histories-第40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！




were　elected。　The　soldiers　in　fact　were　not　under　the　control　of　the



generals；　but　the　generals　were　themselves　constrained　to　follow　the



furious　impulses　of　the　soldiers。　These　mutinous　proceedings；　so



ruinous　to　discipline；　Antonius　soon　turned　to　his　own　profit；



regardless　of　the　near　approach　of　Mucianus；　a　neglect　more　fatal　than



any　contempt　for　Vespasian。



　　As　winter　was　approaching；　and　the　low　country　was　flooded　by　the



Padus；　the　army　marched　on　without　its　heavy　baggage。　The　standards



and　eagles　of　the　victorious　legions；　the　old　and　wounded　soldiers；



and　even　many　effective　men；　were　left　at　Verona。　The　auxiliary



infantry　and　cavalry；　with　some　picked　troops　from　the　legions；



appeared　sufficient　for　a　war　that　was　all　but　finished。　They　had　been



joined　by　the　11th　legion；　which　at　first　had　hesitated；　but　now　in



the　hour　of　success　felt　alarm　at　having　stood　aloof。　A　recent　levy　of



6000　Dalmatians　was　attached　to　the　legion。　They　were　under　the



command　of　Pompeius　Silvanus；　a　man　of　consular　rank；　the　real



direction　of　affairs　was　in　the　hands　of　Annius　Bassus；　the　legate



of　the　legion。　This　officer　contrived；　under　an　appearance　of



submission；　to　govern　Silvanus；　a　leader　without　vigour；　and　apt　to



waste　in　words　the　opportunities　of　action。　Bassus；　with　his



unobtrusive　energy；　was　ready　for　everything　that　had　to　be　done。　To



these　forces　were　added　the　elite　of　the　marines　of　the　Ravenna　fleet；



who　demanded　permission　to　serve　in　the　legions。　The　crews　were　made



up　with　Dalmatians。　The　army　and　generals　halted　at　the　Temple　of



Fortune；　undecided　as　to　their　line　of　action。　They　had　heard　that　the



Praetorian　Guard　had　marched　out　of　Rome；　and　they　supposed　that　the



Apennines　were　occupied　with　troops。　The　generals；　finding



themselves　in　a　country　utterly　impoverished　by　war；　were　terrified　by



the　scarcity　of　provisions　and　the　mutinous　clamours　of　the



soldiery；　who　incessantly　demanded　the　〃clavarium；〃　as　the　donative



was　called。　They　had　provided　neither　money　nor　corn；　and　they　were



embarrassed　by　the　general　impatience　and　rapacity；　for　what　they



might　have　obtained　was　plundered。



　　I　have　the　very　highest　authority　for　asserting；　that　there　was



among　the　conquerors　such　an　impious　disregard　of　right　and　wrong；



that　a　private　cavalry　soldier　declared　he　had　slain　his　brother　in



the　late　battle；　and　claimed　a　reward　from　the　generals。　The　common



law　of　humanity　on　the　one　hand　forbade　them　to　reward　this　act　of



blood；　the　necessities　of　the　war　on　the　other　forbade　them　to



punish　it。　They　put　him　off；　on　the　ground　that　the　obligation　was　too



great　to　be　immediately　discharged。　Nothing　more　is　recorded。　In　the



earlier　civil　wars　indeed　a　similar　horror　had　occurred。　In　the　battle



with　Cinna　at　the　Janiculum；　a　soldier　in　Pompey's　army；　as　Sisenna



tells　us；　slew　his　own　brother；　and；　on　discovering　the　horrible



deed　he　had　committed；　destroyed　himself。　So　much　more　earnest　among



our　ancestors　was　the　honour　paid　to　virtue；　and　the　remorse　that



waited　on　crime。　These　and　like　instances；　drawn　from　the



recollections　of　the　past；　I　shall　mention　not　irrelevantly；



whenever　the　subject　and　the　occasion　shall　call　for　some　example　of



goodness　or　some　solace　in　the　presence　of　evil。



　　Antonius　and　the　other　generals　of　the　party　judged　it　expedient



to　send　forward　the　cavalry　and　explore　the　whole　of　Umbria　for　some



point　where　the　Apennines　presented　a　more　gentle　ascent；　and　also



to　bring　up　the　eagles　and　standards　and　all　the　troops　at　Verona；



while　they　were　to　cover　the　Padus　and　the　sea　with　convoys。　Some



there　were　among　the　generals　who　were　contriving　delays；　for　Antonius



in　fact　was　now　becoming　too　great　a　man；　and　their　hopes　from



Mucianus　were　more　definite。　That　commander；　troubled　at　so　speedy　a



success；　and　imagining　that　unless　he　occupied　Rome　in　person　he



should　lose　all　share　in　the　glory　of　the　war；　continued　to　write　in



ambiguous　terms　to　Varus　and　Antonius；　enlarging　at　one　time　on　the



necessity　of　following　up　their　operations；　at　another　on　the



advantage　of　delay；　and　with　expressions　so　worded　that　he　could；



according　to　the　event；　repudiate　a　disastrous；　or　claim　a



successful　policy。　To　Plotius　Griphus；　who　had　lately　been　raised　by



Vespasian　to　the　senatorial　rank　and　appointed　to　command　a　legion；　as



well　as　to　all　others　on　whom　he　could　fully　rely；　he　gave　plainer



instructions。　All　these　men　sent　replies　reflecting　unfavourably　on



the　precipitancy　of　Varus　and　Antonius；　and　suiting　the　wishes　of



Mucianus。　By　forwarding　these　letters　to　Vespasian　he　had　accomplished



this　much；　that　the　measures　and　achievements　of　Antonius　were　not



valued　according　to　his　hopes。



　　Antonius　was　indignant；　and　blamed　Mucianus；　whose　calumnies　had



depreciated　his　own　hazardous　achievements。　Nor　was　he　temperate　in



his　expressions；　for　he　was　habitually　violent　in　language；　and　was



unaccustomed　to　obey。　He　wrote　a　letter　to　Vespasian　in　terms　more



arrogant　than　should　be　addressed　to　an　Emperor；　and　not　without



implied　reproach　against　Mucianus。　〃It　was　I；〃　he　said；　〃who　brought



into　the　field　the　legions　of　Pannonia；　my　instigations　roused　the



generals　in　Moesia；　my　courageous　resolution　forced　a　passage



through　the　Alps；　seized　on　Italy；　and　cut　off　the　succours　from



Germany　and　Rhaetia。　The　discomfiture　of　the　disunited　and　scattered



legions　of　Vitellius　by　a　fierce　charge　of　cavalry；　and　afterwards



by　the　steady　strength　of　the　infantry　in　a　conflict　that　lasted　for　a



day　and　a　night；　was　indeed　a　most　glorious　achievement；　and　it　was　my



work。　For　the　destruction　of　Cremona　the　war　must　be　answerable；　the



civil　strifes　of　former　days　cost　the　State　more　terrible　loss　and　the



overthrow　of　many　cities。　Not　with　messages　and　letters；　but　with　my



arm　and　my　sword；　have　I　served　my　Emperor。　I　would　not　seek　to　hinder



the　renown　of　those　who　in　the　meanwhile　have　reduced　Asia　to



tranquillity。　They　had　at　heart　the　peace　of　Moesia；　I　the　safety



and　security　of　Italy。　By　my　earnest　representations　Gaul　and　Spain；



the　most　powerful　region　of　the　world；　have　been　won　for　Vespasian。



But　all　my　efforts　have　been　wasted；　if　they　alone　who　have　not　shared



the　peril　obtain　its　rewards。〃　The　meaning　of　all　this　did　not



escape　Mucianus；　and　there　arose　a　deadly　feud；　cherished　by



Antonius　with　frankness；　by　Mucianus　with　reserve；　and　therefore



with　the　greater　bitterness。



　　Vitellius；　after　his　power　had　been　shattered　at　Cremona；



endeavoured　to　suppress　the　tidings　of　the　disaster；　and　by　this



foolish　attempt　at　concealment　he　put　off；　not　indeed　his　troubles；



but　only　the　application　of　the　remedy。　Had　he　avowed　and　discussed



his　position；　he　had　some　chance；　some　strength；　left；　whereas；　on　the



contrary；　when　he　pretended　that　all　was　prosperous；　he　aggravated　his



perils　by　falsehood。　A　strange　silence　was　observed　in　his　presence　as



to　the　war；　throughout　the　country　all　discussion　was　prohibited；



and　so；　many　who　would　have　told　the　truth　had　it　been　allowed；



finding　it　forbidden；　spread　rumours　exaggerating　the　calamity。　The



generals　of　the　enemy　failed　not　to　magnify　the　report　of　their



strength；　for　they　sent　back　any　spies　of　Vitellius　whom　they



captured；　after　conducting　them　round　the　camp　in　order　that　they



might　learn　the　force　of　the　victorious　army。　All　of　these　persons



Vitellius　questioned　in　secret；　and　then　ordered　that　they　should　be



put　to　death。　Singular　bravery　was　displayed　by　a　centurion；　Julius



Agrestis；　who；　after　several　interviews；　in　which　he　had　in　vain



endeavoured　to　rouse　Vitellius　to　courage；　prevailed　on　the　Emperor　to



send　him　in　person　to　see　what　was　the　strength　of　the　enemy's



resources；　and　what　had　happened　at　Cremona。　He　did　not　seek　to　escape



the　notice　of　Antonius　by　making　his　observations　in　secret；　but



avowed　the　emperor's　instructions　and　his　own　purpose；　and　asked　leave



to　see　everything。　Persons　were　sent　to　shew　him　the　field　of



battle；　the　remains　of　Cremona；　and　the　captured　legions。　He　then　made



his　way　back　to　Vitellius；　and　when　the　Emperor　denied　the　truth　of



the　intelligence　which　he　brought；　and　even　charged　him　with　having



been　bribed；　〃Since；〃　he　replied；　〃you　require　some　decisive　proof；



and　I　can　no　longer　serve　you　in　any　other　way　either　by　my　life　or



death　I　will　give　you　a　proof　which　you　can　believe。〃　So　he



departed；　and　confirmed　his　statement　by　a　voluntary　death。　Some　say



that　he　was　slain　by　order　of　Vitellius；　but　they　bear　the　same



testimony　to　his　loyalty　and　courage。



　　Vitellius；　who　seemed　like　a　man　roused　from　slumber　ordered



Julius　Priscus　and　Alfenius　Varus；　with　fourteen　of　the　Praetorian



cohorts　and　the