histories-第7章

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



last　rites　were　performed　by　his　wife　Verania　and　his　brother



Scribonianus；　for　Vinius；　by　his　daughter　Crispina；　their　heads　having



been　discovered　and　purchased　from　the　murderers；　who　had　reserved



them　for　sale。



　　Piso；　who　was　then　completing　his　thirty…first　year；　had　enjoyed



more　fame　than　good　fortune。　His　brothers；　Magnus　and　Crassus；　had



been　put　to　death　by　Claudius　and　Nero　respectively。　He　was　himself



for　many　years　an　exile；　for　four　days　a　Caesar；　and　Galba's　hurried



adoption　of　him　only　gave　him　this　privilege　over　his　elder　brother；



that　he　perished　first。　Vinius　had　lived　to　the　age　of　fifty…seven；



with　many　changes　of　character。　His　father　was　of　a　praetorian　family；



his　maternal　grandfather　was　one　of　the　proscribed。　He　had　disgraced



himself　in　his　first　campaign　when　he　served　under　the　legate



Calvisius　Sabinus。　That　officer's　wife；　urged　by　a　perverse



curiosity　to　view　the　camp；　entered　it　by　night　in　the　disguise　of　a



soldier；　and　after　extending　the　insulting　frolic　to　the　watches　and



the　general　arrangements　of　the　army；　actually　dared　to　commit　the　act



of　adultery　in　the　head…quarters。　Vinius　was　charged　with　having



participated　in　her　guilt；　and　by　order　of　Caius　was　loaded　with



irons。　The　altered　times　soon　restored　him　to　liberty。　He　then　enjoyed



an　uninterrupted　succession　of　honours；　first　filling　the　praetorship；



and　then　commanding　a　legion　with　general　satisfaction；　but　he



subsequently　incurred　the　degrading　imputation　of　having　pilfered　a



gold　cup　at　the　table　of　Claudius；　who　the　next　day　directed　that　he



alone　should　be　served　on　earthenware。　Yet　as　proconsul　of　Gallia



Narbonensis　he　administered　the　government　with　strict　integrity。　When



forced　by　his　friendship　with　Galba　to　a　dangerous　elevation；　he



shewed　himself　bold；　crafty；　and　enterprising；　and　whether　he



applied　his　powers　to　vice　or　virtue；　was　always　equally　energetic。



His　will　was　made　void　by　his　vast　wealth；　that　of　Piso　owed　its



validity　to　his　poverty。



　　The　body　of　Galba　lay　for　a　long　time　neglected；　and　subjected；



through　the　license　which　the　darkness　permitted；　to　a　thousand



indignities；　till　Argius　his　steward；　who　had　been　one　of　his



slaves；　gave　it　a　humble　burial　in　his　master's　private　gardens。　His



head；　which　the　sutlers　and　camp…followers　had　fixed　on　a　pole　and



mangled；　was　found　only　the　next　day　in　front　of　the　tomb　of



Patrobius；　a　freedman　of　Nero's；　whom　Galba　had　executed。　It　was　put



with　the　body；　which　had　by　that　time　been　reduced　to　ashes。　Such



was　the　end　of　Servius　Galba；　who　in　his　seventy…three　years　had　lived



prosperously　through　the　reigns　of　five　Emperors；　and　had　been　more



fortunate　under　the　rule　of　others　than　he　was　in　his　own。　His



family　could　boast　an　ancient　nobility；　his　wealth　was　great。　His



character　was　of　an　average　kind；　rather　free　from　vices；　than



distinguished　by　virtues。　He　was　not　regardless　of　fame；　nor　yet



vainly　fond　of　it。　Other　men's　money　he　did　not　covet；　with　his　own　he



was　parsimonious；　with　that　of　the　State　avaricious。　To　his　freedmen



and　friends　he　shewed　a　forbearance；　which；　when　he　had　fallen　into



worthy　hands；　could　not　be　blamed；　when；　however；　these　persons　were



worthless；　he　was　even　culpably　blind。　The　nobility　of　his　birth　and



the　perils　of　the　times　made　what　was　really　indolence　pass　for



wisdom。　While　in　the　vigour　of　life；　he　enjoyed　a　high　military



reputation　in　Germany；　as　proconsul　he　ruled　Africa　with　moderation；



and　when　advanced　in　years　shewed　the　same　integrity　in　Eastern　Spain。



He　seemed　greater　than　a　subject　while　he　was　yet　in　a　subject's　rank；



and　by　common　consent　would　have　been　pronounced　equal　to　empire；



had　he　never　been　emperor。



　　The　alarm　of　the　capital；　which　trembled　to　see　the　atrocity　of



these　recent　crimes；　and　to　think　of　the　old　character　of　Otho；　was



heightened　into　terror　by　the　fresh　news　about　Vitellius；　news　which



had　been　suppressed　before　the　murder　of　Galba；　in　order　to　make　it



appear　that　only　the　army　of　Upper　Germany　had　revolted。　That　two　men；



who　for　shamelessness；　indolence；　and　profligacy；　were　the　most



worthless　of　mortals；　had　been　selected；　it　would　seem；　by　some



fatality　to　ruin　the　Empire；　became　the　open　complaint；　not　only　of



the　Senate　and　the　Knights；　who　had　some　stake　and　interest　in　the



country；　but　even　of　the　common　people。　It　was　no　longer　to　the　late



horrors　of　a　dreadful　peace；　but　to　the　recollections　of　the　civil



wars；　that　men　recurred；　speaking　of　how　the　capital　had　been　taken　by



Roman　armies；　how　Italy　had　been　wasted　and　the　provinces　spoiled；



of　Pharsalia；　Philippi；　Perusia；　and　Mutina；　and　all　the　familiar



names　of　great　public　disasters。　〃The　world；〃　they　said；　〃was



well…nigh　turned　upside　down　when　the　struggle　for　empire　was



between　worthy　competitors；　yet　the　Empire　continued　to　exist　after



the　victories　of　Caius　Julius　and　Caesar　Augustus；　the　Republic



would　have　continued　to　exist　under　Pompey　and　Brutus。　And　is　it　for



Otho　or　for　Vitellius　that　we　are　now　to　repair　to　the　temples？



Prayers　for　either　would　be　impious；　vows　for　either　a　blasphemy；　when



from　their　conflict　you　can　only　learn　that　the　conqueror　must　be



the　worse　of　the　two。〃　Some　were　speculating　on　Vespasian　and　the



armies　of　the　East。　Vespasian　was　indeed　preferable　to　either；　yet



they　shuddered　at　the　idea　of　another　war；　of　other　massacres。　Even



about　Vespasian　there　were　doubtful　rumours；　and　he；　unlike　any　of　his



predecessors；　was　changed　for　the　better　by　power。



　　I　will　now　describe　the　origin　and　occasion　of　the　revolt　of



Vitellius。　After　the　destruction　of　Julius　Vindex　and　his　whole　force；



the　army；　flushed　with　the　delights　of　plunder　and　glory；　as　men　might



well　be　who　had　been　fortunate　enough　to　triumph　without　toil　or



danger　in　a　most　lucrative　war；　began　to　hanker　after　compaigns　and



battles；　and　to　prefer　prize　money　to　pay。　They　had　long　endured　a



service　which　the　character　of　the　country　and　of　the　climate　and



the　rigours　of　military　discipline　rendered　at　once　unprofitable　and



severe。　But　that　discipline；　inexorable　as　it　is　in　times　of　peace；　is



relaxed　by　civil　strife；　when　on　both　sides　are　found　the　agents　of



corruption；　and　treachery　goes　unpunished。　They　had　men；　arms　and



horses；　more　than　enough　for　all　purposes　of　utility　and　show；　but



before　the　war　they　had　been　acquainted　only　with　the　companies　and



squadrons　of　their　own　force；　as　the　various　armies　were　separated



from　each　other　by　the　limits　of　their　respective　provinces。　But　the



legions；　having　been　concentrated　to　act　against　Vindex；　and　having



thus　learnt　to　measure　their　own　strength　against　the　strength　of



Gaul；　were　now　on　the　lookout　for　another　war　and　for　new　conflicts。



They　called　their　neighbours；　not　〃allies〃　as　of　old；　but　〃the



enemy〃　and　〃the　vanquished。〃　Nor　did　that　part　of　Gaul　which　borders



on　the　Rhine　fail　to　espouse　the　same　cause；　and　to　the　bitterest



hostility　in　inflaming　the　army　against　the　Galbianists；　that　being



the　name；　which　in　their　contempt　for　Vindex　they　had　given　to　the



party。　The　rage　first　excited　against　the　Sequani　and　Aedui　extended



to　other　states　in　proportion　to　their　wealth；　and　they　revelled　in



imagination　on　the　storm　of　cities；　the　plunder　of　estates；　the　sack



of　dwelling…houses。　But；　besides　the　rapacity　and　arrogance　which



are　the　special　faults　of　superior　strength；　they　were　exasperated



by　the　bravadoes　of　the　Gallic　people；　who　in　a　spirit　of　insult　to



the　army　boasted　of　how　they　had　been　relieved　by　Galba　from　a



fourth　part　of　their　tribute；　and　had　received　grants　from　the



State。　There　was　also　a　report；　ingeniously　spread　and　recklessly



believed；　to　the　effect　that　the　legions　were　being　decimated；　and　all



the　most　energetic　centurions　dismissed。　From　all　quarters　arrived　the



most　alarming　tidings。　The　reports　from　the　capital　were　unfavourable；



while　the　disaffection　of　the　colony　of　Lugdunum；　which　obstinately



adhered　to　Nero；　gave　rise　to　a　multitude　of　rumours。　But　it　was　in



the　army　itself；　in　its　hatreds；　its　fears；　and　even　in　the　security



with　which　a　review　of　its　own　strength　inspired　it；　that　there　was



the　most　abundant　material　for　the　exercise　of　imagination　and



credulity。



　　Just　before　December　1　in　the　preceding　year；　Aulus　Vitellius　had



visited　Lower　Germany；　and　had　carefully　inspected　the　winter　quarters



of　the　legions。　Many　had　their　rank　restored　to　them；　sentences　of



degradation　were　cancelled；　and　marks　of　disgrace　partially　removed。



In　most　cases　he　did　but　court　popularity；　in　some　he　exercised　a



sound　discretion；　making　a　salutary　change　from　the　meanness　and



rapacity　which　Fonteius　Capito　had　shown　in　bestowing　and



withdrawing　promotion。　But　he　seemed　a　greater　personage　than　a　simple



consular　legate；　and　all　his　acts　were　invested　with　an　unusual



importance。　Though　sterner　judges　pronounced　Vitellius　to　be　a　man



of　low　tastes；　those　who　were　partial　to　him　attributed　to　geniality



and　good　nature　the　immoderate　and　indiscriminate　prodigality；　with



which　he　gave　away　what　was　his　own；　and　squandered　what　did　not



belong　to　him。　Besides　this；　men　themselves　eager　for　power　were　ready



to　represent　his　very　vices　as　virtues。　As　there　were　in　both　armies



many　of　obedient　and　quiet　habits；　so　there　were　many　who　were　as



unprincipled　as　they　were　energetic；　but　distinguished　above　all　for



boundless　ambition　and　singular　daring　were　the　legates　of　the



legions；　Fabius　Valens　and　Alienus　Caecina。　One　of　these　men；



Valens；　had　taken　offence　against　Galba；　under　the　notion　that　he



had　not　shewn　proper　gratitude　for　his　services　in　discovering　to



him　the　hesitation　of　Verginius　and　crushing　the　plans　of　Capito。　He



now　began　to　urge　Vitellius　to　action。　He　enlarged　on　the　zeal　of



the　soldiery。　〃You　have；〃　he　said；　〃everywhere　a　great　reputation；　you



will　find　nothing　to　stop　you　in　Hordeonius　Flaccus；　Britain　will　be



with　you；　the　German　auxiliaries　will　follow　your　standard。　All　the



provinces　waver　in　their　allegiance。　The　Empire　is　held　on　the



precarious　tenure　of　an　aged　life；　and　must　shortly　pass　into　other



hands。　You　have　only　to　open　your　arms；　and　to　meet　the　advances　of



fortune。　It　was　well　for　Verginius　to　hesitate；　the　scion　of　a　mere



Equestrian　family；　and　son　of　a　father　unknown　to　fame：　he　would



have　been　unequal　to　empire；　had　he　accepted　it；　and　yet　been　safe



though　he　refused　it。　But　from　the　honours　of　a　father　who　was



thrice　consul；　was　censor　and　colleague　of　Caesar；　Vitellius　has



long　since　derived　an　imperial　rank