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



the　command　of　a　squadron　of　cavalry　to　be　admiral　of　the　fleets　at



Ravenna　and　Misenum；　failing　immediately　to　obtain　the　command　of



the　Praetorian　Guard　sought　to　gratify　his　unreasonable　resentment



by　an　atrocious　act　of　perfidy。　It　cannot　be　certainly　known　whether



he　carried　Caecina　with　him；　or　whether　（as　is　often　the　case　with　bad



men；　that　they　are　like　each　other）　both　were　actuated　by　the　same



evil　motives。



　　The　historians　of　the　period；　who　during　the　ascendancy　of　the



Flavian　family　composed　the　chronicles　of　this　war；　have　in　the



distorted　representations　of　flattery　assigned　as　the　motives　of　these



men　a　regard　for　peace　and　a　love　of　their　country。　For　my　own　part



I　believe　that；　to　say　nothing　of　a　natural　fickleness　and　an　honour



which　they　must　have　held　cheap　after　the　betrayal　of　Galba；



feelings　of　rivalry；　and　jealousy　lest　others　should　outstrip　them



in　the　favour　of　Vitellius；　made　them　accomplish　his　ruin。　Caecina；



having　overtaken　the　legions；　strove　by　every　species　of　artifice　to



undermine　the　fidelity　of　the　centurions　and　soldiers；　who　were



devoted　to　Vitellius。　Bassus；　in　making　the　same　attempt；



experienced　less　difficulty；　for　the　fleet；　remembering　how　recently



it　had　served　in　the　cause　of　Otho；　was　ready　to　change　its



allegiance。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　III；　September　…　December；　A。D。　69







　　UNDER　happier　auspices　and　in　a　more　loyal　spirit　the　Flavianist



leaders　were　discussing　the　plans　of　the　campaign。　They　had



assembled　at　Petovio；　the　winter…quarters　of　the　13th　legion。　There



they　debated；　whether　they　should　blockade　the　passes　of　the　Pannonian



Alps　till　the　whole　strength　of　their　party　should　be　gathered　in



their　rear；　or　whether　it　would　be　the　more　vigorous　policy　to　close



with　the　enemy；　and　to　contend　for　the　possession　of　Italy。　Those



who　thought　it　advisable　to　wait　for　reinforcements；　and　to　protract



the　campaign；　dwelt　on　the　strength　and　reputation　of　the　German



legions。　〃Vitellius；〃　they　said；　〃has　now　joined　them　with　the



flower　of　the　British　army。　Our　numbers　are　not　even　equal　to　those　of



the　legions　whom　they　lately　defeated；　and　the　conquered；　let　them



talk　as　fiercely　as　they　will；　lose　something　of　their　courage。　But；



if　we　occupy　meanwhile　the　passes　of　the　Alps；　Mucianus　will　come　up



with　the　forces　of　the　East。　Vespasian　has　in　addition　the　command



of　the　sea；　his　fleets；　and　provinces　loyal　to　his　cause；　in　which



he　may　collect　the　vast　materials　for　what　may　be　called　another



war。　A　salutary　delay　will　bring　us　new　forces；　while　we　shall　lose



nothing　of　what　we　have。〃



　　In　answer　to　this；　Antonius　Primus；　who　was　the　most　energetic



promoter　of　the　war；　declared　that　prompt　action　would　be　advantageous



to　themselves；　and　fatal　to　Vitellius。　〃Supineness；〃　he　said；



〃rather　than　confidence　has　grown　upon　the　conquerors。　They　are　not



even　kept　under　arms　or　within　camps。　In　every　town　of　Italy；　sunk



in　sloth；　formidable　only　to　their　entertainers；　they　have　drunk　of



unaccustomed　pleasures　with　an　eagerness　equal　to　the　rudeness　of



their　former　life。　They　have　been　emasculated　by　the　circus；　the



theatre；　and　the　allurements　of　the　capital；　or　they　are　worn　out　with



sickness。　Yet　even　to　these　men；　if　you　give　them　time；　their　old



vigour　will　return　with　the　preparation　for　war。　Germany；　whence　their



strength　is　drawn；　is　faraway；　Britain　is　separated　only　by　a



strait；　the　provinces　of　Gaul　and　Spain　are　near；　on　either　side



they　can　find　troops；　horses；　tribute；　they　have　Italy　itself；　and　the



resources　of　the　capital；　and；　should　they　choose　themselves　to　take



the　offensive；　they　have　two　fleets；　and　the　Illyrian　sea　open　to



them。　What　good　then　will　our　mountain…passes　do　us？　What　will　be



the　use　of　having　protracted　the　war　into　another　summer？　Where　are　we



to　find　in　the　meanwhile　money　and　supplies？　Why　not　rather　avail



ourselves　of　the　fact　that　the　legions　of　Pannonia；　which　were　cheated



rather　than　vanquished；　are　hastening　to　rise　again　for　vengeance；　and



that　the　armies　of　Moesia　have　brought　us　their　unimpaired　strength？



If　you　reckon　the　number　of　soldiers；　rather　than　that　of　legions；



we　have　greater　strength；　and　no　vices；　for　our　very　humiliation　has



been　most　helpful　to　our　discipline。　As　for　the　cavalry；　they　were　not



vanquished　even　on　that　day；　though　the　fortune　of　war　was　against



them；　they　penetrated　the　Vitellianist　lines。　Two　squadrons　of　Moesian



and　Pannonian　cavalry　then　broke　through　the　enemy；　now　the　united



standards　of　sixteen　squadrons　will　bury　and　overwhelm　with　the



crash　and　din　and　storm　of　their　onset　these　horses　and　horsemen



that　have　forgotten　how　to　fight。　Unless　any　one　hinders　me；　I　who



suggest　will　execute　the　plan。　You；　whose　fortune　never　suffered　a



reverse；　may　keep　back　the　legions；　the　light　cohorts　will　be　enough



for　me。　Before　long　you　will　hear　that　Italy　has　been　opened；　and



the　power　of　Vitellius　shaken。　You　will　be　delighted　to　follow；　and　to



tread　in　the　footsteps　of　victory。〃



　　With　flashing　eyes；　and　in　the　fierce　tones　that　might　be　most



widely　heard　（for　the　centurions　and　some　of　the　common　soldiers　had



intruded　themselves　into　the　deliberations）；　he　poured　out　such　a



torrent　of　these　and　similar　words；　that　he　carried　away　even　the



cautious　and　prudent；　while　the　general　voice　of　the　multitude



extolled　him　as　the　one　man；　the　one　general　in　the　army；　and



spurned　the　inaction　of　the　others。　He　had　raised　this　reputation



for　himself　at　the　very　first　assembly；　when；　after　Vespasian's



letters　had　been　read；　he　had　not；　like　many；　used　ambiguous　language；



on　which　he　might　put　this　or　that　construction　as　might　serve　his



purpose。　It　was　seen　that　he　openly　committed　himself　to　the　cause；



and　he　had　therefore　greater　weight　with　the　soldiers；　as　being



associated　with　them　in　what　was　either　their　crime　or　their　glory。



　　Next　to　Primus　in　influence　was　Cornelius　Fuscus；　the　procurator。　He



also　had　been　accustomed　to　inveigh　mercilessly　against　Vitellius；　and



had　thus　left　himself　no　hope　in　the　event　of　defeat。　T。　Ampius



Flavianus；　disposed　to　caution　by　natural　temperament　and　advanced



years；　excited　in　the　soldiers　a　suspicion　that　he　still　remembered



his　relationship　to　Vitellius；　and　as　he　had　fled　when　the　movement　in



the　legions　began；　and　had　then　voluntarily　returned；　it　was



believed　that　he　had　sought　an　opportunity　for　treachery。　Flavianus



indeed　had　left　Pannonia；　and　had　entered　Italy；　and　was　out　of　the



way　of　danger；　when　his　desire　for　revolution　urged　him　to　resume



the　title　of　Legate；　and　to　take　part　in　the　civil　strife。　Cornelius



Fuscus　had　advised　him　to　this　course；　not　that　he　needed　the



talents　of　Flavianus；　but　wishing　that　a　consular　name　might　clothe



with　its　high　prestige　the　very　first　movements　of　the　party。



　　Still；　that　the　passage　into　Italy　might　be　safe　and　advantageous；



directions　were　sent　to　Aponius　Saturninus　to　hasten　up　with　the



armies　of　Moesia。　That　the　provinces　might　not　be　exposed　without



defence　to　the　barbarian　tribes；　the　princes　of　the　Sarmatae



Iazyges；　who　had　in　their　hands　the　government　of　that　nation；　were



enrolled　in　the　army。　These　chiefs　also　offered　the　service　of　their



people；　and　its　force　of　cavalry；　their　only　effective　troops；　but　the



offer　was　declined；　lest　in　the　midst　of　civil　strife　they　should



attempt　some　hostile　enterprise；　or；　influenced　by　higher　offers



from　other　quarters；　should　cast　off　all　sense　of　right　and　duty。　Sido



and　Italicus；　kings　of　the　Suevi；　were　brought　over　to　the　cause。



Their　loyalty　to　the　Roman　people　was　of　long　standing；　and　their



nation　was　more　faithful　than　the　other　to　any　trust　reposed　in



them。　On　the　flank　of　the　army　were　posted　some　auxiliaries；　for



Rhaetia　was　hostile；　Portius　Septimius；　the　procurator；　remaining



incorruptibly　faithful　to　Vitellius。　Accordingly；　Sextilius　Felix　with



Aurius'　Horse；　eight　cohorts；　and　the　native　levies　of　Noricum；　was



sent　to　occupy　the　bank　of　the　river　Aenus；　which　flows　between



Rhaetia　and　Noricum。　Neither　hazarded　an　engagement；　and　the　fate　of



the　two　parties　was　decided　elsewhere。



　　Antonius；　as　he　hurried　with　the　veteran　soldiers　of　the　cohorts　and



part　of　the　cavalry　to　invade　Italy；　was　accompanied　by　Arrius



Varus；　an　energetic　soldier。　Service　under　Corbulo；　and　successes　in



Armenia；　had　gained　for　him　this　reputation；　yet　it　was　generally



said；　that　in　secret　conversations　with　Nero　he　had　calumniated



Corbulo's　high　qualities。　The　favour　thus　infamously　acquired　made　him



a　centurion　of　the　first　rank；　yet　the　ill…gotten　prosperity　of　the



moment　afterwards　turned