histories-第41节

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Julius　Priscus　and　Alfenius　Varus；　with　fourteen　of　the　Praetorian



cohorts　and　the　entire　force　of　cavalry；　to　occupy　the　Apennines。　A



legion　of　troops　drafted　from　the　fleet　followed。　So　many　thousand



troops；　comprising　the　picked　men　and　horses　of　the　army；　had　they



been　under　the　direction　of　a　different　general；　would　have　been　quite



equal　even　to　aggressive　operations。　The　rest　of　the　Praetorian



cohorts　were　entrusted　to　Lucius　Vitellius；　brother　of　the　Emperor；



for　the　defence　of　the　capital。　Vitellius；　while　he　abated　nothing



of　his　habitual　indulgence；　with　a　precipitancy　prompted　by　alarm；



anticipated　the　elections；　at　which　he　appointed　consuls　for　several



years。　With　a　profuse　liberality；　he　granted　treaties　to　allies；　and



the　rights　of　Latin　citizenship　to　foreigners；　some　he　relieved　by　the



remission　of　tribute；　others　by　exemptions；　in　a　word；　utterly



careless　of　the　future；　he　mutilated　the　resources　of　the　Empire。



But　the　mob　was　attracted　by　the　magnificence　of　his　bounties。　The



most　foolish　bought　these　favours　with　money；　the　wise　held　that　to　be



invalid；　which　could　neither　be　given　nor　received　without　ruin　to　the



State。　Yielding　at　length　to　the　importunity　of　the　army；　which　had



taken　up　its　position　at　Mevania；　and　accompanied　by　a　numerous



train　of　senators；　into　which　many　were　brought　by　ambition　and　more



by　fear；　he　entered　the　camp；　undecided　in　purpose　and　at　the　mercy　of



faithless　counsels。



　　While　he　was　haranguing　his　troops　（marvellous　to　relate）　such　a



multitude　of　ill…omened　birds　flew　over　him；　as　to　obscure　with　a　dark



cloud　the　light　of　day。　There　occurred　another　terrible　presage。　A



bull　escaped　from　the　altar；　scattered　the　preparations　for　sacrifice；



and　was　finally　slain　far　from　the　spot　where　the　victims　are



usually　struck　down。　But　the　most　portentous　spectacle　of　all　was



Vitellius　himself；　ignorant　of　military　matters　and　without



forethought　in　his　plans；　even　asking　others　about　the　order　of　march；



about　the　business　of　reconnoitring；　and　the　discretion　to　be　used



in　pushing　on　or　protracting　the　campaign；　betraying　in　his



countenance　and　gait　his　alarm　at　every　fresh　piece　of　intelligence；



and　finally　drinking　to　intoxication。　At　last；　weary　of　the　camp；



and　having　received　tidings　of　the　defection　of　the　fleet　at



Misenum；　he　returned　to　Rome；　trembling　at　every　new　disaster；　but



reckless　of　the　final　result。　For　though　it　was　open　to　him　to　have



crossed　the　Apennines　with　an　army　in　unimpaired　vigour；　and　to　have



attacked　in　the　field　an　enemy　suffering　from　cold　and　scant　supplies；



yet；　by　dividing　his　forces；　he　abandoned　to　destruction　or



captivity　troops　of　the　keenest　courage　and　faithful　to　the　last；



against　the　judgment　of　the　most　experienced　among　the　centurions；



who；　had　they　been　consulted；　would　have　told　him　the　truth。　They　were



all　kept　at　a　distance　by　the　intimate　friends　of　Vitellius；　for　the



Emperor's　ears　were　so　formed；　that　all　profitable　counsels　were



offensive　to　him；　and　that　he　would　hear　nothing　but　what　would　please



and　ruin。



　　The　fleet　at　Misenum；　so　much　can　be　done　in　times　of　civil



discord　by　the　daring　of　even　a　single　man；　was　drawn　into　revolt　by



Claudius　Faventinus；　a　centurion　cashiered　by　Galba；　who　forged



letters　in　the　name　of　Vespasian　offering　a　reward　for　treachery。



The　fleet　was　under　the　command　of　Claudius　Apollinaris；　a　man　neither



firm　in　his　loyalty；　nor　energetic　in　his　treason。　Apinius　Tiro；　who



had　filled　the　office　of　praetor；　and　who　then　happened　to　be　at



Minturnae；　offered　to　head　the　revolt。　By　these　men　the　colonies　and



municipal　towns　were　drawn　into　the　movement；　and　as　Puteoli　was



particularly　zealous　for　Vespasian；　while　Capua　on　the　other　hand



remained　loyal　to　Vitellius；　they　introduced　their　municipal



jealousy　into　the　civil　war。　Claudius　Julianus；　who　had　lately



exercised　an　indulgent　rule　over　the　fleet　at　Misenum；　was　selected　by



Vitellius　to　soothe　the　irritation　of　the　soldiery。　He　was　supported



by　a　city　cohort　and　a　troop　of　gladiators　whose　chief　officer　he　was。



As　soon　as　the　two　camps　were　pitched；　Julianus；　without　much



hesitation；　went　over　to　the　side　of　Vespasian；　and　they　then　occupied



Tarracina；　which　was　protected　by　its　fortifications　and　position



rather　than　by　any　ability　of　theirs。



　　Vitellius；　when　informed　of　these　events；　left　a　portion　of　his　army



at　Narnia　under　the　command　of　the　prefect　of　the　Praetorian　Guard；



and　deputed　his　brother　Lucius　with　six　cohorts　of　infantry　and　500



cavalry　to　encounter　the　danger　that　now　threatened　him　on　the　side　of



Campania。　Sick　at　heart；　he　found　relief　in　the　zeal　of　the　soldiers



and　in　the　shouts　with　which　the　people　clamoured　for　arms；　while　he



gave　the　delusive　name　of　an　army　and　of　Roman　legions　to　a　cowardly



mob；　that　would　not　venture　on　any　thing　beyond　words。　At　the　instance



of　his　freedmen　（for　his　friends　were　the　less　faithful　the　more



distinguished　their　rank）　he　ordered　the　tribes　to　be　convoked；　and　to



those　who　gave　in　their　names　administered　the　oath　of　service。　As　the



numbers　were　excessive；　he　divided　the　business　of　enrolment　between



the　consuls。　He　required　the　Senators　to　furnish　a　prescribed　number



of　slaves　and　a　certain　weight　of　silver。　The　Roman　Knights　offered



their　services　and　money；　and　even　the　freedmen　voluntarily　sought　the



privilege　of　doing　the　same。　This　pretence　of　loyalty；　dictated　at



first　by　fear；　passed　into　enthusiasm；　and　many　expressed



compassion；　not　so　much　for　Vitellius；　as　for　the　fallen　condition



of　the　Imperial　power。　Vitellius　himself　failed　not　to　draw　out



their　sympathies　by　his　pitiable　looks；　his　voice；　and　his　tears；　he



was　liberal　in　his　promises　and　even　extravagant；　as　men　in　their



alarm　naturally　are。　He　even　expressed　a　wish　to　be　saluted　as　Caesar；



a　title　which　he　had　formerly　rejected。　But　now　he　had　a　superstitious



feeling　about　the　name；　and　it　is　a　fact　that　in　the　moment　of



terror　the　counsels　of　the　wise　and　the　voice　of　the　rabble　are



listened　to　with　equal　respect。　But　as　all　movements　that　originate　in



thoughtless　impulse；　however　vigorous　in　their　beginnings；　become



feeble　after　a　time；　the　throng　of　Senators　and　Knights　gradually



melted　away；　dispersing　at　first　tardily　and　during　the　absence　of　the



Emperor；　but　before　long　with　a　contemptuous　indifference　to　his



presence；　till；　ashamed　of　the　failure　of　his　efforts；　Vitellius



waived　his　claims　to　services　which　were　not　offered。



　　As　the　occupation　of　Mevania；　and　the　apparent　revival　of　the　war



with　new　vigour；　had　struck　terror　into　Italy；　so　now　did　the　timorous



retreat　of　Vitellius　give　an　unequivocal　bias　in　favour　of　the



Flavianists。　The　Samnites；　the　Peligni；　and　the　Marsi；　roused



themselves；　jealous　at　having　been　anticipated　by　Campania；　and；　as



men　who　serve　a　new　master；　were　energetic　in　all　the　duties　of　war。



The　army；　however；　was　much　distressed　by　bad　weather　in　its　passage



over　the　Apennines；　and　since　they　could　hardly　struggle　through　the



snow；　though　their　march　was　unmolested；　they　perceived　what　danger



they　would　have　had　to　encounter；　had　not　Vitellius　been　made　to



turn　back　by　that　good　fortune；　which；　not　less　often　than　the



wisdom　of　their　counsels；　helped　the　Flavianist　generals。　Here　they



fell　in　with　Petilius　Cerialis；　who　had　escaped　the　sentries　of



Vitellius　by　a　rustic　disguise　and　by　his　knowledge　of　the　country。



There　was　a　near　relationship　between　Cerialis　and　Vespasian；　and　he



was　not　without　reputation　as　a　soldier。　He　was　therefore　admitted



to　rank　among　the　generals。　It　has　been　said　by　many　that　the　means　of



escape　were　likewise　open　to　Flavius　Sabinus　and　to　Domitian；　and



indeed　messengers；　dispatched　by　Antonius；　contrived　under　various



disguises　to　make　their　way　to　them；　offering　them　a　place　of　refuge



and　a　protecting　force。　Sabinus　pleaded　his　ill　health；　unsuited　to



toil　and　adventure。　Domitian　did　not　want　the　courage；　but　he　feared



that　the　guards　whom　Vitellius　had　set　over　him；　though　they　offered



to　accompany　him　in　his　flight；　had　treacherous　designs。　And　Vitellius



himself；　out　of　a　regard　for　his　own　connexions；　did　not　meditate



any　cruelty　against　Domitian。



　　The　Flavianist　generals　on　their　arrival　at　Carsulae　took　a　few　days



for　repose；　while　the　eagles　and　standards　of　the　legions　were



coming　up。　Carsulae　appeared　a　good　position　for　an　encampment；　for　it



commanded　an　extensive　prospect；　provisions　could　be　safely　brought



up；　and　there　were　in　its　rear　several　very　wealthy　towns。　They　also



calculated　on　interviews　with　the　Vitellianists；　who　were　only　ten



miles　distant；　and　on　the　chances　of　defection。　The　soldiers　were



dissatisfied