations　for　the　passage　of　the　Alps；　received　from　Italy



the　good　news；　that　Silius'　Horse；　which　was　quartered　in　the



neighbourhood　of　Padus；　had　sworn　allegiance　to　Vitellius。　They　had



served　under　him　when　he　was　Proconsul　in　Africa；　from　which　place



Nero　had　soon　afterwards　brought　them；　intending　to　send　them　on



before　himself　into　Egypt；　but　had　recalled　them　in　consequence　of　the



rebellion　of　Vindex。　They　were　still　in　Italy；　and　now；　at　the



instigation　of　their　decurions；　who　knew　nothing　of　Otho；　but　were



bound　to　Vitellius；　and　who　magnified　the　strength　of　the　advancing



legions　and　the　fame　of　the　German　army；　they　joined　the



Vitellianists；　and　by　way　of　a　present　to　their　new　Prince　they



secured　for　him　the　strongest　towns　of　the　country　north　of　the　Padus；



Mediolanum；　Novaria；　Eporedia；　and　Vercellae。　This　Caecina　had



learnt　from　themselves。　Aware　that　the　widest　part　of　Italy　could



not　be　held　by　such　a　force　as　a　single　squadron　of　cavalry；　he　sent



on　in　advance　the　auxiliary　infantry　from　Gaul；　Lusitania；　and



Rhaetia；　with　the　veteran　troops　from　Germany；　and　Petra's　Horse；



while　he　made　a　brief　halt　to　consider　whether　he　should　pass　over　the



Rhaetian　range　into　Noricum；　to　attack　Petronius；　the　procurator；



who　had　collected　some　auxiliaries；　and　broken　down　the　bridges　over



the　rivers；　and　was　thought　to　be　faithful　to　Otho。　Fearing　however



that　he　might　lose　the　infantry　and　cavalry　which　he　had　sent　on　in



advance；　and　at　the　same　time　reflecting　that　more　honour　was　to　be



gained　by　holding　possession　of　Italy；　and　that；　wherever　the　decisive



conflict　might　take　place；　Noricum　would　be　included　among　the　other



prizes　of　victory；　he　marched　the　reserves　and　the　heavy　infantry



through　the　Penine　passes　while　the　Alps　were　still　covered　with　the



snows　of　winter。



　　Meanwhile　Otho；　to　the　surprise　of　all；　was　not　sinking　down　into



luxury　and　sloth。　He　deferred　his　pleasures；　concealed　his　profligacy；



and　moulded　his　whole　life　to　suit　the　dignity　of　empire。　Men



dreaded　all　the　more　virtues　so　false；　and　vices　so　certain　to　return。



Marius　Celsus；　consul　elect；　whom　he　had　rescued　from　the　fury　of



the　soldiers　by　pretending　to　imprison　him；　he　now　ordered　to　be



summoned　to　the　Capitol。　He　sought　to　acquire　a　reputation　for



clemency　by　sparing　a　distinguished　man　opposed　to　his　own　party。



Celsus　pleaded　guilty　to　the　charge　of　faithful　adherence　to　Galba；



and　even　made　a　merit　of　such　an　example　of　fidelity。　Otho　did　not



treat　him　as　a　man　to　be　pardoned；　and；　unwilling　to　blend　with　the



grace　of　reconciliation　the　memory　of　past　hostility；　at　once　admitted



him　to　his　intimate　friendship；　and　soon　afterwards　appointed　him　to



be　one　of　his　generals。　By　some　fatality；　as　it　seemed；　Celsus



maintained　also　to　Otho　a　fidelity　as　irreproachable　as　it　was



unfortunate。　The　escape　of　Celsus　gratified　the　leading　men　in　the



State；　was　generally　praised　by　the　people；　and　did　not　displease　even



the　soldiers；　who　could　not　but　admire　the　virtue　which　provoked　their



anger。



　　Then　followed　as　great　a　burst　of　joy；　though　from　a　less　worthy



cause；　when　the　destruction　of　Tigellinus　was　achieved。　Sophonius



Tigellinus；　a　man　of　obscure　birth；　steeped　in　infamy　from　his



boyhood；　and　shamelessly　profligate　in　his　old　age；　finding　vice　to　be



his　quickest　road　to　such　offices　as　the　command　of　the　watch　and　of



the　Praetorian　Guard；　and　to　other　distinctions　due　to　merit；　went



on　to　practise　cruelty；　rapacity；　and　all　the　crimes　of　maturer　years。



He　perverted　Nero　to　every　kind　of　atrocity；　he　even　ventured　on



some　acts　without　the　Emperor's　knowledge；　and　ended　by　deserting



and　betraying　him。　Hence　there　was　no　criminal；　whose　doom　was　from



opposite　motives　more　importunately　demanded；　as　well　by　those　who



hated　Nero；　as　by　those　who　regretted　him。　During　the　reign　of　Galba



Tigellinus　had　been　screened　by　the　influence　of　Vinius；　who　alleged



that　he　had　saved　his　daughter。　And　doubtless　he　had　preserved　her



life；　not　indeed　out　of　mercy；　when　he　had　murdered　so　many；　but　to



secure　for　himself　a　refuge　for　the　future。　For　all　the　greatest



villains；　distrusting　the　present；　and　dreading　change；　look　for



private　friendship　to　shelter　them　from　public　detestation；　caring　not



to　be　free　from　guilt；　but　only　to　ensure　their　turn　in　impunity。　This



enraged　the　people　more　than　ever；　the　recent　unpopularity　of　Vinius



being　superadded　to　their　old　hatred　against　Tigellinus。　They　rushed



from　every　part　of　the　city　into　the　palace　and　forum；　and　bursting



into　the　circus　and　theatre；　where　the　mob　enjoy　a　special　license；



broke　out　into　seditious　clamours。　At　length　Tigellinus；　having



received　at　the　springs　of　Sinuessa　a　message　that　his　last　hour　was



come；　amid　the　embraces　and　caresses　of　his　mistresses　and　other



unseemly　delays；　cut　his　throat　with　a　razor；　and　aggravated　the



disgrace　of　an　infamous　life　by　a　tardy　and　ignominious　death。



　　About　the　same　time　a　demand　was　made　for　the　execution　of　Galvia



Crispinilla。　Various　artifices　on　the　part　of　the　Emperor；　who



incurred　much　obloquy　by　his　duplicity；　rescued　her　from　the　danger。



She　had　instructed　Nero　in　profligacy；　had　passed　over　into　Africa；



that　she　might　urge　Macer　into　rebellion；　and　had　openly　attempted



to　bring　a　famine　upon　Rome。　Yet　she　afterwards　gained　universal



popularity　on　the　strength　of　her　alliance　with　a　man　of　consular



rank；　and　lived　unharmed　through　the　reigns　of　Galba；　Otho；　and



Vitellius。　Soon　she　became　powerful　as　a　rich　and　childless　woman；



circumstances　which　have　as　great　weight　in　good　as　in　evil　times。



　　Meanwhile　frequent　letters；　disfigured　by　unmanly　flatteries；　were



addressed　by　Otho　to　Vitellius；　with　offers　of　wealth　and　favour　and



any　retreat　he　might　select　for　a　life　of　prodigal　indulgence。



Vitellius　made　similar　overtures。　Their　tone　was　at　first　pacific；　and



both　exhibited　a　foolish　and　undignified　hypocrisy。　Then　they　seemed



to　quarrel；　charging　each　other　with　debaucheries　and　the　grossest



crimes；　and　both　spoke　truth。　Otho；　having　recalled　the　envoys　whom



Galba　had　sent；　dispatched　others；　nominally　from　the　Senate；　to



both　the　armies　of　Germany；　to　the　Italian　legion；　and　to　the　troops



quartered　at　Lugdunum。　The　envoys　remained　with　Vitellius　too



readily　to　let　it　be　supposed　that　they　were　detained。　Some



Praetorians；　whom　Otho　had　attached　to　the　embassy；　ostensibly　as　a



mark　of　distinction；　were　sent　back　before　they　could　mix　with　the



legions。　Letters　were　also　addressed　by　Fabius　Valens　in　the　name　of



the　German　army　to　the　Praetorian　and　city　cohorts；　extolling　the



strength　of　his　party；　and　offering　terms　of　peace。　Valens　even



reproached　them　with　having　transferred　the　Imperial　power　to　Otho；



though　it　had　so　long　before　been　entrusted　to　Vitellius。



　　Thus　they　were　assailed　by　promises　as　well　as　by　threats；　were　told



that　they　were　not　strong　enough　for　war；　but　would　lose　nothing　by



peace。　Yet　all　this　did　not　shake　the　loyalty　of　the　Praetorians。



Nevertheless　secret　emissaries　were　dispatched　by　Otho　to　Germany；　and



by　Vitellius　to　Rome。　Both　failed　in　their　object。　Those　of



Vitellius　escaped　without　injury；　unnoticed　in　the　vast　multitude；



knowing　none；　and　themselves　unknown。　Those　of　Otho　were　betrayed　by



t