histories-第26节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




the　danger　of　another　made　him　tremble　for　himself；　and；　lest　he　might



seem　to　have　helped　the　accused；　he　precipitated　his　fall。



　　Upon　this；　Vitellius；　who；　besides　fearing　Dolabella；　hated　him；



because　he　had　married　Petronia；　his　former　wife；　summoned　him　by



letter；　and　at　the　same　time　gave　orders　that；　without　passing　along



the　much　frequented　thoroughfare　of　the　Flaminian　road；　he　should　turn



aside　to　Interamna；　and　there　be　put　to　death。　This　seemed　too　tedious



to　the　executioner；　who　in　a　road…side　tavern　struck　down　his



prisoner；　and　cut　his　throat。　The　act　brought　great　odium　upon　the　new



reign；　and　was　noted　as　the　first　indication　of　its　character。



Triaria's　recklessness　was　rendered　more　intolerable　by　an　immediate



contrast　with　the　exemplary　virtue　of　Galeria；　the　Emperor's　wife；　who



took　no　part　in　these　horrors；　and　with　Sextilia；　the　mother　of　the



two　Vitellii；　a　woman　equally　blameless；　and　of　the　old　type　of



character。　She　indeed　is　said　to　have　exclaimed　on　receiving　the　first



letter　from　her　son；　〃I　am　the　mother；　not　of　Germanicus；　but　of



Vitellius。〃　And　in　after　days　no　seductions　of　fortune；　no　flattery



from　the　State；　could　move　her　to　exultation；　it　was　only　the



misfortunes　of　her　family　that　she　felt。



　　M。　Cluvius　Rufus；　who　had　left　his　government　in　Spain；　came　up　with



Vitellius　after　his　departure　from　Lugdunum。　He　wore　a　look　of　joy　and



congratulation；　but　he　was　anxious　at　heart；　for　he　knew　that　he　was



the　object　of　accusations。　Hilarius；　the　Emperor's　freedman；　had



indeed　brought　this　charge　against　him；　that　on　hearing　of　the　contest



for　the　throne　between　Vitellius　and　Otho；　he　had　made　an　attempt　to



secure　power　for　himself；　and　to　obtain　possession　of　Spain；　and



that　with　this　view　he　had　not　headed　his　passports　with　the　name　of



any　Emperor。　Some　extracts　from　the　speeches　of　Rufus　he　represented



as　insulting　to　Vitellius；　and　intended　to　win　popularity　for　himself。



So　strong；　however；　was　the　influence　of　Cluvius；　that　Vitellius



actually　ordered　the　freedman　to　be　punished。　Cluvius　was　attached



to　the　Emperor's　retinue；　Spain　however　was　not　taken　from　him；　he



still　governed　the　province　though　not　resident；　as　L。　Arruntius　had



done　before　him；　whom　Tiberius　Caesar　detained　at　home；　because　he



feared　him；　it　was　not　from　any　apprehension　that　Vitellius　kept



Cluvius　with　him。　The　same　compliment　was　not　paid　to　Trebellius



Maximus。　He　had　fled　from　Britain　because　of　the　exasperation　of　the



soldiery。　Vettius　Bolanus；　who　was　then　accompanying　the　Emperor；



was　sent　to　succeed　him。



　　Vitellius　was　troubled　by　the　spirit　of　the　vanquished　legions；



which　was　anything　but　broken。　Scattered　through　all　parts　of　Italy；



and　mingled　with　the　conquerors；　they　spoke　the　language　of　enemies。



The　soldiers　of　the　14th　legion　were　peculiarly　furious。　They　said



that　they　had　not　been　vanquished；　that　at　the　battle　of　Bedriacum



only　the　veterans　had　been　beaten；　and　that　the　strength　of　the　legion



had　been　absent。　It　was　resolved　that　these　troops　should　be　sent　back



to　Britain；　from　which　province　Nero　had　summoned　them；　and　that　the



Batavian　cohorts　should　in　the　meantime　be　quartered　with　them；



because　there　was　an　old　feud　between　them　and　the　14th。　In　the



presence　of　such　animosities　between　these　armed　masses；　harmony　did



not　last　long。　At　Augusta　of　the　Taurini　it　happened　that　a　Batavian



soldier　fiercely　charged　some　artisan　with　having　cheated　him；　and



that　a　soldier　of　the　legion　took　the　part　of　his　host。　Each　man's



comrades　gathered　round　him；　from　words　they　came　to　blows；　and　a



fierce　battle　would　have　broken　out；　had　not　two　Praetorian　cohorts



taken　the　side　of　the　14th；　and　given　confidence　to　them；　while　they



intimidated　the　Batavians。　Vitellius　then　ordered　that　these　latter



troops　should　be　attached　to　his　own　force；　in　consideration　of



their　loyalty；　and　that　the　legion　should　pass　over　the　Graian　Alps；



and　then　take　that　line　of　road；　by　which　they　would　avoid　passing



Vienna；　for　the　inhabitants　of　that　place　were　also　suspected。　On



the　night　of　the　departure　of　the　legion；　a　part　of　the　Colonia



Taurina　was　destroyed　by　the　fires　which　were　left　in　every　direction。



This　loss；　like　many　of　the　evils　of　war；　was　forgotten　in　the　greater



disasters　which　happened　to　other　cities。　When　the　14th　had　made　the



descent　on　the　other　side　of　the　Alps；　the　most　mutinous　among　them



were　for　carrying　the　standards　to　Vienna。　They　were　checked；　however；



by　the　united　efforts　of　the　better　disposed；　and　the　legion　was



transported　into　Britain。



　　Vitellius　found　his　next　cause　of　apprehension　in　the　Praetorian



cohorts。　They　were　first　divided；　and　then　ordered；　though　with　the



gratifying　compliment　of　an　honourable　discharge；　to　give　up　their



arms　to　their　tribunes。　But　as　the　arms　Vespasian　gathered　strength；



they　returned　to　their　old　service；　and　constituted　the　mainstay　of



the　Flavianist　party。　The　first　legion　from　the　fleet　was　sent　into



Spain；　that　in　the　peaceful　repose　of　that　province　their　excitement



might　subside；　the　7th　and　11th　were　sent　back　to　their　winter



quarters；　the；　13th　were　ordered　to　erect　amphitheatres；　for　both



Caecina　at　Cremona；　and　Valens　at　Bononia；　were　preparing　to　exhibit



shows　of　gladiators。　Vitellius　indeed　was　never　so　intent　on　the　cares



of　Empire　as　to　forget　his　pleasures。



　　Though　he　had　thus　quietly　divided　the　conquered　party；　there



arose　a　disturbance　among　the　conquerors。　It　began　in　sport；　but　the



number　of　those　who　fell　aggravated　the　horrors　of　the　war。



Vitellius　had　sat　down　to　a　banquet　at　Ticinum；　and　had　invited



Verginius　to　be　his　guest。　The　legates　and　tribunes　always　follow



the　character　of　the　Emperor；　and　either　imitate　his　strictness；　or



indulge　in　early　conviviality。　And　the　soldiers　in　like　manner　are



either　diligent　or　lax　in　their　duty。　About　Vitellius　all　was　disorder



and　drunkenness；　more　like　a　nocturnal　feast　and　revel　than　a　properly



disciplined　camp。　Thus　it　happened　that　two　soldiers；　one　of　whom



belonged　to　the　5th　legion；　while　the　other　was　one　of　the　Gallic



auxiliaries；　challenged　each　other　in　sport　to　a　wrestling　match。



The　legionary　was　thrown；　and　the　Gaul　taunted　him。　The　soldiers　who



had　assembled　to　witness　the　contest　took　different　sides；　till　the



legionaries　made　a　sudden　and　murderous　attack　on　the　auxiliary



troops；　and　destroyed　two　cohorts。　The　first　disturbance　was　checked



only　by　a　second。　A　cloud　of　dust　and　the　glitter　of　arms　were　seen　at



a　distance。　A　sudden　cry　was　raised　that　the　14th　legion　had



retraced　its　steps；　and　was　advancing　to　the　attack。　It　was　in　fact



the　rearguard　of　the　army；　and　their　recognition　removed　the　cause



of　alarm。　Meanwhile　a　slave　of　Verginius　happened　to　come　in　their



way。　He　was　charged　with　having　designed　the　assassination　of



Vitellius。　The　soldiers　rushed　to　the　scene　of　the　banquet；　and　loudly



demanded　the　death　of　Verginius。　Even　Vitellius；　tremblingly　alive



as　he　was　to　all　suspicions；　had　no　doubt　of　his　innocence。　Yet　he



could　hardly　check　the　troops　when　they　clamoured　for　the　death　of　a



man　of　consular　rank；　formerly　their　own　general。　Indeed　there　was



no　one　who　was　more　frequently　the　object　of　all　kinds　of　outbreaks



than　Verginius；　the　man　still　was　admired；　still　retained　his　high



reputation；　but　they　hated　him　with　the　hatred　of　those　who　are



despised。



　　The　next　day　Vitellius；　after　giving　audience　to　the　envoys　from　the



Senate　whom　he　had　ordered　to　wait　for　him　there；　proceeded　to　the



camp；　and　actually　bestowed　high　praise　on　the　loyalty　of　the



soldiers。　The　auxiliary　troops　loudly　complained　that　such　complete



impunity；　such　privileged　arrogance；　was　accorded　to　the　legions。



The　Batavian　cohorts　were　sent　back　to　Germany；　lest　they　should



venture　on　further　violence。　Destiny　was　thus　simultaneously　preparing



the　occasions　of　civil　and　of　foreign　war。　The　Gallic　auxiliaries　were



sent　back　to　their　respective　states；　a　vast　body　of　men；　which　in　the



very　earliest　stage　of　the　revolt　had　been　employed　to　make　an　idle



show　of　strength。　Besides　this；　in　order　to　eke　out　the　Imperial



resources；　which　had　been　impaired　by　a　series　of　bounties；　directions



were　given　that　the　battalions　of　the　legions　and　the　auxiliary　forces



should　be　reduced；　all　recruiting　being　forbidden。　Discharges　were



offered　without　distinction。　This　measure　was　disastrous　to　the　State；



and　distasteful　to　the　soldier；　who　found　that　the　same　duty　was



distributed　among　a　smaller　number；　and　that　his　toils　and　risks



came　round　in　a　more　frequent　succession。　Their　vigour　too　was



undermined　by　luxury；　a　luxury　that　transgressed　our　ancient



discipline　and　the　customs