histories-第13节

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



their　strange　faces　in　a　place　where　all　knew　each　other。　Vitellius



wrote　to　Titianus；　Otho's　brother；　threatening　him　and　his　son　with



death；　unless　the　lives　of　his　mother　and　his　children　were　spared。



Both　families　remained　uninjured。　This　in　Otho's　reign　was　perhaps　due



to　fear；　Vitellius　was　victorious；　and　gained　all　the　credit　of　mercy。



　　The　first　encouraging　tidings　came　to　Otho　from　Illyricum。　He



heard　that　the　legions　of　Dalmatia；　Pannonia；　and　Moesia　had　sworn



allegiance　to　him。　Similar　intelligence　was　received　from　Spain；　and



Cluvius　Rufus　was　commended　in　an　edict。　Immediately　afterwards　it



became　known　that　Spain　had　gone　over　to　Vitellius。　Even　Aquitania；



bound　though　it　was　by　the　oath　of　allegiance　to　Otho　which　Julius



Cordus　had　administered；　did　not　long　remain　firm。　Nowhere　was　there



any　loyalty　or　affection；　men　changed　from　one　side　to　the　other　under



the　pressure　of　fear　or　necessity。　It　was　this　influence　of　fear



that　drew　over　to　Vitellius　the　province　of　Gallia　Narbonensis；



which　turned　readily　to　the　side　that　was　at　once　the　nearer　and　the



stronger。　The　distant　provinces；　and　all　the　armies　beyond　the　sea；



still　adhered　to　Otho；　not　from　any　attachment　to　his　party；　but



because　there　was　vast　weight　in　the　name　of　the　capital　and　the



prestige　of　the　Senate；　and　also　because　the　claims　which　they　had



first　heard　had　prepossessed　their　minds。　The　army　of　Judaea　under



Vespasian；　and　the　legions　of　Syria　under　Mucianus；　swore　allegiance



to　Otho。　Egypt　and　the　Eastern　provinces　were　also　governed　in　his



name。　Africa　displayed　the　same　obedience；　Carthage　taking　the　lead。



In　that　city　Crescens；　one　of　Nero's　freedmen　（for　in　evil　times



even　this　class　makes　itself　a　power　in　the　State）；　without　waiting



for　the　sanction　of　the　proconsul；　Vipstanus　Apronianus；　had　given



an　entertainment　to　the　populace　by　way　of　rejoicings　for　the　new



reign；　and　the　people；　with　extravagant　zeal；　hastened　to　make　the



usual　demonstrations　of　joy。　The　example　of　Carthage　was　followed



the　other　cities　of　Africa。



　　As　the　armies　and　provinces　were　thus　divided；　Vitellius；　in　order



to　secure　the　sovereign　power；　was　compelled　to　fight。　Otho



continued　to　discharge　his　imperial　duties　as　though　it　were　a　time　of



profound　peace。　Sometimes　he　consulted　the　dignity　of　the



Commonwealth；　but　often　in　hasty　acts；　dictated　by　the　expediency　of



the　moment；　he　disregarded　its　honour。　He　was　himself　to　be　consul



with　his　brother　Titianus　till　the　1st　of　March；　the　two　following



months　he　assigned　to　Verginius　as　a　compliment　to　the　army　of



Germany。　With　Verginius　was　to　be　associated　Pompeius　Vopiscus；



avowedly　on　the　ground　of　their　being　old　friends；　though　many



regarded　the　appointment　as　meant　to　do　honour　to　the　people　of



Vienna。　The　other　consulships　still　remained　as　Nero　or　Galba　had



arranged　them。　Caelius　Sabinus　and　his　brother　Flavius　were　to　be



consuls　till　the　1st　of　July；　Arrius　Antoninus　and　Marius　Celsus



from　that　time　to　the　1st　of　September。　Even　Vitellius；　after　his



victory；　did　not　interfere　with　these　appointments。　On　aged



citizens；　who　had　already　held　high　office；　Otho　bestowed；　as　a



crowning　dignity；　pontificates　and　augurships；　while　he　consoled　the



young　nobles；　who　had　lately　returned　from　exile；　by　reviving　the



sacerdotal　offices；　held　by　their　fathers　and　ancestors。　Cadius　Rufus；



Pedius　Blaesus；　Saevinius　Pomptinius；　who　in　the　reigns　of　Claudius



and　Nero　had　been　convicted　under　indictments　for　extortion；　were



restored　to　their　rank　as　Senators。　Those　who　wished　to　pardon　them



resolved　by　a　change　of　names　to　make；　what　had　really　been



rapacity；　seem　to　have　been　treason；　a　charge　then　so　odious　that　it



made　even　good　laws　a　dead　letter。



　　By　similar　bounty　Otho　sought　to　win　the　affections　of　the　cities



and　provinces。　He　bestowed　on　the　colonies　of　Hispalis　and　Emerita



some　additional　families；　on　the　entire　people　of　the　Lingones　the



privileges　of　Roman　citizenship；　to　the　province　of　Baetica　he



joined　the　states　of　Mauritania；　and　granted　to　Cappadocia　and



Africa　new　rights；　more　for　display　than　for　permanent　utility。　In　the



midst　of　these　measures；　which　may　find　an　excuse　in　the　urgency　of



the　crisis　and　the　anxieties　which　pressed　upon　him；　he　still　did



not　forget　his　old　amours；　and　by　a　decree　of　the　Senate　restored



the　statues　of　Poppaea。　It　is　even　believed　that　he　thought　of



celebrating　the　memory　of　Nero　in　the　hope　of　winning　the　populace；



and　persons　were　found　to　exhibit　statues　of　that　Prince。　There　were



days　on　which　the　people　and　the　soldiers　greeted　him　with　shouts　of



Nero　Otho；　as　if　they　were　heaping　on　him　new　distinction　and



honour。　Otho　himself　wavered　in　suspense；　afraid　to　forbid　or



ashamed　to　acknowledge　the　title。



　　Men's　minds　were　so　intent　on　the　civil　war；　that　foreign　affairs



were　disregarded。　This　emboldened　the　Roxolani；　a　Sarmatian　tribe；　who



had　destroyed　two　cohorts　in　the　previous　winter；　to　invade　Moesia



with　great　hopes　of　success。　They　had　9000　cavalry；　flushed　with



victory　and　intent　on　plunder　rather　than　on　fighting。　They　were



dispersed　and　off　their　guard；　when　the　third　legion　together　with



some　auxiliaries　attacked　them。　The　Romans　had　everything　ready　for



battle；　the　Sarmatians　were　scattered；　and　in　their　eagerness　for



plunder　had　encumbered　themselves　with　heavy　baggage；　while　the



superior　speed　of　their　horses　was　lost　on　the　slippery　roads。　Thus



they　were　cut　down　as　if　their　hands　were　tied。　It　is　wonderful　how



entirely　the　courage　of　this　people　is；　so　to　speak；　external　to



themselves。　No　troops　could　shew　so　little　spirit　when　fighting　on



foot；　when　they　charge　in　squadrons；　hardly　any　line　can　stand　against



them。　But　as　on　this　occasion　the　day　was　damp　and　the　ice　thawed；



what　with　the　continual　slipping　of　their　horses；　and　the　weight　of



their　coats　of　mail；　they　could　make　no　use　of　their　pikes　or　their



swords；　which　being　of　an　excessive　length　they　wield　with　both　hands。



These　coats　are　worn　as　defensive　armour　by　the　princes　and　most



distinguished　persons　of　the　tribe。　They　are　formed　of　plates　of



iron　or　very　tough　hides；　and　though　they　are　absolutely



impenetrable　to　blows；　yet　they　make　it　difficult　for　such　as　have



been　overthrown　by　the　charge　of　the　enemy　to　regain　their　feet。



Besides；　the　Sarmatians　were　perpetually　sinking　in　the　deep　and



soft　snow。　The　Roman　soldier；　moving　easily　in　his　cuirass；



continued　to　harass　them　with　javelins　and　lances；　and　whenever　the



occasion　required；　closed　with　them　with　his　short　sword；　and



stabbed　the　defenceless　enemy；　for　it　is　not　their　custom　to　defend



themselves　with　a　shield。　A　few　who　survived　the　battle　concealed



themselves　in　the　marshes。　There　they　perished　from　the　inclemency



of　the　season　and　the　severity　of　their　wounds。　When　this　success



was　known；　Marcus　Aponius；　governor　of　Moesia；　was　rewarded　with　a



triumphal　statue；　while　Fulvius　Aurelius；　Julianus　Titius；　and



Numisius　Lupus；　the　legates　of　the　legions；　received　the　ensigns　of



consular　rank。　Otho　was　delighted；　and　claimed　the　glory　for



himself；　as　if　it　were　he　that　commanded　success　in　war；　and　that



had　aggrandised　the　State　by　his　generals　and　his　armies。



　　Meanwhile；　from　a　trifling　cause；　whence　nothing　was　apprehended；



there　arose　a　tumult；　which　had　nearly　proved　fatal　to　the　capital。



Otho　had　ordered　the　7th　cohort　to　be　brought　up　to　Rome　from　Ostia；



and　the　charge　of　arming　it　was　entrusted　to　Varius　Crispinus；　one



of　the　tribunes　of　the　Praetorian　Guard。　This　officer；　thinking　that



he　could　carry　out　the　order　more　at　his　leisure；　when　the　camp　was



quiet；　opened　the　armoury；　and　ordered　the　wagons　of　the　cohort　to



be　laden　at　night…fall。　The　time　provoked　suspicion；　the　motive



challenged　accusation；　the　elaborate　attempt　at　quiet　ended　in　a



disturbance；　and　the　sight　of　arms　among　a　drunken　crowd　excited　the



desire　to　use　them。　The　soldiers　murmured；　and　charged　the　tribunes



and　centurions　with　treachery；　alleging　that　the　households　of　the



Senators　were　being　armed　to　destroy　Otho；　many　acted　in　ignorance　and



were　stupefied　by　wine；　the　worst　among　them　were　seeking　an



opportunity　for　plunder；　the　mass　was　as　usual　ready　for　any　new



movement；　and　the　military　obedience　of　the　better　disposed　was



neutralised　by　the　darkness。　The　tribune；　who　sought　to　check　the



movement；　and　the　strictest　disciplinarians　among　the　centurions；　were



cut　down。　The　soldiers　seized　their　arms；　bared　their　swords；　and；



mounted　on　their　horses；　made　for　the　city　and　the　palace。



　　Otho　was　giving　a　crowded　entertainment　to　the　most　distinguished