histories-第54节

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time　he　lavished　on　his　friends　tribuneships　and　prefectures；　and



then；　when　he　had　filled　the　vain　heart　of　the　man　with　hope　and



ambition；　he　destroyed　his　power　by　sending　into　winter　quarters　the



7th　legion；　whose　affection　for　Antonius　was　particularly　vehement。



The　3rd　legion；　old　troops　of　Varus　Arrius；　were　sent　back　to　Syria。



Part　of　the　army　was　on　its　way　to　Germany。　Thus　all　elements　of



disturbance　being　removed；　the　usual　appearance　of　the　capital；　the



laws；　and　the　jurisdiction　of　the　magistrates；　were　once　more



restored。



　　Domitian；　on　the　day　of　his　taking　his　seat　in　the　Senate；　made　a



brief　and　measured　speech　in　reference　to　the　absence　of　his　father



and　brother；　and　to　his　own　youth。　He　was　graceful　in　his　bearing；



and；　his　real　character　being　yet　unknown；　the　frequent　blush　on　his



countenance　passed　for　modesty。　On　his　proposing　the　restoration　of



the　Imperial　honours　of　Galba；　Curtius　Montanus　moved　that　respect



should　also　be　paid　to　the　memory　of　Piso。　The　Senate　passed　both



motions；　but　that　which　referred　to　Piso　was　not　carried　out。



Certain　commissioners　were　then　appointed　by　lot；　who　were　to　see　to



the　restitution　of　property　plundered　during　the　war；　to　examine　and



restore　to　their　place　the　brazen　tables　of　the　laws；　which　had　fallen



down　through　age；　to　free　the　Calendar　from　the　additions　with　which



the　adulatory　spirit　of　the　time　had　disfigured　it；　and　to　put　a　check



on　the　public　expenditure。　The　office　of　praetor　was　restored　to



Tettius　Julianus；　as　soon　as　it　was　known　that　he　had　fled　for



refuge　to　Vespasian。　Griphus　still　retained　his　rank。　It　was　then



determined　that　the　cause　of　Musonius　Rufus　against　Publius　Celer



should　be　again　brought　on。　Publius　was　condemned；　and　thus



expiation　was　made　to　the　shade　of　Soranus。　The　day　thus　marked　by



an　example　of　public　justice　was　not　barren　of　distinction　to



individuals。　Musonius　was　thought　to　have　fulfilled　the　righteous　duty



of　an　accuser；　but　men　spoke　very　differently　of　Demetrius；　a　disciple



of　the　Cynical　school　of　philosophy；　who　pleaded　the　cause　of　a



notorious　criminal　by　appeals　to　corrupt　influences　rather　than　by



fair　argument。　Publius　himself；　in　his　peril；　had　neither　spirit　nor



power　of　speech　left。　The　signal　for　vengeance　on　the　informers　having



been　thus　given；　Junius　Mauricus　asked　Caesar　to　give　the　Senate



access　to　the　Imperial　registers；　from　which　they　might　learn　what



impeachments　the　several　informers　had　proposed。　Caesar　answered；　that



in　a　matter　of　such　importance　the　Emperor　must　be　consulted。



　　The　Senate；　led　by　its　principal　members；　then　framed　a　form　of



oath；　which　was　eagerly　taken　by　all　the　magistrates　and　by　the



other　Senators　in　the　order　in　which　they　voted。　They　called　the



Gods　to　witness；　that　nothing　had　been　done　by　their　instrumentality



to　prejudice　the　safety　of　any　person；　and　that　they　had　gained　no



distinction　or　advantage　by　the　ruin　of　Roman　citizens。　Great　was



the　alarm；　and　various　the　devices　for　altering　the　words　of　the　oath；



among　those　who　felt　the　consciousness　of　guilt。　The　Senate



appreciated　the　scruple；　but　denounced　the　perjury。　This　public



censure；　as　it　might　be　called；　fell　with　especial　severity　on　three



men；　Sariolenus　Vocula；　Nonnius　Attianus；　and　Cestius　Severus；　all



of　them　infamous　for　having　practised　the　trade　of　the　informer　in　the



days　of　Nero。　Sariolenus　indeed　laboured　under　an　imputation　of　recent



date。　It　was　said　that　he　had　attempted　the　same　practices　during



the　reign　of　Vitellius。　The　Senators　did　not　desist　from　threatening



gestures；　till　he　quitted　the　chamber；　then　passing　to　Paccius



Africanus；　they　assailed　him　in　the　same　way。　It　was　he；　they　said；



who　had　singled　out　as　victims　for　Nero　the　brothers　Scribonius；



renowned　for　their　mutual　affection　and　for　their　wealth。　Africanus



dared　not　confess　his　guilt；　and　could　not　deny　it；　but　he　himself



turned　on　Vibius　Crispus；　who　was　pressing　him　with　questions；　and



complicating　a　charge　which　he　could　not　rebut；　shifted　the　blame　from



himself　by　associating　another　with　his　guilt。



　　Great　was　the　reputation　for　brotherly　affection；　as　well　as　for



eloquence；　which　Vipstanus　Messalla　earned　for　himself　on　that　day；　by



venturing；　though　not　yet　of　Senatorial　age；　to　plead　for　his



brother　Aquilius　Regulus。　The　fall　of　the　families　of　the　Crassi　and



Orfitus　had　brought　Regulus　into　the　utmost　odium。　Of　his　own　free



will；　as　it　seemed；　and　while　still　a　mere　youth；　he　had　undertaken



the　prosecution；　not　to　ward　off　any　peril　from　himself；　but　in　the



hope　of　gaining　power。　The　wife　of　Crassus；　Sulpicia　Praetextata；



and　her　four　children　were　ready；　should　the　Senate　take　cognizance　of



the　cause；　to　demand　vengeance。　Accordingly；　Messalla；　without



attempting　to　defend　the　case　or　the　person　accused；　had　simply　thrown



himself　in　the　way　of　the　perils　that　threatened　his　brother；　and



had　thus　wrought　upon　the　feelings　of　several　Senators。　On　this



Curtius　Montanus　met　him　with　a　fierce　speech；　in　which　he　went　to　the



length　of　asserting；　that　after　the　death　of　Galba；　money　had　been



given　by　Regulus　to　the　murderer　of　Piso；　and　that　he　had　even



fastened　his　teeth　in　the　murdered　man's　head。　〃Certainly；〃　he　said；



〃Nero　did　not　compel　this　act；　you　did　not　secure　by　this　piece　of



barbarity　either　your　rank　or　your　life。　We　may　bear　with　the



defence　put　forward　by　men　who　thought　it　better　to　destroy　others



than　to　come　into　peril　themselves。　As　for　you；　the　exile　of　your



father；　and　the　division　of　his　property　among　his　creditors；　had　left



you　perfectly　safe；　besides　that　your　youth　incapacitated　you　for



office；　there　was　nothing　in　you　which　Nero　could　either　covet　or



dread。　It　was　from　sheer　lust　of　slaughter　and　greed　of　gain　that　you；



unknown　as　you　were；　you；　who　had　never　pleaded　in　any　man's



defence；　steeped　your　soul　in　noble　blood；　when；　though　you　had



snatched　from　the　very　grave　of　your　Country　the　spoils　of　a　man　of



consular　rank；　had　been　fed　to　the　full　with　seven　million



sesterces；　and　shone　with　all　sacerdotal　honours；　you　yet



overwhelmed　in　one　common　ruin　innocent　boys；　old　men　of　illustrious



name；　and　noble　ladies；　when　you　actually　blamed　the　tardy　movements



of　Nero　in　wearying　himself　and　his　informers　with　the　overthrow　of



single　families；　and　declared　that　the　whole　Senate　might　be　destroyed



by　one　word。　Keep；　Conscript　Fathers；　preserve　a　man　of　such　ready



counsels；　that　every　age　may　be　furnished　with　its　teacher；　and　that



our　young　men　may　imitate　Regulus；　just　as　our　old　men　imitate



Marcellus　and　Crispus。　Even　unsuccessful　villany　finds　some　to　emulate



it：　what　will　happen；　if　it　flourish　and　be　strong？　And　the　man；



whom　we　dare　not　offend　when　he　holds　only　quaestor's　rank；　are　we



to　see　him　rise　to　the　dignities　of　praetor　and　consul？　Do　you　suppose



that　Nero　will　be　the　last　of　the　tyrants？　Those　who　survived



Tiberius；　those　who　survived　Caligula；　thought　the　same；　and　yet　after



each　there　arose　another　ruler　yet　more　detestable　and　more　cruel。



We　are　not　afraid　of　Vespasian；　the　age　and　moderation　of　the　new



Emperor　reassure　us。　But　the　influence　of　an　example　outlives　the



individual　character。　We　have　lost　our　vigour；　Conscript　Fathers；　we



are　no　longer　that　Senate；　which；　when　Nero　had　fallen；　demanded



that　the　informers　and　ministers　of　the　tyrant　should　be　punished



according　to　ancient　custom。　The　first　day　after　the　downfall　of　a



wicked　Emperor　is　the　best　of　opportunities。〃



　　Montanus　was　heard　with　such　approval　on　the　part　of　the　Senate；



that　Helvidius　conceived　a　hope　that　Marcellus　also　might　be



overthrown。　He　therefore　began　with　a　panegyric　on　Cluvius　Rufus；　who；



though　not　less　rich　nor　less　renowned　for　eloquence；　had　never



imperilled　a　single　life　in　the　days　of　Nero。　By　this　comparison；　as



well　as　by　direct　accusations；　he　pressed　Eprius　hard；　and　stirred　the



indignation　of　the　Senators。　When　Marcellus　perceived　this；　he　made　as



if　he　would　leave　the　House；　exclaiming；　〃We　go；　Priscus；　and　leave



you　your　Senate；　act　the　king；　though　Caesar　himself　be　present。〃



Crispus　followed。　Both　were　enraged；　but　their　looks　were　different；



Marcellus　cast　furious　glances　about　him；　while　Crispus　smiled。　They



were　drawn　back；　however；　into　the　Senate　by　the　hasty　interference　of



friends。　The　contest　grew　fiercer；　while　the　well…disposed　majority　on



the　one　side；　and　a　powerful　minority　on　the　other；　fought　out　their



obstinate　quarrel；　and　thus　the　day　was　spent　in　altercation。



　　At　the　next　meeting　of　the　Senate　Caesar　began　by　recommending



that　the　wrongs；　the　resentments；　and　the　terrible　necessities　of



former　times；　should　be　forgotten；　and　Mucianus　spoke　a