histories-第28节

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birth　Nero　surpassed　Vitellius。　The　man　who　is　afraid　sees　distinction



enough　in　any　one　whom　he　fears。　That　an　Emperor　can　be　created　by　the



army；　Vitellius　is　himself　a　proof；　who；　though　he　had　seen　no　service



and　had　no　military　reputation；　was　raised　to　the　throne　by　the



unpopularity　of　Galba。　Otho；　who　was　overcome；　not　indeed　by　skilful



generalship；　or　by　a　powerful　enemy；　but　by　his　own　premature　despair；



this　man　has　made　into　a　great　and　deservedly　regretted　Emperor；　and



all　the　while　he　is　disbanding　his　legions；　disarming　his　auxiliaries；



and　sowing　every　day　fresh　seeds　of　civil　war。　All　the　energy　and　high



spirit　which　once　belonged　to　his　army　is　wasted　in　the　revelry　of



taverns　and　in　aping　the　debaucheries　of　their　chief。　You　have　from



Judaea；　Syria；　and　Egypt；　nine　fresh　legions；　unexhausted　by　battle；



uncorrupted　by　dissension；　you　have　a　soldiery　hardened　by　habits　of



warfare　and　victorious　over　foreign　foes；　you　have　strong　fleets；



auxiliaries　both　horse　and　foot；　kings　most　faithful　to　your　cause；



and　an　experience　in　which　you　excel　all　other　men。



　　〃For　myself　I　will　claim　nothing　more　than　not　to　be　reckoned



inferior　to　Valens　and　Caecina。　But　do　not　spurn　Mucianus　as　an



associate；　because　you　do　not　find　in　him　a　rival。　I　count　myself



better　than　Vitellius；　I　count　you　better　than　myself。　Your　house　is



ennobled　by　the　glories　of　a　triumph；　it　has　two　youthful　scions；



one　of　whom　is　already　equal　to　the　cares　of　Empire；　and　in　the



earliest　years　of　his　military　career　won　renown　with　these　very



armies　of　Germany。　It　would　be　ridiculous　in　me　not　to　waive　my　claims



to　Empire　in　favour　of　the　man　whose　son　I　should　adopt；　were　I　myself



Emperor。　Between　us；　however；　there　will　not　be　an　equal



distribution　of　the　fruits　of　success　or　failure。　If　we　are



victorious。　I　shall　have　whatever　honour　you　think　fit　to　bestow　on



me；　the　danger　and　the　peril　we　shall　share　alike；　nay；　I　would　rather



have　you；　as　is　the　better　policy；　direct　your　armies；　and　leave　to　me



the　conduct　of　the　war　and　the　hazards　of　battle。　At　this　very



moment　a　stricter　discipline　prevails　among　the　conquered　than　among



the　conquerors。　The　conquered　are　fired　to　valour　by　anger；　by　hatred；



by　the　desire　of　vengeance；　while　the　conquerors　are　losing　their



energy　in　pride　and　insolence。　War　will　of　itself　discover　and　lay



open　the　hidden　and　rankling　wounds　of　the　victorious　party。　And；



indeed；　your　vigilance；　economy；　and　wisdom；　do　not　inspire　me　with



greater　confidence　of　success　than　do　the　indolence；　ignorance；　and



cruelty　of　Vitellius。　Once　at　war；　we　have　a　better　cause　than　we



can　have　in　peace；　for　those　who　deliberate　on　revolt　have　revolted



already。〃



　　After　this　speech　from　Mucianus；　the　other　officers　crowded　round



Vespasian　with　fresh　confidence；　encouraging　him；　and　reminding　him　of



the　responses　of　prophets　and　the　movements　of　the　heavenly　bodies。



Nor　was　Vespasian　proof　against　this　superstition；　for　afterwards；



when　master　of　the　world；　he　openly　retained　one　Seleucus；　an



astrologer；　to　direct　his　counsels；　and　to　foretell　the　future。　Old



omens　now　recurred　to　his　thoughts。　A　cypress　tree　of　remarkable



height　on　his　estate　had　suddenly　fallen；　and　rising　again　the



following　day　on　the　very　same　spot；　had　flourished　with　majestic



beauty　and　even　broader　shade。　This；　as　the　Haruspices　agreed；　was



an　omen　of　brilliant　success；　and　the　highest　distinction　seemed



prophesied　to　Vespasian　in　early　youth。　At　first；　however；　the　honours



of　a　triumph；　his　consulate；　and　the　glory　of　his　victories　in　Judaea；



appeared　to　have　justified　the　truth　of　the　omen。　When　he　had　won



these　distinctions；　he　began　to　believe　that　it　portended　the　Imperial



power。　Between　Judaea　and　Syria　is　Mount　Carmel；　this　is　the　name　both



of　the　mountain　and　the　Deity。　They　have　no　image　of　the　god　nor　any



temple；　the　tradition　of　antiquity　recognises　only　an　altar　and　its



sacred　association。　While　Vespasian　was　there　offering　sacrifice　and



pondering　his　secret　hopes；　Basilides　the　priest；　after　repeated



inspections　of　the　entrails；　said　to　him；　〃Whatever　be　your



purposes；　Vespasian；　whether　you　think　of　building　a　house；　of



enlarging　your　estate；　or　augmenting　the　number　of　your　slaves；



there　is　given　you　a　vast　habitation；　boundless　territory；　a　multitude



of　men。〃　These　obscure　intimations　popular　rumour　had　at　once　caught



up；　and　now　began　to　interpret。　Nothing　was　more　talked　about　by　the



common　people。　In　Vespasian's　presence　the　topic　was　more　frequently



discussed；　because　to　the　aspirant　himself　men　have　more　to　say。



　　With　purposes　no　longer　doubtful　they　parted；　Mucianus　for



Antioch；　Vespasian　for　Caesarea。　These　cities　are　the　capitals　of



Syria　and　Judaea　respectively。　The　initiative　in　transferring　the



Empire　to　Vespasian　was　taken　at　Alexandria　under　the　prompt　direction



of　Tiberius　Alexander；　who　on　the　1st　of　July　made　the　legions　swear



allegiance　to　him。　That　day　was　ever　after　celebrated　as　the　first



of　his　reign；　though　the　army　of　Judaea　on　July　3rd　took　the　oath　to



Vespasian　in　person　with　such　eager　alacrity　that　they　would　not



wait　for　the　return　of　his　son　Titus；　who　was　then　on　his　way　back



from　Syria；　acting　as　the　medium　between　Mucianus　and　his　father　for



the　communication　of　their　plans。　All　this　was　done　by　the　impulsive



action　of　the　soldiers　without　the　preliminary　of　a　formal　harangue　or



any　concentration　of　the　legions。



　　While　they　were　seeking　a　suitable　time　and　place；　and　for　that



which　in　such　an　affair　is　the　great　difficulty；　the　first　man　to



speak；　while　hope；　fear；　the　chances　of　success　or　of　disaster；　were



present　to　their　minds；　one　day；　on　Vespasian　quitting　his　chamber；



a　few　soldiers　who　stood　near；　in　the　usual　form　in　which　they　would



salute　their　legate；　suddenly　saluted　him　as　Emperor。　Then　all　the



rest　hurried　up；　called　him　Caesar　and　Augustus；　and　heaped　on　him　all



the　titles　of　Imperial　rank。　Their　minds　had　passed　from



apprehension　to　confidence　of　success。　In　Vespasian　there　appeared



no　sign　of　elation　or　arrogance；　or　of　any　change　arising　from　his



changed　fortunes。　As　soon　as　he　had　dispelled　the　mist　with　which　so



astonishing　a　vicissitude　had　clouded　his　vision；　he　addressed　the



troops　in　a　soldier…like　style；　and　listened　to　the　joyful



intelligence　that　came　pouring　in　from　all　quarters。　This　was　the　very



opportunity　for　which　Mucianus　had　been　waiting。　He　now　at　once



administered　to　the　eager　soldiers　the　oath　of　allegiance　to



Vespasian。　Then　he　entered　the　theatre　at　Antioch；　where　it　is



customary　for　the　citizens　to　hold　their　public　deliberations；　and



as　they　crowded　together　with　profuse　expressions　of　flattery；　he



addressed　them。　He　could　speak　Greek　with　considerable　grace；　and　in



all　that　he　did　and　said　he　had　the　art　of　displaying　himself　to



advantage。　Nothing　excited　the　provincials　and　the　army　so　much　as　the



assertion　of　Mucianus　that　Vitellius　had　determined　to　remove　the



legions　of　Germany　to　Syria；　to　an　easy　and　lucrative　service；　while



the　armies　of　Syria　were　to　have　given　them　in　exchange　the



encampments　of　Germany　with　their　inclement　climate　and　their



harassing　toils。　On　the　one　hand；　the　provincials　from　long　use　felt　a



pleasure　in　the　companionship　of　the　soldiers；　with　whom　many　of



them　were　connected　by　friendship　or　relationship；　on　the　other；　the



soldiers　from　the　long　duration　of　their　service　loved　the



well…known　and　familiar　camp　as　a　home。



　　Before　the　15th　of　July　the　whole　of　Syria　had　adopted　the　same



alliance。　There　joined　him；　each　with　his　entire　kingdom；　Sohemus；　who



had　no　contemptible　army；　and　Antiochus；　who　possessed　vast



ancestral　wealth；　and　was　the　richest　of　all　the　subject…kings。　Before



long　Agrippa；　who　had　been　summoned　from　the　capital　by　secret



despatches　from　his　friends；　while　as　yet　Vitellius　knew　nothing；



was　crossing　the　sea　with　all　speed。　Queen　Berenice　too；　who　was



then　in　the　prime　of　youth　and　beauty；　and　who　had　charmed　even　the



old　Vespasian　by　the　splendour　of　her　presents；　promoted　his　cause



with　equal　zeal。　All　the　provinces　washed　by　the　sea；　as　far　as　Asia



and　Achaia；　and　the　whole　expanse　of　country　inland　towards　Pontus　and



Armenia；　took　the　oath　of　allegiance。　The　legates；　however；　of　these



provinces　were　without　troops；　Cappadocia　as　yet　having　had　no　legions



assigned　to　it。　A　council　was　held　at　Berytus　to　deliberate　on　the



general　conduct　of　the　war。　Thither　came　Mucianus　with　the　legates　and



tribunes　and　all　the　most　distinguished　centurions　and　soldiers；　and



thither　also　the　picked　troops　of　the　army　of　Judaea。　Such　a　vast



assemblage　of　cavalry　and　infantry；　and　the　pomp　of　the　kings　that