histories-第44节

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machines　and　missiles。　They　threw　lighted　brands　on　a　projecting



colonnade；　and　following　the　track　of　the　fire　would　have　burst



through　the　half…burnt　gates　of　the　Capitol；　had　not　Sabinus；



tearing　down　on　all　sides　the　statues；　the　glories　of　former



generations；　formed　them　into　a　barricade　across　the　opening。　They



then　assailed　the　opposite　approaches　to　the　Capitol；　near　the　grove



of　the　Asylum；　and　where　the　Tarpeian　rock　is　mounted　by　a　hundred



steps。　Both　these　attacks　were　unexpected；　the　closer　and　fiercer　of



the　two　threatened　the　Asylum。　The　assailants　could　not　be　checked



as　they　mounted　the　continuous　line　of　buildings；　which；　as　was



natural　in　a　time　of　profound　peace；　had　grown　up　to　such　a　height



as　to　be　on　a　level　with　the　soil　of　the　Capitol。　A　doubt　arises　at



this　point；　whether　it　was　the　assailants　who　threw　lighted　brands



on　to　the　roofs；　or　whether；　as　the　more　general　account　has　it；　the



besieged　thus　sought　to　repel　the　assailants；　who　were　now　making



vigorous　progress。　From　them　the　fire　passed　to　the　colonnades



adjoining　the　temples；　the　eagles　supporting　the　pediment；　which



were　of　old　timber；　caught　the　flames。　And　so　the　Capitol；　with　its



gates　shut；　neither　defended　by　friends；　nor　spoiled　by　a　foe；　was



burnt　to　the　ground。



　　This　was　the　most　deplorable　and　disgraceful　event　that　had　happened



to　the　Commonwealth　of　Rome　since　the　foundation　of　the　city；　for　now；



assailed　by　no　foreign　enemy；　with　Heaven　ready　to　be　propitious；



had　our　vices　only　allowed；　the　seat　of　Jupiter　Supremely　Good　and



Great；　founded　by　our　ancestors　with　solemn　auspices　to　be　the



pledge　of　Empire；　the　seat；　which　neither　Porsenna；　when　the　city



was　surrendered；　nor　the　Gauls；　when　it　was　captured；　had　been　able　to



violate；　was　destroyed　by　the　madness　of　our　Emperors。　Once　before



indeed　during　civil　war　the　Capitol　had　been　consumed　by　fire；　but



then　only　through　the　crime　of　individuals；　now　it　was　openly



besieged；　and　openly　set　on　fire。　And　what　were　the　motives　of　this



conflict？　what　the　compensation　for　so　great　a　disaster？　was　it　for



our　country　we　were　fighting？　King　Tarquinius　Priscus　had　vowed　its



erection　in　his　war　with　the　Sabines；　and　had　laid　the　foundations



on　a　scale　which　suited　the　hopes　of　future　greatness　rather　than　what



the　yet　moderate　resources　of　Rome　could　achieve。　After　him；　Servius



Tullius；　heartily　assisted　by　the　allies；　and　Tarquinius　Superbus；



employing　the　spoils　of　war　from　the　conquered　Suessa　Pometia；



raised　the　superstructure。　But　the　glory　of　its　completion　was



reserved　for　the　days　of　liberty。　After　the　expulsion　of　the　Kings；



Horatius　Pulvillus；　in　his　second　consulate；　dedicated　it；　a



building　so　magnificent；　that　the　vast　wealth　afterwards　acquired　by



the　people　of　Rome　served　to　embellish　rather　than　increase　it。　It　was



rebuilt　on　the　same　site；　when；　after　an　interval　of　415　years；　it　was



burnt　to　the　ground　in　the　consulate　of　Lucius　Scipio　and　Caius



Norbanus。　Sulla；　after　his　final　triumph；　undertook　the　charge　of



restoring　it；　but　did　not　live　to　dedicate　it；　the　one　thing　denied　to



his　uniform　good　fortune。　The　name　of　Lutatius　Catulus；　the　dedicator；



remained　among　all　the　vast　erections　of　the　Emperors；　down　to　the



days　of　Vitellius。　This　was　the　building　that　was　now　on　fire。



　　The　catastrophe；　however；　caused　more　panic　among　the　besieged



than　among　the　besiegers。　In　fact；　the　troops　of　Vitellius　lacked



neither　skill　nor　courage　in　the　midst　of　peril。　Opposed　to　them



were　soldiers　without　self…possession；　and　a　spiritless　and；　so　to



speak；　infatuated　commander；　who　had　not　the　use　of　his　tongue　or



his　ears；　who　would　not　be　guided　by　other　men's　counsels；　and　could



not　carry　out　his　own；　who；　hurried　to　and　fro　by　the　shouts　of　the



enemy；　forbade　what　he　had　just　ordered；　and　ordered　what　he　had



just　forbidden。　Then；　as　usually　happens　when　everything　is　lost；



all　gave　orders；　and　no　one　obeyed。　At　last；　they　threw　away　their



arms；　and　began　to　look　about　for　ways　of　escape　and　means　of



concealment。　The　Vitellianists　burst　in；　carrying　everywhere　with



indiscriminate　ferocity　the　firebrand　and　the　sword。　A　few　of　the



military　men；　among　whom　the　most　conspicuous　were　Cornelius



Martialis；　Aemilius　Pacensis；　Casperius　Niger；　and　Didius　Sceva；



ventured　to　resist；　and　were　cut　down。　Flavius　Sabinus；　who　was



unarmed；　and　who　did　not　attempt　to　fly；　was　surrounded；　and　with



him　the　consul　Quinctius　Atticus；　marked　out　by　his　clinging　to　the



shadow　of　office；　and　by　his　folly　in　having　scattered　among　the



people　edicts　highly　eulogistic　of　Vespasian　and　insulting　to



Vitellius。　The　rest　escaped　by　various　chances；　some　disguised　as



slaves；　others　concealed　by　the　fidelity　of　dependants；　and　hiding



among　the　baggage。　Some　caught　the　watchword　by　which　the



Vitellianists　recognised　each　other；　and；　themselves　challenging



others　and　giving　it　when　challenged；　found　in　their　audacity　an



effectual　disguise。



　　When　the　enemy　first　burst　in；　Domitian　concealed　himself　in　the



house　of　a　servant　of　the　temple。　At　the　ingenious　suggestion　of　a



freedman；　he　assumed　a　linen　vestment；　and　passing　unnoticed　among　a



crowd　of　acolytes；　found　a　refuge　with　Cornelius　Primus；　one　of　his



father's　dependants；　in　a　house　near　the　Velabrum。　When　his　father



mounted　the　throne；　he　pulled　down　the　chamber　of　the



temple…servant；　and　built　a　small　chapel；　dedicated　to　Jupiter　the



Preserver；　with　an　altar　on　which　his　own　adventures　were



represented　in　marble。　Afterwards；　on　his　own　accession　to　the



Imperial　power；　he　consecrated　a　vast　temple　to　Jupiter　the



Guardian；　with　an　effigy　of　himself　in　the　arms　of　the　god。　Sabinus



and　Atticus　were　loaded　with　chains；　and　conducted　to　Vitellius；　who



received　them　with　anything　but　anger　in　his　words　and　looks；　amidst



the　murmurs　of　those　who　demanded　the　privilege　of　slaying　them　and



their　pay　for　the　work　they　had　done。　Those　who　were　standing　near



began　the　clamour；　and　the　degraded　rabble　cried　out　for　the　execution



of　Sabinus；　and　mingled　threats　with　their　flatteries。　Vitellius；



who　was　standing　before　the　steps　of　the　palace；　and　was　preparing



to　intercede；　was　induced　to　desist。　The　body　of　Sabinus；　pierced



and　mutilated　and　with　the　head　severed　from　it；　was　dragged　to　the



Gemoniae。



　　Such　was　the　end　of　a　man　in　no　wise　contemptible。　In　five　and



thirty　campaigns　he　had　served　the　State；　and　had　gained　distinction



both　at　home　and　abroad。　His　blamelessness　and　integrity　no　one



could　question。　He　was　somewhat　boastful；　this　was　the　only　fault　of



which　rumour　accused　him　in　the　seven　years　during　which　he　had



governed　Moesia；　and　the　twelve　during　which　he　was　prefect　of　the



city。　In　the　closing　scene　of　his　life　some　have　seen　pusillanimity；



many　a　moderate　temper；　sparing　of　the　blood　of　his　countrymen。　One



thing　is　allowed　by　all；　that；　before　the　accession　of　Vespasian；



the　distinction　of　the　family　was　centred　in　Sabinus。　I　have　heard



that　his　death　gratified　Mucianus；　and　many　indeed　asserted　that　the



interests　of　peace　were　promoted　by　the　removal　of　the　rivalry　between



these　two　men；　one　of　whom　felt　himself　to　be　the　brother　of　the



Emperor；　while　the　other　thought　himself　his　colleague。　Vitellius



resisted　the　demands　of　the　people　for　the　execution　of　the　Consul；　he



was　now　pacified；　and　wished；　it　would　seem；　to　recompense　Atticus；



who；　when　asked　who　had　set　fire　to　the　Capitol；　had　confessed　his　own



guilt；　and　by　this　confession；　which　may　indeed　have　been　an　opportune



falsehood；　was　thought　to　have　taken　upon　himself　the　odium　of　the



crime；　and　to　have　acquitted　the　Vitellianist　party。



　　Meanwhile　Lucius　Vitellius；　who　was　encamped　near　Feronia；　was



threatening　Tarracina　with　destruction。　There　were　shut　up　in　the



place　a　few　gladiators　and　seamen；　who　dared　not　leave　the　walls　and



risk　an　engagement　in　the　plain。　I　have　mentioned　before　that　Julianus



was　in　command　of　the　gladiators；　Apollinaris　of　the　seamen；　two　men



whose　profligacy　and　indolence　made　them　resemble　gladiators　rather



than　generals。　They　kept　no　watch；　they　did　not　strengthen　the　weak



points　of　the　fortifications；　but；　making　each　pleasant　spot　ring　with



the　noise　of　their　daily　and　nightly　dissipation；　they　dispersed　their



soldiers　on　errands　which　were　to　minister　to　their　luxury；　and



never　spoke　of　war；　except　at　their　banquets。　Apinius　Tiro　had　quitted



the　place　a　few　days　before；　and　was　now；　by　the　harsh　exaction　of



presents　and　contributions　from　the　towns；　adding　to　the



unpopularity　rather　than　to　the　resources　of　his　party。



　　Meanwhile　a　slave　belonging　to　Verginius　Capito　deserted　to　L。



Vitellius；　and　having　engaged；　on　being　fur