histories-第6章

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！




and　legionaries；　both　of　whom　again　indiscriminately　assumed　the



shields　and　helmets　of　the　auxiliary　troops。　No　tribune　or　centurion



encouraged　them；　every　man　acted　on　his　own　impulse　and　guidance；



and　the　vilest　found　their　chief　incitement　in　the　dejection　of　the



good。



　　Meanwhile；　appalled　by　the　roar　of　the　increasing　sedition　and　by



the　shouts　which　reached　the　city；　Piso　had　overtaken　Galba；　who　in



the　interval　had　quitted　the　palace；　and　was　approaching　the　Forum。



Already　Marius　Celsus　had　brought　back　discouraging　tidings。　And　now



some　advised　that　the　Emperor　should　return　to　the　palace；　others　that



he　should　make　for　the　Capitol；　many　again　that　he　should　occupy　the



Rostra；　though　most　did　but　oppose　the　opinions　of　others；　while；　as



ever　happens　in　these　ill…starred　counsels；　plans　for　which　the



opportunity　had　slipped　away　seemed　the　best。　It　is　said　that　Laco；



without　Galba's　knowledge；　meditated　the　death　of　Vinius；　either



hoping　by　this　execution　to　appease　the　fury　of　the　soldiers；　or



believing　him　to　be　an　accomplice　of　Otho；　or；　it　may　be；　out　of



mere　hatred。　The　time　and　the　place　however　made　him　hesitate；　he　knew



that　a　massacre　once　begun　is　not　easily　checked。　His　plan　too　was



disconcerted　by　a　succession　of　alarming　tidings；　and　the　desertion　of



immediate　adherents。　So　languid　was　now　the　zeal　of　those　who　had　at



first　been　eager　to　display　their　fidelity　and　courage。



　　Galba　was　hurried　to　and　fro　with　every　movement　of　the　surging



crowd；　the　halls　and　temples　all　around　were　thronged　with



spectators　of　this　mournful　sight。　Not　a　voice　was　heard　from　the



people　or　even　from　the　rabble。　Everywhere　were　terror…stricken



countenances；　and　ears　turned　to　catch　every　sound。　It　was　a　scene



neither　of　agitation　nor　of　repose；　but　there　reigned　the　silence　of



profound　alarm　and　profound　indignation。　Otho　however　was　told　that



they　were　arming　the　mob。　He　ordered　his　men　to　hurry　on　at　full



speed；　and　to　anticipate　the　danger。　Then　did　Roman　soldiers　rush



forward　like　men　who　had　to　drive　a　Vologeses　or　Pacorus　from　the



ancestral　throne　of　the　Arsacidae；　not　as　though　they　were　hastening



to　murder　their　aged　and　defenceless　Emperor。　In　all　the　terror　of



their　arms；　and　at　the　full　speed　of　their　horses；　they　burst　into　the



Forum；　thrusting　aside　the　crowd　and　trampling　on　the　Senate。



Neither　the　sight　of　the　Capitol；　nor　the　sanctity　of　the



overhanging　temples；　nor　the　thought　of　rulers　past　or　future；　could



deter　them　from　committing　a　crime；　which　any　one　succeeding　to



power　must　avenge。



　　When　this　armed　array　was　seen　to　approach；　the　standard…bearer　of



the　cohort　that　escorted　Galba　（he　is　said　to　have　been　one　Atilius



Vergilio）　tore　off　and　dashed　upon　the　ground　Galba's　effigy。　At



this　signal　the　feeling　of　all　the　troops　declared　itself　plainly



for　Otho。　The　Forum　was　deserted　by　the　flying　populace。　Weapons



were　pointed　against　all　who　hesitated。　Near　the　lake　of　Curtius；



Galba　was　thrown　out　of　his　litter　and　fell　to　the　ground；　through　the



alarm　of　his　bearers。　His　last　words　have　been　variously　reported



according　as　men　hated　or　admired　him。　Some　have　said　that　he　asked　in



a　tone　of　entreaty　what　wrong　he　had　done；　and　begged　a　few　days　for



the　payment　of　the　donative。　The　more　general　account　is；　that　he



voluntarily　offered　his　neck　to　the　murderers；　and　bade　them　haste　and



strike；　if　it　seemed　to　be　for　the　good　of　the　Commonwealth。　To



those　who　slew　him　mattered　not　what　he　said。　About　the　actual



murderer　nothing　is　clearly　known。　Some　have　recorded　the　name　of



Terentius；　an　enrolled　pensioner；　others　that　of　Lecanius；　but　it　is



the　current　report　that　one　Camurius；　a　soldier　of　the　15th　legion；



completely　severed　his　throat　by　treading　his　sword　down　upon　it。



The　rest　of　the　soldiers　foully　mutilated　his　arms　and　legs；　for　his



breast　was　protected；　and　in　their　savage　ferocity　inflicted　many



wounds　even　on　the　headless　trunk。



　　They　next　fell　on　T。　Vinius；　and　in　his　case　also　it　is　not　known



whether　the　fear　of　instant　death　choked　his　utterance；　or　whether



he　cried　out　that　Otho　had　not　given　orders　to　slay　him。　Either　he



invented　this　in　his　terror；　or　he　thus　confessed　his　share　in　the



conspiracy。　His　life　and　character　incline　us　rather　to　believe　that



he　was　an　accomplice　in　the　crime　which　he　certainly　caused。　He　fell



in　front　of　the　temple　of　the　Divine　Julius；　and　at　the　first　blow；



which　struck　him　on　the　back　of　the　knee；　immediately　afterwards



Julius　Carus；　a　legionary；　ran　him　through　the　body。



　　A　noble　example　of　manhood　was　on　that　day　witnessed　by　our　age　in



Sempronius　Densus。　He　was　a　centurion　in　a　cohort　of　the　Praetorian



Guard；　and　had　been　appointed　by　Galba　to　escort　Piso。　Rushing；　dagger



in　hand；　to　meet　the　armed　men；　and　upbraiding　them　with　their



crime；　he　drew　the　attention　of　the　murderers　on　himself　by　his



exclamations　and　gestures；　and　thus　gave　Piso；　wounded　as　he　was；　an



opportunity　of　escape。　Piso　made　his　way　to　the　temple　of　Vesta；　where



he　was　admitted　by　the　compassion　of　one　of　the　public　slaves；　who



concealed　him　in　his　chamber。　There；　not　indeed　through　the　sanctity



of　the　place　or　its　worship；　but　through　the　obscurity　of　his



hiding…place；　he　obtained　a　respite　from　instant　destruction；　till



there　came；　by　Otho's　direction　and　specially　eager　to　slay　him；



Sulpicius　Florus；　of　the　British　auxiliary　infantry；　to　whom　Galba　had



lately　given　the　citizenship；　and　Statius　Murcus；　one　of　the



body…guard。　Piso　was　dragged　out　by　these　men　and　slaughtered　in　the



entrance　of　the　temple。



　　There　was；　we　are　told；　no　death　of　which　Otho　heard　with　greater



joy；　no　head　which　he　surveyed　with　so　insatiable　a　gaze。　Perhaps　it



was；　that　his　mind　was　then　for　the　first　time　relieved　from　all



anxiety；　and　so　had　leisure　to　rejoice；　perhaps　there　was　with　Galba



something　to　recall　departed　majesty；　with　Vinius　some　thought　of



old　friendship；　which　troubled　with　mournful　images　even　that　ruthless



heart；　Piso's　death；　as　that　of　an　enemy　and　a　rival；　he　felt　to　be



a　right　and　lawful　subject　of　rejoicing。　The　heads　were　fixed　upon



poles　and　carried　about　among　the　standards　of　the　cohorts；　close　to



the　eagle　of　the　legion；　while　those　who　had　struck　the　blow；　those



who　had　been　present；　those　who　whether　truly　or　falsely　boasted　of



the　act；　as　of　some　great　and　memorable　achievement；　vied　in



displaying　their　bloodstained　hands。　Vitellius　afterwards　found　more



than　120　memorials　from　persons　who　claimed　a　reward　for　some



notable　service　on　that　day。　All　these　persons　he　ordered　to　be　sought



out　and　slain；　not　to　honour　Galba；　but　to　comply　with　the　traditional



policy　of　rulers；　who　thus　provide　protection　for　the　present　and



vengeance　for　the　future。



　　One　would　have　thought　it　a　different　Senate；　a　different　people。



All　rushed　to　the　camp；　outran　those　who　were　close　to　them；　and



struggled　with　those　who　were　before；　inveighed　against　Galba；　praised



the　wisdom　of　the　soldiers；　covered　the　hand　of　Otho　with　kisses；



the　more　insincere　their　demonstrations；　the　more　they　multiplied



them。　Nor　did　Otho　repulse　the　advances　of　individuals；　while　he



checked　the　greed　and　ferocity　of　the　soldiers　by　word　and　look。



They　demanded　that　Marius　Celsus；　consul　elect；　Galba's　faithful



friend　to　the　very　last　moment；　should　be　led　to　execution；　loathing



his　energy　and　integrity　as　if　they　were　vices。　It　was　evident　that



they　were　seeking　to　begin　massacre　and　plunder；　and　the



proscription　of　all　the　most　virtuous　citizens；　and　Otho　had　not　yet



sufficient　authority　to　prevent　crime；　though　he　could　command　it。



He　feigned　anger；　and　ordered　him　to　be　loaded　with　chains；



declaring　that　he　was　to　suffer　more　signal　punishment；　and　thus　he



rescued　him　from　immediate　destruction。



　　Every　thing　was　then　ordered　according　to　the　will　of　the



soldiery。　The　Praetorians　chose　their　own　prefects。　One　was　Plotius



Firmus；　who　had　once　been　in　the　ranks；　had　afterwards　commanded　the



watch；　and　who；　while　Galba　was　yet　alive；　had　embraced　the　cause　of



Otho。　With　him　was　associated　Licinius　Proculus；　Otho's　intimate



friend；　and　consequently　suspected　of　having　encouraged　his　schemes。



Flavius　Sabinus　they　appointed　prefect　of　the　city；　thus　adopting



Nero's　choice；　in　whose　reign　he　had　held　the　same　office；　though　many



in　choosing　him　had　an　eye　to　his　brother　Vespasian。　A　demand　was　then



made；　that　the　fees　for　furloughs　usually　paid　to　the　centurions



should　be　abolished。　These　the　common　soldiers　paid　as　a　kind　of



annual　tribute。　A　fourth　part　of　every　company　might　be　scattered　on



furlough；　or　even　loiter　about　the　camp；　provided　that　they　paid　the



fees　to　the　centurions。　No　one　cared　about　the　amount　of　the　tax；　or



the　way　in　which　it　was　raised。　It　was　by　robbery；　plunder；　or　the



most　servile　occupations　that　the　soldiers'　holiday　was　purchased。　The



man　with　the　fullest　purse　was　worn　out　with　toil　and　cruel　usage　till



he　bought　his　furlough。　His　means　exhausted　by　this　outlay；　and　his



energies　utterly　relaxed　by　idleness；　the　once　rich　and　vigorous



soldier　returned　to　his　company　a　poor　and　spiritless　man。　One　after



another　was　ruined　by　the　same　poverty　and　license；　and　rushed　into



mutiny　and　dissension；　and　finally　into　civil　war。　Otho；　however；



not　to　alienate　the　affections　of　the　centurions　by　an　act　of　bounty



to　the　ranks；　promised　that　his　own　purse　should　pay　these　annual



sums。　It　was　undoubtedly　a　salutary　reform；　and　was　afterwards　under



good　emperors　established　as　a　permanent　rule　of　the　service。　Laco；



prefect　of　the　city；　who　had　been　ostensibly　banished　to　an　island；



was　assassinated　by　an　enrolled　pensioner；　sent　on　by　Otho　to　do　the



deed。　Martianus　Icelus；　being　but　a　freedman；　was　publicly　executed。



　　A　day　spent　in　crime　found　its　last　horror　in　the　rejoicings　that



concluded　it。　The　Praetor　of　the　city　summoned　the　Senate；　the　rest　of



the　Magistrates　vied　with　each　other　in　their　flatteries。　The　Senators



hastily　assembled　and　conferred　by　decree　upon　Otho　the　tribunitial



office；　the　name　of　Augustus；　and　every　imperial　honour。　All　strove　to



extinguish　the　remembrance　of　those　taunts　and　invectives；　which　had



been　thrown　out　at　random；　and　which　no　one　supposed　were　rankling



in　his　heart。　Whether　he　had　forgotten；　or　only　postponed　his



resentment；　the　shortness　of　his　reign　left　undecided。　The　Forum　yet



streamed　with　blood；　when　he　was　borne　in　a　litter　over　heaps　of



dead　to　the　Capitol；　and　thence　to　the　palace。　He　suffered　the



bodies　to　be　given　up　for　burial；　and　to　be　burnt。　For　Piso；　the



last　rites　were　perfor