histories-第24章

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the　troops　Mucianus　in　his　first　speech　had　held　out　only　moderate



hopes；　and　even　Vespasian　offered　no　more　in　the　civil　war　than　others



had　done　in　times　of　peace；　thus　making　a　noble　stand　against　all



bribery　of　the　soldiery；　and　possessing　in　consequence　a　better



army。　Envoys　were　sent　to　Parthia　and　Armenia；　and　precautions　were



taken　that；　when　the　legions　were　engaged　in　the　civil　war；　the



country　in　their　rear　might　not　be　exposed　to　attack。　It　was



arranged　that　Titus　should　pursue　the　war　in　Judaea；　while　Vespasian



should　secure　the　passes　into　Egypt。　To　cope　with　Vitellius；　a　portion



of　the　army；　the　generalship　of　Mucianus；　the　prestige　of



Vespasian's　name；　and　the　destiny　before　which　all　difficulties



vanish；　seemed　sufficient。　To　all　the　armies　and　legates　letters



were　despatched；　and　instructions　were　given　to　them　that　they　were　to



attach　the　Praetorians；　who　hated　Vitellius；　by　the　inducement　of



renewed　military　service。



　　Mucianus；　who　acted　more　as　a　colleague　than　as　a　servant　of　the



Emperor；　moved　on　with　some　light…armed　troops；　not　indeed　at　a



tardy　pace　so　as　to　give　the　appearance　of　delay；　yet　not　with



extraordinary　speed。　Thus　he　allowed　rumour　to　gather　fresh　strength



by　distance；　well　aware　that　his　force　was　but　small；　and　that



exaggerated　notions　are　formed　about　what　is　not　seen。　Behind　him；



however；　came　in　a　vast　body　the　6th　legion　and　13；000　veterans。　He



had　given　directions　that　the　fleet　from　the　Pontus　should　be



brought　up　to　Byzantium；　not　having　yet　made　up　his　mind；　whether；



avoiding　Moesia；　he　should　move　on　Dyrrachium　with　his　infantry　and



cavalry；　and　at　the　same　time　blockade　the　sea　on　the　side　of　Italy



with　his　ships　of　war；　thus　leaving　Asia　and　Achaia　safe　in　his



rear；　which；　being　bare　of　troops；　would　be　left　at　the　mercy　of



Vitellius；　unless　they　were　occupied　with　proper　garrisons。　And　thus



too　Vitellius　himself；　finding　Brundisium；　Tarentum；　and　the　shores　of



Calabria　and　Lucania　menaced　by　hostile　fleets；　would　be　in　utter



perplexity　as　to　which　part　of　Italy　he　should　protect。



　　Thus　the　provinces　echoed　with　the　bustle　of　preparing　fleets；



armies；　and　the　implements　of　war。　Nothing；　however；　was　so



vexatious　as　the　raising　of　money。　Mucianus；　with　the　perpetual



assertion　that　money　was　the　sinews　of　war；　looked　in　all　questions；



not　to　right　or　truth；　but　only　to　the　extent　of　a　man's　fortune。



Informations　abounded；　and　all　the　richest　men　were　fastened　on　for



plunder。　These　intolerable　oppressions；　which　yet　found　some　excuse　in



the　necessities　of　war；　were　continued　even　in　peace。　Vespasian



himself　indeed　at　the　beginning　of　his　reign　was　not　so　bent　on



enforcing　these　iniquitous　measures；　till；　spoilt　by　prosperity　and



evil　counsellors；　he　learnt　this　policy　and　ventured　to　use　it。



Mucianus　contributed　to　the　war　even　from　his　own　purse；　liberal



with　his　private　means　because　he　helped　himself　without　scruple



from　the　wealth　of　the　State。　The　rest　followed　his　example　in



contributing　their　money；　very　few　enjoyed　the　same　licence　in



reimbursing　themselves。



　　Meanwhile　the　operations　of　Vespasian　were　hastened　by　the　zeal　of



the　army　of　Illyricum；　which　had　come　over　to　his　side。　The　third



legion　set　the　example　to　the　other　legions　of　Moesia。　These　were



the　eighth　and　seventh　（Claudius'）；　who　were　possessed　with　a　strong



liking　for　Otho；　though　they　had　not　been　present　at　the　battle　of



Bedriacum。　They　had　advanced　to　Aquileia；　and　by　roughly　repulsing　the



messengers　who　brought　the　tidings　of　Otho's　defeat；　by　tearing　the



colours　which　displayed　the　name　of　Vitellius；　by　finally　seizing　on



the　military　chest　and　dividing　it　among　themselves；　had　assumed　a



hostile　attitude。　Then　they　began　to　fear；　fear　suggested　a　new



thought；　that　acts　might　be　made　a　merit　of　with　Vespasian；　which



would　have　to　be　excused　to　Vitellius。　Accordingly；　the　three



legions　of　Moesia　sought　by　letter　to　win　over　the　army　of　Pannonia；



and　prepared　to　use　force　if　they　refused。　During　this　commotion；



Aponius　Saturnius；　governor　of　Moesia；　ventured　on　a　most　atrocious



act。　He　despatched　a　centurion　to　murder　Tettius　Julianus；　the



legate　of　the　7th　legion；　to　gratify　a　private　pique；　which　he



concealed　beneath　the　appearance　of　party　zeal。　Julianus；　having



discovered　his　danger；　and　procured　some　guides；　who　were　acquainted



with　the　country；　fled　through　the　pathless　wastes　of　Moesia　beyond



Mount　Haemus；　nor　did　he　afterwards　take　any　part　in　the　civil　war。　He



set　out　to　join　Vespasian；　but　contrived　to　protract　his　journey　by



various　pretexts；　lingering　or　hastening　on　his　way；　according　to



the　intelligence　he　received。



　　In　Pannonia；　however；　the　13th　legion　and　the　7th　（Galba's）；　which



still　retained　their　vexation　and　rage　at　the　defeat　of　Bedriacum；



joined　Vespasian　without　hesitation；　mainly　under　the　influence　of



Primus　Antonius。　This　man；　though　an　offender　against　the　law；　and



convicted　of　fraud　in　the　reign　of　Nero；　had；　among　the　other



calamities　of　war；　recovered　his　rank　as　a　Senator。　Having　been



appointed　by　Galba　to　command　the　7th　legion；　he　was　commonly　believed



to　have　often　written　to　Otho；　offering　the　party　his　services　as　a



general。　Being　slighted；　however；　by　that　Prince；　he　found　no



employment　during　the　war。　When　the　fortunes　of　Vitellius　began　to



totter；　he　attached　himself　to　Vespasian；　and　brought　a　vast　accession



of　strength　to　his　party。　He　was　brave　in　battle；　ready　of　speech；



dexterous　in　bringing　odium　upon　other　men；　powerful　amidst　civil



strife　and　rebellion；　rapacious；　prodigal；　the　worst　of　citizens　in



peace；　but　in　war　no　contemptible　ally。　United　by　these　means；　the



armies　of　Moesia　and　Pannonia　drew　with　them　the　soldiery　of　Dalmatia；



though　the　consular　legates　took　no　part　in　the　movement。　Titus　Ampius



Flavianus　was　the　governor　of　Pannonia；　Poppaeus　Silvanus　of　Dalmatia。



They　were　both　rich　and　advanced　in　years。　The　Imperial　procurator；



however；　was　Cornelius　Fuscus；　a　man　in　the　prime　of　life　and　of



illustrious　birth。　Though　in　early　youth　the　desire　of　repose　had



led　him　to　resign　his　senatorial　rank；　he　afterwards　put　himself　at



the　head　of　his　colony　in　fighting　for　Galba；　and　by　this　service　he



obtained　his　procuratorship。　Subsequently　embracing　the　cause　of



Vespasian；　he　lent　the　movement　the　stimulus　of　a　fiery　zeal。



Finding　his　pleasure　not　so　much　in　the　rewards　of　peril　as　in　peril



itself；　to　assured　and　long　acquired　possession　he　preferred



novelty；　uncertainty；　and　risk。　Accordingly；　both　he　and　Antonius



strove　to　agitate　and　disturb　wherever　there　was　any　weak　point。



Despatches　were　sent　to　the　14th　legion　in　Britain　and　to　the　1st　in



Spain；　for　both　these　legions　had　been　on　the　side　of　Otho　against



Vitellius。　Letters　too　were　scattered　through　every　part　of　Gaul；



and　in　a　moment　a　mighty　war　burst　into　flame；　for　the　armies　of



Illyricum　were　already　in　open　revolt；　and　the　rest　were　waiting



only　the　signal　of　success。



　　While　Vespasian　and　the　generals　of　his　party　were　thus　occupied



in　the　provinces；　Vitellius　was　daily　becoming　more　contemptible　and



indolent；　halting　to　enjoy　the　pleasures　of　every　town　and　villa　in



his　way；　as　with　his　cumbrous　host　he　advanced　towards　the　capital。　He



was　followed　by　60；000　armed　soldiers　demoralized　by　licence。　Still



larger　was　the　number　of　camp…followers；　and　of　all　slaves；　the　slaves



of　soldiers　are　the　most　unruly。　So　numerous　a　retinue　of　officers　and



personal　friends　would　have　been　difficult　to　keep　under　restraint；



even　if　controlled　by　the　strictest　discipline。　The　crowd　was　made



more　unwieldy　by　Senators　and　Knights　who　came　to　meet　him　from　the



capital；　some　moved　by　fear；　many　by　a　spirit　of　adulation；　others；



and　by　degrees　all；　that　they　might　not　be　left　behind　while　the



rest　were　going。　From　the　dregs　of　the　people　there　thronged　buffoons；



players；　and　charioteers；　known　to　Vitellius　from　their　infamous



compliance　with　his　vices；　for　in　such　disgraceful　friendships　he　felt



a　strange　pleasure。　And　now　not　only　were　the　colonies　and　towns



exhausted　by　having　to　furnish　supplies；　but　the　very　cultivator　of



the　soil　and　his　lands；　on　which　the　harvests　were　now　ripe；　were



plundered　like　an　enemy's　territory。



　　There　were　many　sanguinary　encounters　between　the　soldiers；　for　ever



since　the　mutiny　which　broke　out　at　Ticinum　there　had　lingered　a



spirit　of　dissension　between　the　legions　and　the　auxiliary　troops；



though　they　could　unite　whenever　they　had　to　fight　with　the　rustic



population。　The　most　terrible　massacre　took　place　at　the　7th　milestone



from　Rome。　Vitellius　was　distributing　to　each　soldier　provisions　ready



dressed　on　the　same　abundant　scale　as　the　gladiators'　rations；　and　the



populace　had　poured　forth；　and　spread　themselves　throughout　the　entire



camp。　Some　with　the　frolicsome　humour　of　slaves　robbed　the　careless



soldiers　by　slily　cutting　their　belts；　and　then　asked　them　whether



they　were　armed。　Unused　to　insult；　the　spirit　of　the　soldiers　resented



the　jest。　Sword　in　hand　they　fell　upon　the　unarmed　people。　Among　the



slain　was　the　father　of　a　soldier；　who　was　with　his　son。　He　was



afterwards　recognised；　and　his　murder　becoming　generally　known；　they



spared　the　innocent　crowd。　Yet　there　was　a　panic　at　Rome；　as　the



soldiers　pressed　on　in　all　directions。　It　was　to　the　forum　that　they



chiefly　directed　their　steps；　anxious　to　behold　the　spot　where　Galba



had　fallen。　Nor　were　the　men　themselves　a　less　frightful　spectacle；



bristling　as　they　were　with　the　skins　of　wild　beasts；　and　armed　with



huge　lances；　while　in　their　strangeness　to　the　place　they　were



embarrassed　by　the　crowds　of　people；　or　tumbling　down　in　the



slippery　streets　or　from　the　shock　of　some　casual　encounter；　they　fell



to　quarrelling；　and　then　had　recourse　to　blows　and　the　use　of　their



swords。　Besides；　the　tribunes　and　prefects　were　hurrying　to　and　fro



with　formidable　bodies　of　armed　men。



　　Vitellius　himself；　mounted　on　a　splendid　charger；　with　military



cloak　and　sword；　advanced　from　the　Mulvian　bridge；　driving　the



Senate　and　people　before　him；　but　deterred　by　the　advice　of　his



friends　from　marching　into　Rome　as　if　it　were　a　captured　city；　he



assumed　a　civil　garb；　and　proceeded　with　his　army　in　orderly　array。



The　eagles　of　four　legions　were　borne　in　front；　and　an　equal　number　of



colours　from　other　legions　on　either　side；　then　came　the　standards



of　twelve　auxiliary　squadrons；　and　the　cavalry　behind　the　ranks　of　the



infantry。　Next　came　thirty…four　auxiliary　cohorts；　distinguished



according　to　the　names　or　various　equipments　of　the　nations。　Before



each　eagle　w