histories-第38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！




and　torpid；　he　had　dismissed　with　the　same　forgetfulness　the　past；　the



present；　and　the　future。　While　he　thus　lay　wasting　his　powers　in　sloth



among　the　woods　of　Aricia；　he　was　startled　by　the　treachery　of



Lucilius　Bassus　and　the　defection　of　the　fleet　at　Ravenna。　Then　came



the　news　about　Caecina；　and　he　heard　with　a　satisfaction　mingled



with　distress；　first；　that　he　had　revolted；　and　then；　that　he　had　been



put　in　irons　by　the　army。　In　that　dull　soul　joy　was　more　powerful　than



apprehension。　In　great　exultation　he　returned　to　Rome；　and　before　a



crowded　assembly　of　the　people　heaped　praises　on　the　dutiful　obedience



of　the　soldiers。　He　ordered　Publius　Sabinus；　prefect　of　the　Praetorian



Guard；　to　be　thrown　into　prison；　because　of　his　friendship　with



Caecina；　and　substituted　in　his　place　Alfenius　Varus。



　　He　then　addressed　the　Senate　in　a　speech　of　studied



grandiloquence；　and　was　extolled　by　the　Senators　with　elaborate



adulation。　A　savage　resolution　against　Caecina　was　moved　by　Lucius



Vitellius；　the　rest　affected　indignation　at　the　idea　that　a　consul　had



betrayed　the　State；　a　general　his　Emperor；　a　man　loaded　with　wealth　so



vast　and　honours　so　numerous　his　benefactor；　and　seemed　to　deplore　the



wrongs　of　Vitellius；　while　they　uttered　their　private　griefs。　Not　a



word　from　any　one　of　them　disparaged　the　Flavianist　leaders；　they



censured　the　delusion　and　recklessness　of　the　armies；　and　with　a



prudent　circumlocution　avoided　the　name　of　Vespasian。　A　man　was　found；



who；　while　all　regarded　with　great　contempt　both　giver　and　receiver；



wormed　himself　by　flattery　into　the　one　day　of　office　which　remained



to　complete　the　consulate　of　Caecina。　On　the　last　day　of　October



Rosius　Regulus　both　assumed　and　resigned　the　office。　The　learned



remarked　that　never　before　had　a　new　consul　been　elected　without　a



formal　act　of　deprivation　and　the　passing　of　a　law。　Before　this　indeed



Caninius　Rebilus　had　been　consul　for　a　single　day　during　the



dictatorship　of　Caius　Caesar；　when　the　prizes　of　the　civil　war　had



to　be　enjoyed　in　haste。



　　At　this　time　the　murder　of　Junius　Blaesus　obtained　an　infamous



notoriety。　Of　this　act　I　have　heard　the　following　account。



Vitellius；　who　was　suffering　from　severe　illness；　observed　from　the



Servilian　gardens　a　neighbouring　turret　brilliantly　illuminated



throughout　the　night。　Inquiring　the　cause；　he　was　told　that　Caecina



Tuscus　was　entertaining　a　large　party；　of　whom　Junius　Blaesus　was



the　most　distinguished。　Other　particulars　were　given　with　much



exaggeration　about　the　splendour　of　the　banquet　and　the　unrestrained



gaiety　of　the　guests。　There　were　persons　who　charged　Tuscus　and　his



guests；　and　Blaesus　more　vindictively　than　any；　with　passing　their



days　in　merriment　while　the　Emperor　was　sick。　As　soon　as　it　was



sufficiently　clear　to　those　who　keenly　watch　the　angry　moods　of



princes；　that　Vitellius　was　exasperated；　and　that　Blaesus　might　be



destroyed；　the　part　of　the　informer　was　intrusted　to　Lucius　Vitellius。



An　unworthy　jealousy　made　him　the　enemy　of　Blaesus；　whose



illustrious　character　raised　him　far　above　one　who　was　stained　with



every　infamy；　he　burst　into　the　Imperial　chamber；　and　clasping　to



his　bosom　the　Emperor's　son；　fell　at　his　knees。　On　Vitellius　enquiring



the　cause　of　his　emotion：　〃It　is　not；〃　he　replied；　〃from　any　private



apprehension；　or　because　I　am　anxious　for　myself；　it　is　for　a



brother　and　for　a　brother's　children　that　I　have　come　hither　with　my



prayers　and　tears。　It　is　idle　to　fear　Vespasian；　when　there　are　so



many　legions　of　Germany；　so　many　provinces　with　their　valour　and　their



loyalty；　and　lastly；　so　vast　an　extent　of　sea　and　land　with　enormous



distances；　to　keep　him　from　us。　In　the　capital；　in　the　very　bosom　of



the　empire；　there　is　the　foe　of　whom　we　must　beware；　a　foe　who



boasts　of　Junii　and　Antonii　among　his　ancestors；　who；　claiming　an



Imperial　descent；　displays　to　soldiers　his　condescension　and　his



magnificence。　On　him　all　thoughts　are　fixed；　while　Vitellius；



regardless　alike　of　friends　and　foes；　is　cherishing　a　rival；　who



from　his　banqueting　table　gazes　at　the　sufferings　of　his　sovereign。



For　such　ill…timed　mirth　let　him　be　recompensed　with　a　night　of　sorrow



and　of　death；　that　he　may　know　and　feel　that　Vitellius　still　lives　and



reigns；　and　has　a　son；　if　in　the　course　of　destiny　anything　should



happen　to　himself。〃



　　Vitellius；　after　wavering　between　his　guilty　purpose　and　his



fears；　dreading　lest　to　postpone　the　murder　of　Blaesus　might　hasten



his　own　ruin；　while　openly　to　order　it　might　provoke　terrible　odium；



determined　to　destroy　him　by　poison。　He　gave　a　proof　of　his　guilt　by



his　marked　joy　when　he　visited　Blaesus。　He　was　even　heard　to　utter　a



most　brutal　speech；　in　which　（I　will　relate　the　very　words）　he　boasted



that　he　had　feasted　his　eyes　on　the　spectacle　of　his　enemy's　death。



Besides　his　noble　birth　and　refinement　of　character；　Blaesus　was　a　man



of　resolute　loyalty。　In　the　flourishing　days　of　the　party；　when



canvassed　by　Caecina　and　the　leading　men；　who　were　beginning　to



despise　Vitellius；　he　persevered　in　rejecting　their　solicitations。　A



righteous　man　and　a　lover　of　peace；　who　coveted　no　sudden　elevation；



much　less　the　throne；　he　could　not　escape　being　thought　to　deserve　it。



　　Meanwhile　Fabius　Valens；　who　was　moving　along　with　a　vast　and



luxurious　train　of　concubines　and　eunuchs　too　tardily　for　a　general



about　to　take　the　field；　received　speedy　intelligence　of　the



betrayal　of　the　Ravenna　fleet　by　Lucilius　Bassus。　Had　he　hastened



the　march　which　he　had　then　begun；　he　might　have　come　up　with



Caecina　while　still　undecided；　or　have　reached　the　legions　previous　to



the　decisive　action。　Some　advised　him　to　take　a　few　of　his　most



devoted　soldiers；　and；　avoiding　Ravenna；　to　hurry　on　by　unfrequented



paths　to　Hostilia　or　Cremona。　Others　thought　that　he　should　summon　the



Praetorian　cohorts　from　Rome；　and　then　force　his　way　with　a　strong



body　of　troops。　But　with　a　ruinous　delay　he　wasted　in　deliberation　the



opportunities　of　action。　Eventually　he　rejected　both　plans；　and　did



what　is　the　very　worst　thing　in　circumstances　of　peril；　attempted　a



middle　course；　and　was　neither　bold　enough　on　the　one　hand；　nor



cautious　enough　on　the　other。



　　He　wrote　to　Vitellius　asking　for　aid。　Three　cohorts　with　some



British　cavalry　arrived；　a　force　too　numerous　to　elude　observation；



too　small　to　force　its　way。　Even　amidst　such　perils　Valens　could　not



keep　himself　clear　of　the　infamous　reputation　of　grasping　at



unlawful　gratifications　and　polluting　the　houses　of　his　hosts　with



intrigue　and　violation。　He　had　power；　he　had　money；　and　he　indulged



the　lusts　that　are　the　last　solace　of　desperate　fortunes。　At　length　on



the　arrival　of　the　infantry　and　cavalry　the　folly　of　his　plans



became　evident。　With　so　small　a　force；　even　had　it　been　thoroughly



loyal；　he　could　not　have　made　his　way　through　the　enemy；　and　the



loyalty　they　had　brought　with　them　was　not　beyond　suspicion。　Yet　shame



and　respect　for　the　presence　of　their　general　held　them　in　check；　no



lasting　restraint　with　men　who　loved　danger　and　were　careless　of



disgrace。　Moved　by　this　apprehension；　Valens；　while　he　retained　a



few　attendants　whom　adversity　had　not　changed；　sent　on　the　infantry　to



Ariminum　and　ordered　the　cavalry　to　cover　his　rear。　He　then　himself



made　his　way　to　Umbria；　and　thence　to　Etruria；　where；　having　learnt



the　issue　of　the　battle　of　Cremona；　he　conceived　a　plan　not　wanting　in



vigour；　and　which；　had　it　succeeded；　would　have　had　terrible



results。　This　was　to　seize　some　ships；　to　land　on　some　part　of



Gallia　Narbonensis；　to　rouse　Gaul　with　its　armies　as　well　as　the



tribes　of　Germany；　and　so　to　kindle　a　fresh　war。



　　The　garrison　of　Ariminum　were　discouraged　by　the　departure　of



Valens；　and　Cornelius　Fuscus；　bringing　up　his　army　and　disposing　his



Liburnian　ships　at　the　nearest　points　of　the　shore；　invested　the　place



by　sea　and　land。　His　troops　occupied　the　plains　of　Umbria　and　that



portion　of　the　Picentine　territory　that　is　washed　by　the　Adriatic；　and



now　the　whole　of　Italy　was　divided　by　the　range　of　the　Apennines



between　Vespasian　and　Vitellius。　Valens；　having　started　from　the　bay



of　Pisa；　was　compelled；　either　by　a　calm　or　a　contrary　wind；　to　put　in



at　the　port　of　Hercules　Monoecus。　Near　this　place　was　stationed　Marius



Maturus；　procurator　of　the　Maritime　Alps；　who　was　loyal　to



Vitellius；　and　who；　though　everything　around　him　was　hostile；　had



not　yet　thrown　off　his　allegiance。　While　courteously　receiving　Valens；



he　deterred　him　by　his　advice　from　rashly　invading　Gallia　Narbonensis。



And　now　the　fidelity　of　the　rest　of　the　party　was　weakened　by　their



fears。　In　fact　the　procurator　Valerius　Paullinus；　an　enterprising



officer；　who　had　been　a　f