histories-第3节

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own　aims；　were　divided　in　the　affair　of　choosing　a　successor；　into　two



opposing　factions。　T。　Vinius　was　for　Marcus　Otho；　Laco　and　Icelus



agreed；　not　indeed　in　supporting　any　particular　individual；　but　in



striving　for　some　one　else。　Galba　indeed　was　aware　of　the　friendship



between　Vinius　and　Otho；　the　gossip　of　those　who　allow　nothing　to　pass



in　silence　had　named　them　as　father…in…law　and　son…in…law；　for



Vinius　had　a　widowed　daughter；　and　Otho　was　unmarried。　I　believe



that　he　had　also　at　heart　some　care　for　the　commonwealth；　in　vain；



he　would　think；　rescued　from　Nero；　if　it　was　to　be　left　with　Otho。　For



Otho's　had　been　a　neglected　boyhood　and　a　riotous　youth；　and　he　had



made　himself　agreeable　to　Nero　by　emulating　his　profligacy。　For　this



reason　the　Emperor　had　entrusted　to　him；　as　being　the　confidant　of　his



amours；　Poppaea　Sabina；　the　imperial　favourite；　until　he　could　rid



himself　of　his　wife　Octavia。　Soon　suspecting　him　with　regard　to　this



same　Poppaea；　he　sent　him　out　of　the　way　to　the　province　of　Lusitania；



ostensibly　to　be　its　governor。　Otho　ruled　the　province　with



mildness；　and；　as　he　was　the　first　to　join　Galba's　party；　was　not



without　energy；　and；　while　the　war　lasted；　was　the　most　conspicuous　of



the　Emperor's　followers；　he　was　led　to　cherish　more　and　more



passionately　every　day　those　hopes　of　adoption　which　he　had



entertained　from　the　first。　Many　of　the　soldiers　favoured　him；　and　the



court　was　biassed　in　his　favour；　because　he　resembled　Nero。



　　When　Galba　heard　of　the　mutiny　in　Germany；　though　nothing　was　as　yet



known　about　Vitellius；　he　felt　anxious　as　to　the　direction　which　the



violence　of　the　legions　might　take；　while　he　could　not　trust　even



the　soldiery　of　the　capital。　He　therefore　resorted　to　what　he　supposed



to　be　the　only　remedy；　and　held　a　council　for　the　election　of　an



emperor。　To　this　he　summoned；　besides　Vinius　and　Laco；　Marius



Celsus；　consul　elect；　and　Ducennius　Geminus；　prefect　of　the　city。



Having　first　said　a　few　words　about　his　advanced　years；　he　ordered



Piso　Licinianus　to　be　summoned。　It　is　uncertain　whether　he　acted　on



his　own　free　choice；　or；　as　believed　by　some；　under　the　influence　of



Laco；　who　through　Rubellius　Plautus　had　cultivated　the　friendship　of



Piso。　But；　cunningly　enough；　it　was　as　a　stranger　that　Laco



supported　him；　and　the　high　character　of　Piso　gave　weight　to　his



advice。　Piso；　who　was　the　son　of　M。　Crassus　and　Scribonia；　and　thus　of



noble　descent　on　both　sides；　was　in　look　and　manner　a　man　of　the　old



type。　Rightly　judged；　he　seemed　a　stern　man；　morose　to　those　who



estimated　him　less　favourably。　This　point　in　his　character　pleased　his



adopted　father　in　proportion　as　it　raised　the　anxious　suspicions　of



others。



　　We　are　told　that　Galba；　taking　hold　of　Piso's　hand；　spoke　to　this



effect：　〃If　I　were　a　private　man；　and　were　now　adopting　you　by　the　Act



of　the　Curiae　before　the　Pontiffs；　as　our　custom　is；　it　would　be　a



high　honour　to　me　to　introduce　into　my　family　a　descendant　of　Cn。



Pompeius　and　M。　Crassus；　it　would　be　a　distinction　to　you　to　add　to



the　nobility　of　your　race　the　honours　of　the　Sulpician　and　Lutatian



houses。　As　it　is；　I；　who　have　been　called　to　the　throne　by　the



unanimous　consent　of　gods　and　men；　am　moved　by　your　splendid



endowments　and　by　my　own　patriotism　to　offer　to　you；　a　man　of　peace；



that　power；　for　which　our　ancestors　fought；　and　which　I　myself



obtained　by　war。　I　am　following　the　precedent　of　the　Divine



Augustus；　who　placed　on　an　eminence　next　to　his　own；　first　his



nephew　Marcellus；　then　his　son…in…law　Agrippa；　afterwards　his



grandsons；　and　finally　Tiberius　Nero；　his　stepson。　But　Augustus　looked



for　a　successor　in　his　own　family；　I　look　for　one　in　the　state；　not



because　I　have　no　relatives　or　companions　of　my　campaigns；　but　because



it　was　not　by　any　private　favour　that　I　myself　received　the　imperial



power。　Let　the　principle　of　my　choice　be　shown　not　only　by　my



connections　which　I　have　set　aside　for　you；　but　by　your　own。　You



have　a　brother；　noble　as　yourself；　and　older；　who　would　be　well　worthy



of　this　dignity；　were　you　not　worthier。　Your　age　is　such　as　to　be



now　free　from　the　passions　of　youth；　and　such　your　life　that　in　the



past　you　have　nothing　to　excuse。　Hitherto；　you　have　only　borne



adversity；　prosperity　tries　the　heart　with　keener　temptations；　for



hardships　may　be　endured；　whereas　we　are　spoiled　by　success。　You



indeed　will　cling　with　the　same　constancy　to　honor；　freedom；



friendship；　the　best　possessions　of　the　human　spirit；　but　others



will　seek　to　weaken　them　with　their　servility。　You　will　be　fiercely



assailed　by　adulation；　by　flattery；　that　worst　poison　of　the　true



heart；　and　by　the　selfish　interests　of　individuals。　You　and　I　speak



together　to…day　with　perfect　frankness；　but　others　will　be　more



ready　to　address　us　as　emperors　than　as　men。　For　to　urge　his　duty　upon



a　prince　is　indeed　a　hard　matter；　to　flatter　him；　whatever　his



character；　is　a　mere　routine　gone　through　without　any　heart。



　　〃Could　the　vast　frame　of　this　empire　have　stood　and　preserved　its



balance　without　a　directing　spirit；　I　was　not　unworthy　of　inaugurating



a　republic。　As　it　is；　we　have　been　long　reduced　to　a　position；　in



which　my　age　confer　no　greater　boon　on　the　Roman　people　than　a　good



successor；　your　youth　no　greater　than　a　good　emperor。　Under



Tuberous；　Chairs；　and　Claudius；　we　were；　so　to　speak；　the



inheritance　of　a　single　family。　The　choice　which　begins　with　us　will



be　a　substitute　for　freedom。　Now　that　the　family　of　the　Julii　and



the　Claudii　has　come　to　an　end；　adoption　will　discover　the　worthiest



successor。　To　be　begotten　and　born　of　a　princely　race　is　a　mere



accident；　and　is　only　valued　as　such。　In　adoption　there　is　nothing



that　need　bias　the　judgment；　and　if　you　wish　to　make　a　choice；　an



unanimous　opinion　points　out　the　man。　Let　Nero　be　ever　before　your



eyes；　swollen　with　the　pride　of　a　long　line　of　Caesars；　it　was　not



Vindex　with　his　unarmed　province；　it　was　not　myself　with　my　single



legion；　that　shook　his　yoke　from　our　necks。　It　was　his　own　profligacy；



his　own　brutality；　and　that；　though　there　had　been　before　no　precedent



of　an　emperor　condemned　by　his　own　people。　We；　who　have　been　called　to



power　by　the　issues　of　war；　and　by　the　deliberate　judgment　of



others；　shall　incur　unpopularity；　however　illustrious　our　character。



Do　not　however　be　alarmed；　if；　after　a　movement　which　has　shaken　the



world；　two　legions　are　not　yet　quiet。　I　did　not　myself　succeed　to　a



throne　without　anxiety；　and　when　men　shall　hear　of　your　adoption　I



shall　no　longer　be　thought　old；　and　this　is　the　only　objection　which



is　now　made　against　me。　Nero　will　always　be　regretted　by　the



thoroughly　depraved；　it　is　for　you　and　me　to　take　care；　that　he　be　not



regretted　also　by　the　good。　To　prolong　such　advice；　suits　not　this



occasion；　and　all　my　purpose　is　fulfilled　if　I　have　made　a　good　choice



in　you。　The　most　practical　and　the　shortest　method　of　distinguishing



between　good　and　bad　measures；　is　to　think　what　you　yourself　would



or　would　not　like　under　another　emperor。　It　is　not　here；　as　it　is



among　nations　despotically　ruled；　that　there　is　a　distinct　governing



family；　while　all　the　rest　are　slaves。　You　have　to　reign　over　men



who　cannot　bear　either　absolute　slavery　or　absolute　freedom。〃　This；



with　more　to　the　same　effect；　was　said　by　Galba；　he　spoke　to　Piso　as



if　he　were　creating　an　emperor；　the　others　addressed　him　as　if　he　were



an　emperor　already。



　　It　is　said　of　Piso　that　he　betrayed　no　discomposure　or　excessive



joy；　either　to　the　gaze　to　which　he　was　immediately　subjected；　or



afterwards　when　all　eyes　were　turned　upon　him。　His　language　to　the



Emperor；　his　father；　was　reverential；　his　language　about　himself　was



modest。　He　shewed　no　change　in　look　or　manner；　he　seemed　like　one



who　had　the　power　rather　than　the　wish　to　rule。　It　was　next



discussed　whether　the　adoption　should　be　publicly　pronounced　in



front　of　the　Rostra；　in　the　Senate；　or　in　the　camp。　It　was　thought



best　to　go　to　the　camp。　This　would　be　a　compliment　to　the　soldiery；



and　their　favour；　base　as　it　was　to　purchase　it　by　bribery　or



intrigue；　was　not　to　be　despised　if　it　could　be　obtained　by　honourable



means。　Meanwhile　the　expectant　people　had　surrounded　the　palace；



impatient　to　learn　the　great　secret；　and　those　who　sought　to　stifle



the　ill…concealed　rumour　did　but　spread　it　the　more。



　　The　10th　of　January　was　a　gloomy；　stormy　day；　unusually　disturbed　by



thunder；　lightning；　and　all　bad　omens　from　heaven。　Though　this　had



from　ancient　time　been　made　a　reason　for　dissolving　an　assembly；　it



did　not　deter　Galba　from　proceeding　to　the　camp；　either　because　he



despised　such　things　as　being　mere　matters　of　chance；　or　because　the



decrees　of　fate；　thoug