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time　more　temperate　language　was　heard　throughout　the　camp；　and　the



tribunes　and　centurions；　mixing　with　the　troops；　suggested



commendations　of　the　prudence　of　their　general　in　selecting　for　the



rallying　point　and　basis　of　his　operations　a　colony　rich　in　military



strength　and　resources。　Finally；　Spurinna　himself；　not　so　much



reproaching　them　with　their　error　as　exposing　it　by　his　arguments；



conducted　them　all　back　to　Placentia；　except　some　scouts　whom　he　left；



in　a　less　turbulent　temper　and　more　amenable　to　command。　The　walls



were　strengthened；　battlements　were　added；　and　the　towers　were



raised　in　height。　It　was　not　only　of　the　implements　of　war　that



provision　and　preparation　were　made；　but　of　the　spirit　of



subordination　and　the　love　of　obedience。　This　was　all　that　was　wanting



to　the　party；　for　they　had　no　reason　to　be　dissatisfied　with　their



courage。



　　Caecina；　who　seemed　to　have　left　his　cruelty　and　profligacy　on　the



other　side　of　the　Alps；　advanced　through　Italy　with　his　army　under



excellent　discipline。　The　towns　and　colonies；　however；　found



indications　of　a　haughty　spirit　in　the　general's　dress；　when　they



saw　the　cloak　of　various　colours；　and　the　trews；　a　garment　of



foreign　fashion；　clothed　in　which　he　was　wont　to　speak　to　their



toga…clad　citizens。　And　they　resented；　as　if　with　a　sense　of



personal　wrong；　the　conduct　of　his　wife　Salonina；　though　it　injured　no



one　that　she　presented　a　conspicuous　figure　as　she　rode　through



their　towns　on　horseback　in　a　purple　habit。　They　were　acting　on　the



instincts　of　human　nature；　which　prompt　men　to　scrutinize　with　keen



eyes　the　recent　elevation　of　their　fellows；　and　to　demand　a



temperate　use　of　prosperity　from　none　more　rigorously　than　from



those　whom　they　have　seen　on　a　level　with　themselves。　Caecina；　after



crossing　the　Padus；　sought　to　tamper　with　the　loyalty　of　the



Othonianists　at　a　conference　in　which　he　held　out　hopes　of　reward；　and



he　was　himself　assailed　with　the　same　arts。　After　the　specious　but



meaningless　names　of　peace　and　concord　had　been　thus　bandied　to　and



fro；　Caecina　turned　all　his　thoughts　and　plans　on　the　capture　of



Placentia；　making　a　formidable　show　of　preparation；　as　he　knew　that



according　to　the　success　of　his　opening　operations　would　be　the



subsequent　prestige　of　his　arms。



　　The　first　day；　however；　was　spent　in　a　furious　onset　rather　than



in　the　skilful　approaches　of　a　veteran　army。　Exposed　and　reckless；　the



troops　came　close　under　the　walls；　stupefied　by　excess　in　food　and



wine。　In　this　struggle　the　amphitheatre；　a　most　beautiful　building；



situated　outside　the　walls；　was　burnt　to　the　ground；　possibly　set　on



fire　by　the　assailants；　while　they　showered　brands；　fireballs；　and



ignited　missiles；　on　the　besieged；　possibly　by　the　besieged



themselves；　while　they　discharged　incessant　volleys　in　return。　The



populace　of　the　town；　always　inclined　to　be　suspicious；　believed



that　combustibles　had　been　purposely　introduced　into　the　building　by



certain　persons　from　the　neighbouring　colonies；　who　viewed　it　with



envious　and　jealous　eyes；　because　there　was　not　in　Italy　another



building　so　capacious。　Whatever　the　cause　of　the　accident；　it　was



thought　of　but　little　moment　as　long　as　more　terrible　disasters　were



apprehended；　but　as　soon　as　they　again　felt　secure；　they　lamented　it



as　though　they　could　not　have　endured　a　heavier　calamity。　In　the　end



Caecina　was　repulsed　with　great　slaughter　among　his　troops；　and　the



night　was　spent　in　the　preparation　of　siege…works。　The　Vitellianists



constructed　mantlets；　hurdles；　and　sheds；　for　undermining　the　walls



and　screening　the　assailants；　the　Othonianists　busied　themselves　in



preparing　stakes　and　huge　masses　of　stone　and　of　lead　and　brass；



with　which　to　break　and　overwhelm　the　hostile　ranks。　The　shame　of



failure；　the　hope　of　renown；　wrought　on　both　armies；　both　were



appealed　to　by　different　arguments；　on　the　one　side　they　extolled



the　strength　of　the　legions　and　of　the　army　of　Germany；　on　the



other；　the　distinctions　of　the　soldiery　of　the　capital　and　the



Praetorian　cohorts；　the　one　reviled　their　foes　as　slothful　and



indolent　soldiers；　demoralized　by　the　circus　and　the　theatres；　the



others　retorted　with　the　names　of　foreigner　and　barbarian。　At　the　same



time　they　lauded　or　vituperated　Otho　and　Vitellius；　but　found　indeed　a



more　fruitful　source　of　mutual　provocation　in　invective　than　in



praise。



　　Almost　before　dawn　of　day　the　walls　were　crowded　with　combatants；



and　the　plains　glittered　with　masses　of　armed　men。　The　close　array



of　the　legions；　and　the　skirmishing　parties　of　auxiliaries　assailed



with　showers　of　arrows　and　stones　the　loftier　parts　of　the　walls；



attacking　them　at　close　quarters　where　they　were　undefended；　or　old



and　decayed。　The　Othonianists；　who　could　take　a　more　deliberate　and



certain　aim；　poured　down　their　javelins　on　the　German　cohorts　as



they　recklessly　advanced　to　the　attack　with　fierce　war…cries；



brandishing　their　shields　above　their　shoulders　after　the　manner　of



their　country；　and　leaving　their　bodies　unprotected。　The　soldiers　of



the　legions；　working　under　cover　of　mantlets　and　hurdles；　undermined



the　walls；　threw　up　earth…works；　and　endeavoured　to　burst　open　the



gates。　The　Praetorians　opposed　them　by　rolling　down　with　a



tremendous　crash　ponderous　masses　of　rock；　placed　for　the　purpose。



Beneath　these　many　of　the　assailants　were　buried；　and　many；　as　the



slaughter　increased　with　the　confusion；　and　the　attack　from　the



walls　became　fiercer；　retreated　wounded；　fainting；　and　mangled；　with



serious　damage　to　the　prestige　of　the　party。　Caecina；　ashamed　of　the



assault　on　which　he　had　so　rashly　ventured；　and　unwilling；　ridiculed



and　baffled　as　he　was；　to　remain　in　the　same　position；　again　crossed



the　Padus；　and　resolved　on　marching　to　Cremona。　As　he　was　going；



Turullius　Cerialis　with　a　great　number　of　the　levies　from　the　fleet；



and　Julius　Briganticus　with　a　few　troopers；　gave　themselves　up　to　him。



Julius　commanded　a　squadron　of　horse；　he　was　a　Batavian。　Turullius　was



a　centurion　of　the　first　rank；　not　unfriendly　to　Caecina；　as　he　had



commanded　a　company　in　Germany。



　　Spurinna；　on　discovering　the　enemy's　route；　informed　Annius　Gallus



by　letter　of　the　successful　defence　of　Placentia；　of　what　had



happened；　and　of　what　Caecina　intended　to　do。　Gallus　was　then　bringing



up　the　first　legion　to　the　relief　of　Placentia；　he　hardly　dared



trust　so　few　cohorts；　fearing　that　they　could　not　sustain　a



prolonged　siege　or　the　formidable　attack　of　the　German　army。　On



hearing　that　Caecina　had　been　repulsed；　and　was　making　his　way　to



Cremona；　though　the　legion　could　hardly　be　restrained；　and　in　its



eagerness　for　action；　even　went　to　the　length　of　open　mutiny；　he



halted　at　Bedriacum。　This　is　a　village　situated　between　Verona　and



Cremona；　and　has　now　acquired　an　ill…omened　celebrity　by　two　great



days　of　disaster　to　Rome。　About　the　same　time　Martius　Macer　fought　a



successful　battle　not　far　from　Cremona。　Martius；　who　was　a　man　of



energy；　conveyed　his　gladiators　in　boats　across　the　Padus；　and



suddenly　threw　them　upon　the　opposite　bank。　The　Vitellianist



auxiliaries　on　the　spot　were　routed；　those　who　made　a　stand　were　cut



to　pieces；　the　rest　directing　their　flight　to　Cremona。　But　the



impetuosity　of　the　victors　was　checked；　for　it　was　feared　that　the



enemy　might　be　strengthened　by　reinforcements；　and　change　the



fortune　of　the　day。　This　policy　excited　the　suspicions　of　the



Othonianists；　who　put　a　sinister　construction　on　all　the　acts　of　their



generals。　Vying　with　each　other　in　an　insolence　of　language



proportioned　to　their　cowardice　of　heart；　they　assailed　with　various



accusations　Annius　Gallus；　Suetonius　Paullinus；　and　Marius　Celsus。　The



murderers　of　Galba　were　the　most　ardent　promoters　of　mutiny　and



discord。　Frenzied　with　fear　and　guilt；　they　sought　to　plunge



everything　into　confusion；　resorting；　now　to　openly　seditious



language；　now　to　secret　letters　to　Otho；　and　he；　ever　ready　to　believe



the　meanest　of　men　and　suspicious　of　the　good；　irresolute　in



prosperity；　but　rising　higher　under　reverses；　was　in　perpetual



alarm。　The　end　of　it　was　that　he　sent　for　his　brother　Titianus；　and



intrusted　him　with　the　direction　of　the　campaign。



　　Meanwhile；　brilliant　successes　were　gained　under　the　command　of



Celsus　and　Paullinus。　Caecina　was　greatly　annoyed　by　the　fruitlessness



of　all　his　undertakings；　and　by　the　waning　reputation　of　his　army。



He　had　been　repulsed　from　Placentia；　his　auxiliaries　had　been　recently



cut　up；　and　even　when　the　skirmishers　had　met　in　a　series　of



actions；　frequent　indeed；　but　not　worth　relating；　he　had　been　worsted；



and　now　that　Valens　was　coming　up；　fearful　that　all　the　distinctions



of　the　campaign　would　centre　in