histories-第31节

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had　restored　the　fortunes　of　the　party；　and　his　victory　had　reversed



the　unfavourable　rumours　occasioned　by　his　tardy　advance。　The　entire



army　too　of　Lower　Germany　was　attached　to　him；　this　circumstance；　it



is　thought；　first　made　the　allegiance　of　Caecina　waver。



　　Much　however　as　Vitellius　indulged　his　generals；　his　soldiers



enjoyed　yet　greater　licence。　Every　one　chose　his　own　service。



However　unfit；　he　might；　if　he　preferred　it；　be　enrolled　among　the



soldiers　of　the　capital。　Soldiers　again　of　good　character　were



allowed；　if　they　so　wished；　to　remain　with　the　legions；　or　in　the



cavalry；　and　this　was　the　choice　of　many　who　were　worn　out　with



disease；　or　who　shrank　from　the　unhealthiness　of　the　climate。　But



the　main　strength　of　the　legions　and　cavalry　was　drafted　from　them；



while　the　old　glory　of　the　Praetorian　camp　was　destroyed　by　these



20；000　men　indiscriminately　taken　rather　than　chosen　out　of　the



whole　army。　While　Vitellius　was　haranguing　the　troops；　the　men



called　out　for　the　execution　of　Asiaticus；　and　of　Flavius　and　Rufinus；



the　Gallic　chieftains；　because　they　had　fought　for　Vindex。　He　never



checked　these　cries；　for　to　say　nothing　of　the　cowardice　natural　to



that　feeble　soul；　he　was　aware　that　the　distribution　of　a　donative　was



imminent；　and；　having　no　money；　he　lavished　everything　else　on　the



soldiers。　A　contribution　in　the　form　of　a　tax　was　exacted　from　the



freedmen　of　former　Emperors　in　proportion　to　the　number　of　their





slaves。　Vitellius　himself；　thinking　only　how　to　squander；　was　building



a　stable　for　his　charioteers；　was　filling　the　circus　with　shows　of



gladiators　and　wild　beasts；　and　fooling　away　his　money　as　if　he　had



the　most　abundant　supplies。



　　Moreover　Caecina　and　Valens　celebrated　the　birthday　of　Vitellius



by　exhibiting　in　every　quarter　of　the　city　shows　of　gladiators　on　a



vast　and　hitherto　unparalleled　scale。　He　pleased　the　most　infamous



characters；　but　utterly　disgusted　all　the　respectable　citizens；　by



building　altars　in　the　Campus　Martius；　and　performing　funeral　rites　to



Nero。　Victims　were　slaughtered　and　burnt　in　the　name　of　the　State；　the



pile　was　kindled　by　the　Augustales；　an　order　of　the　priesthood



dedicated　by　the　Emperor　Tiberius　to　the　Julian　family；　just　as



Romulus　had　dedicated　one　to　king　Tatius。　Within　four　months　from



the　victory　of　Bedriacum；　Asiaticus；　the　Emperor's　freedman；　was



rivalling　the　Polycleti；　the　Patrobii；　and　all　the　old　hateful



names。　No　one　sought　promotion　in　that　court　by　integrity　or



diligence；　the　sole　road　to　power　was　to　glut　the　insatiable　appetites



of　Vitellius　by　prodigal　entertainments；　extravagance；　and　riot。　The



Emperor　himself；　thinking　it　enough　to　enjoy　the　present；　and



without　a　thought　for　the　future；　is　believed　to　have　squandered



nine　hundred　million　sesterces　in　a　very　few　months。　Rome；　as



miserable　as　she　was　great；　afflicted　in　one　year　by　an　Otho　and　a



Vitellius；　what　with　the　Vinii；　the　Fabii；　the　Iceli；　and　the



Asiatici；　passed　through　all　vicissitudes　of　infamy；　till　there　came



Mucianus　and　Marcellus；　and　different　men　rather　than　a　different



morality。



　　The　first　revolt　of　which　Vitellius　received　tidings　was　that　of　the



3rd　legion；　despatches　having　been　sent　by　Aponius　Saturninus　before



he　too　attached　himself　to　the　party　of　Vespasian。　Aponius；　however；



agitated　by　the　unexpected　occurrence；　had　not　written　all　the



particulars；　and　flattering　friends　softened　down　its　import。　〃It



was；〃　they　said；　〃a　mutiny　of　only　a　single　legion；　the　loyalty　of　the



other　armies　was　unshaken。〃　Vitellius　in　addressing　the　soldiers　spoke



to　the　same　effect。　He　inveighed　against　the　lately　disbanded



Praetorians；　and　asserted　that　false　rumours　were　circulated　by



them；　and　that　there　was　no　fear　of　a　civil　war。　The　name　of　Vespasian



he　suppressed；　and　soldiers　were　dispersed　through　the　city　to　check



the　popular　gossip。　This　more　than　anything　else　kept　these　rumours



alive。



　　Nevertheless　Vitellius　summoned　auxiliary　troops　from　Germany；



Britain；　and　Spain；　tardily；　however；　and　with　an　attempt　to　conceal



his　necessities。　The　legates　and　the　provinces　were　equally　slow。



Hordeonius　Flaccus；　who　was　beginning　to　suspect　the　Batavians；　feared



that　he　should　have　a　war　on　his　own　hands；　and　Vettius　Bolanus　had　in



Britain　a　province　never　very　quiet；　and　both　these　officers　were



wavering　in　their　allegiance。　Spain　too；　which　then　was　without　a



governor　of　consular　rank；　showed　no　alacrity。　The　legates　of　the



three　legions；　equal　in　authority；　and　ready；　while　Vitellius　was



prosperous；　to　vie　in　obedience；　stood　aloof　with　one　consent　from　his



falling　fortunes。　In　Africa；　the　legion；　and　the　auxiliary　infantry



levied　by　Clodius　Macer　and　soon　after　disbanded　by　Galba；　again



entered　the　service　at　the　order　of　Vitellius；　while　all　the　rest　of



the　youth　promptly　gave　in　their　names。　Vitellius　had　ruled　that



province　as　proconsul　with　integrity　and　popularity；　Vespasian's



government　had　been　infamous　and　odious。　The　allies　formed　conjectures



accordingly　as　to　the　manner　in　which　each　would　reign；　but　the　result



contradicted　them。



　　At　first　Valerius　Festus；　the　legate；　loyally　seconded　the　zeal　of



the　provincials。　Soon　he　began　to　waver；　supporting　Vitellius　in　his



public　dispatches　and　edicts；　Vespasian　in　his　secret



correspondence；　and　intending　to　hold　by　the　one　or　the　other



according　as　they　might　succeed。　Some　soldiers　and　centurions；



coming　through　Rhaetia　and　Gaul；　were　seized　with　letters　and　edicts



from　Vespasian；　and　on　being　sent　to　Vitellius　were　put　to　death。



More；　however；　eluded　discovery；　escaping　either　through　the



faithful　protection　of　friends　or　by　their　own　tact。　Thus　the



preparations　of　Vitellius　became　known；　while　the　plans　of　Vespasian



were　for　the　most　part　kept　secret。　At　first　the　supineness　of



Vitellius　was　in　fault；　afterwards　the　occupation　of　the　Pannonian



Alps　with　troops　stopped　all　intelligence。　And　on　the　sea　the



prevalent　Etesian　winds　favoured　an　eastward　voyage；　but　hindered



all　return。



　　At　length　Vitellius；　appalled　by　the　irruption　of　the　enemy　and　by



the　menacing　intelligence　from　every　quarter；　ordered　Caecina　and



Valens　to　take　the　field。　Caecina　was　sent　on　in　advance；　Valens；



who　was　just　recovering　from　a　severe　illness；　was　delayed　by



weakness。　Far　different　was　the　appearance　of　the　German　army　as　it



marched　out　of　the　capital。　All　strength　had　departed　from　their



bodies；　all　energy　from　their　spirits。　Slowly；　and　with　thin　ranks；



the　column　moved　along；　their　weapons　feebly　grasped；　their　horses



spiritless。　The　soldiers；　impatient　of　the　heat；　the　dust；　and　the



weather；　in　proportion　as　they　were　less　capable　of　enduring　toil；



were　more　ready　for　mutiny。　All　this　was　aggravated　by　the　old



vanity　of　Caecina；　and　by　the　indolence　that　had　of　late　crept　over



him；　presuming　on　the　excessive　favour　of　fortune；　he　had　abandoned



himself　to　luxury。　Perhaps　he　meditated　perfidy；　and　it　was　part　of



his　policy　to　enervate　the　courage　of　the　army。　Many　believe　that



his　fidelity　had　been　shaken　by　the　suggestions　of　Flavius　Sabinus；



who　employed　Rubrius　Gallus　as　the　bearer　of　communications　intimating



that　the　conditions　of　desertion　would　be　held　binding　by　Vespasian。



At　the　same　time　he　was　reminded　of　his　hatred　and　jealousy　of



Fabius　Valens。　Being　inferior　to　his　rival　in　influence　with



Vitellius；　he　should　seek　to　secure　favour　and　power　with　the　new



Emperor。



　　Caecina；　having　embraced　Vitellius　and　received　tokens　of　high



distinction；　left　him；　and　sent　a　detachment　of　cavalry　to　occupy



Cremona。　It　was　followed　by　the　veteran　troops　of　the　4th；　10th；　and



　16th　legions；　by　the　5th　and　22nd　legions；　and　the　rear　was　brought



up　by　the　21st　（the　Rapax）　and　the　first　Italian　legion　with　the



veteran　troops　of　three　British　legions；　and　a　chosen　body　of



auxiliaries。　After　the　departure　of　Caecina；　Valens　sent　a　despatch　to



the　army　which　had　been　under　his　own　command　with　directions　that



it　should　wait　for　him　on　the　road；　such；　he　said；　was　his　arrangement



with　Caecina。　Caecina；　however；　being　with　the　army　in　person；　and



consequently　having　greater　influence；　pretended　that　this　plan　had



been　changed；　so　that　the　gathering　forces　of　the　enemy　might　be　met



with　their　whole　strength。　Orders　were　therefore　given　to　the



legions　to　advance　with　all　speed　upon　Cremona；　while　a　portion　of　the



force　was　to　proceed　to　Hostilia。　Caecina　himself　turned　aside　to



Ravenna；　on　the　pretext　that　he　wished　to　address　the　fleet。　Soon；



however；　he　sought　the　retirement　of　Patavium；　there　to　concert　his



treachery。　Lucilius　Bassus；　who　had　been　promoted　by　Vitellius　from



the　command　of　a　squadron　of　cavalry