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prudent　contenting　themselves　with　hackneyed　terms　of　abuse；　though



some　threw　out　reproaches　founded　in　truth；　yet　only　did　so　in　the



midst　of　clamour；　and　when　many　voices　were　heard　at　once；　drowning



their　own　speech　in　a　tumult　of　words。



　　Prodigies　which　were　now　noised　abroad　from　various　sources



increased　men's　terror。　It　was　said　that　in　the　porch　of　the　Capitol



the　reins　of　the　chariot；　on　which　stood　the　goddess　of　Victory；　had



dropped　from　her　hand；　that　from　the　chapel　of　Juno　there　had　rushed



forth　a　form　greater　than　the　form　of　man；　that　the　statue　of　the



Divine　Julius；　which　stands　on　the　island　in　the　Tiber；　had　turned



from　the　West　to　the　East　on　a　calm　and　tranquil　day；　that　an　ox　had



spoken　aloud　in　Etruria；　that　strange　births　of　animals　had　taken



place；　besides　many　other　things；　such　as　in　barbarous　ages　are



observed　even　during　seasons　of　peace；　but　are　now　heard　of　only　in



times　of　terror。　But　an　alarm　greater　than　all；　because　it　connected



immediate　loss　with　fears　for　the　future；　arose　from　a　sudden



inundation　of　the　Tiber。　The　river　became　vastly　swollen；　broke　down



the　wooden　bridge；　was　checked　by　the　heap　of　ruins　across　the



current；　and　overflowed　not　only　the　low　and　level　districts　of　the



capital；　but　also　much　that　had　been　thought　safe　from　such



casualties。　Many　were　swept　away　in　the　streets；　many　more　were　cut



off　in　their　shops　and　chambers。　The　want　of　employment　and　the



scarcity　of　provisions　caused　a　famine　among　the　populace。　The



poorer　class　of　houses　had　their　foundations　sapped　by　the　stagnant



waters；　and　fell　when　the　river　returned　to　its　channel。　When　men's



minds　were　no　longer　occupied　by　their　fears；　the　fact；　that　while



Otho　was　preparing　for　his　campaign；　the　Campus　Martius　and　the　Via



Flaminia；　his　route　to　the　war；　were　obstructed　by　causes　either



fortuitous　or　natural；　was　regarded　as　a　prodigy　and　an　omen　of



impending　disasters。



　　Otho；　after　publicly　purifying　the　city　and　weighing　various　plans



for　the　campaign；　determined　to　march　upon　Gallia　Narbonensis；　as



the　passes　of　the　Penine　and　Cottian　Alps　and　all　the　other　approaches



to　Gaul　were　held　by　the　armies　of　Vitellius。　His　fleet　was　strong　and



loyal　to　his　cause；　for　he　had　enrolled　in　the　ranks　of　the　legion　the



survivors　of　the　slaughter　at　the　Milvian　bridge；　whom　the　stern



policy　of　Galba　had　retained　in　custody；　while　to　the　rest　he　had　held



out　hopes　of　a　more　honourable　service　for　the　future。　To　the　fleet　he



had　added　some　city　cohorts；　and　many　of　the　Praetorians；　the　stay　and



strength　of　his　army；　who　might　at　once　advise　and　watch　the　generals。



The　command　of　the　expedition　was　entrusted　to　Antonius　Novellus　and



Suedius　Clemens；　centurions　of　the　first　rank；　and　Aemilius



Pacensis；　to　whom　Otho　had　restored　the　rank　of　tribune；　taken　from



him　by　Galba。　Oscus；　a　freedman；　retained　the　charge　of　the　fleet；　and



went　to　watch　the　fidelity　of　men　more　honourable　than　himself。



Suetonius　Paullinus；　Marius　Celsus；　and　Annius　Gallus；　were



appointed　to　command　the　infantry　and　cavalry。　The　Emperor；　however；



placed　most　confidence　in　Licinius　Proculus；　prefect　of　the　Praetorian



Guard；　an　active　officer　at　home；　without　experience　in　war；　he



founded　perpetual　accusations　on　the　high　influence　of　Paullinus；　on



the　energy　of　Celsus；　on　the　mature　judgment　of　Gallus；　in　fact；　on



each　man's　special　excellence；　a　thing　most　easy　to　do；　and　thus　the



unscrupulous　and　the　cunning　were　preferred　before　the　modest　and



the　good。



　　About　this　time　Cornelius　Dolabella　was　banished　to　the　Colonia



Aquinas；　but　he　was　not　kept　in　strict　or　secret　custody；　it　was　not



for　any　crime　that　he　suffered；　he　was　marked　out　for　suspicion　by　his



ancient　name　and　by　his　relationship　to　Galba。　Many　of　the　officers　of



state　and　a　large　proportion　of　the　men　of　consular　rank　Otho



ordered　to　accompany　him　to　the　field；　not　indeed　to　share　or　serve　in



the　campaign；　but　to　form　a　retinue。　Among　them　was　Lucius



Vitellius；　whom　Otho　treated　as　he　treated　the　rest；　and　not　as　though



he　were　the　brother　either　of　an　Emperor；　or　of　an　enemy。　This



roused　the　anxieties　of　the　capital；　no　rank　was　free　from



apprehension　or　peril。　The　leading　men　of　the　Senate　either　suffered



from　the　infirmities　of　age；　or　were　enervated　by　a　prolonged　peace；



the　nobility　were　indolent　and　had　forgotten　how　to　fight；　the



Equestrian　order　knew　nothing　of　service；　and　the　more　they



endeavoured　to　hide　and　repress　their　alarm　the　more　evident　was　their



terror。　On　the　other　hand；　there　were　some　who　with　senseless



ostentation　purchased　splendid　arms　and　magnificent　horses；　and　some



who　procured　by　way　of　equipments　for　the　war　the　luxurious



furniture　of　the　banquet　and　other　incentives　to　profligacy。　The



wise　looked　to　the　interests　of　peace　and　of　the　Commonwealth；　while



the　giddy　and　those　who　were　thoughtless　of　the　future　were　inflated



with　idle　hopes。　Many　whose　credit　had　been　shaken　in　the　years　of



peace　regained　their　spirits　amidst　the　confusions　of　the　time；　and



found　their　best　safety　in　revolution。



　　The　mob　and　the　people　generally；　whose　vast　numbers　cut　them　off



from　all　interest　in　the　state；　began　by　degrees　to　feel　the　evils



of　war；　now　that　all　the　currency　had　been　diverted　to　the　purposes　of



the　army；　and　the　prices　of　provisions　were　raised。　These　evils　had



not　equally　distressed　the　common　people　during　the　insurrection　of



Vindex；　the　capital　was　safe；　and　the　war　was　in　the　provinces；　and；



fought　as　it　was　between　the　legions　and　Gaul；　it　seemed　but　a　foreign



campaign。　Indeed　from　the　time　that　the　Divine　Augustus　consolidated



the　power　of　the　Caesars；　the　wars　of　the　Roman　people　had　been　in



remote　places；　and　had　caused　anxiety　or　brought　honour　to　but　one



man。　Under　Tiberius　and　Caius　men　dreaded　for　the　Commonwealth　only



the　miseries　of　peace。　The　rising　of　Scribonianus　against　Claudius　was



crushed　as　soon　as　heard　of。　Nero　was　driven　from　power　by　evil



tidings　and　rumours　rather　than　by　the　sword。　Now　the　legions　and



the　fleets　were　brought　into　action；　and　with　them　a　force　used　but　on



few　other　occasions；　the　Praetorian　and　city　soldiery。　In　their　rear



were　the　provinces　of　the　East　and　of　the　West　with　all　their



forces；　had　they　fought　under　other　generals　there　was　all　the



material　for　a　protracted　war。　Many　suggested　to　Otho；　as　he　was



setting　out；　a　religious　obstacle　in　the　fact　that　the　sacred



shields　had　not　been　restored　to　their　place。　He　spurned　all　delay；　as



having　been　Nero's　fatal　mistake；　and　the　fact　that　Caecina　had　now



crossed　the　Alps　urged　him　to　action。



　　On　the　14th　of　March；　after　commending　the　State　to　the　care　of



the　Senate；　he　presented　to　those　who　had　been　recalled　from　exile



what　was　left　of　the　Neronian　confiscations；　or　had　not　yet　been



paid　into　the　Imperial　treasury；　a　most　equitable　and　apparently



most　splendid　piece　of　liberality；　but　practically　worthless；　as　the



property　had　been　hastily　realized　long　before。　Soon　afterwards　he



summoned　an　assembly；　and　enlarged　on　the　dignity　of　the　capital　and



the　unanimity　of　the　Senate　and　people　in　his　favour。　Of　the　party



of　Vitellius　he　spoke　with　moderation；　charging　the　legions　with



ignorance　rather　than　with　crime；　and　making　no　mention　of　Vitellius



himself。　This　moderation　was　either　his　own；　or　was　due　to　the



writer　of　the　speech；　who；　fearing　for　himself；　abstained　from



invectives　against　Vitellius。　For　Otho　was　believed　to　avail　himself



of　the　abilities　of　Galerius　Trachalus　in　civil　matters；　just　as　he



employed　those　of　Celsus　and　Paullinus　in　war。　There　were　some　who



recognized　the　very　style　of　speaking；　which　was　well　known　from　his



constant　pleading　at　the　bar；　and　which　sought　to　fill　the　popular　ear



with　a　copious　and　sonorous　diction。　The　acclamations　and　cries



which　habitual　flattery　prompted　in　the　people　were　at　once



extravagant　and　false。　As　if　they　were　applauding　a　Dictator　like



Caesar；　or　an　Emperor　like　Augustus；　they　vied　with　each　other　in



their　zeal　and　good　wishes。　They　acted　not　from　fear　or　affection；　but



from　the　mere　love　of　servitude；　as　it　might　be　in　some　private



household；　each　had　his　own　motives；　and　the　public　honour　now　went



for　nothing。　Otho　set　out；　leaving　the　peace　of　the　city　and　the　cares



of　empire　in　the　charge　of　his　brother　Salvius　Titianus。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　II；　March　…　August；　A。D。　69







　　IN　A　distant　part　of　the　world　fortune　was　now　preparing　the



origin　and　rise　of　a　new　dynasty；　whose　varied　destinies　brought



happiness　or　misery　on　the　State；　prosperity　or　destruction　on　the



Princes　of　its　line。　Titus　Vespasian　had　been　sent　from　Judaea　by



his　father　while　Galba　still　l