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the　national　superstition；　than　to　any　sufficient　means　of　enduring



extremities　left　to　the　besieged。　As　we　have　mentioned　above；



Vespasian　himself　had　three　legions　inured　to　war。　Mucianus　had　four



under　his　command　in　his　peaceful　province。　Emulation；　however；　and



the　glory　won　by　the　neighbouring　army　had　banished　all　tendency　to



sloth；　and　unbroken　rest　and　exemption　from　the　hardships　of　war　had



given　them　a　vigour　equivalent　to　the　hardihood　which　the　others　had



gained　by　their　perils　and　their　toils。　Each　had　auxiliary　forces　of



infantry　and　cavalry；　each　had　fleets　and　tributary　kings；　and　each；



though　their　renown　was　of　a　different　kind；　had　a　celebrated　name。



　　Vespasian　was　an　energetic　soldier；　he　could　march　at　the　head　of



his　army；　choose　the　place　for　his　camp；　and　bring　by　night　and　day



his　skill；　or；　if　the　occasion　required；　his　personal　courage　to



oppose　the　foe。　His　food　was　such　as　chance　offered；　his　dress　and



appearance　hardly　distinguished　him　from　the　common　soldier；　in　short；



but　for　his　avarice；　he　was　equal　to　the　generals　of　old。　Mucianus；　on



the　contrary；　was　eminent　for　his　magnificence；　for　his　wealth；　and



for　a　greatness　that　transcended　in　all　respects　the　condition　of　a



subject；　readier　of　speech　than　the　other；　he　thoroughly　understood



the　arrangement　and　direction　of　civil　business。　It　would　have　been



a　rare　combination　of　princely　qualities；　if；　with　their　respective



faults　removed；　their　virtues　only　could　have　been　united　in　one



man。　Mucianus　was　governor　of　Syria；　Vespasian　of　Judaea。　In　the



administration　of　these　neighbouring　provinces　jealousy　had　produced



discord　between　them；　but　on　Nero's　fall　they　had　dropped　their



animosities　and　associated　their　counsels。　At　first　they



communicated　through　friends；　till　Titus；　who　was　the　great　bond　of



union　between　them；　by　representing　their　common　interests　had



terminated　their　mischievous　feud。　He　was　indeed　a　man　formed　both



by　nature　and　by　education　to　attract　even　such　a　character　as　that　of



Mucianus。　The　tribunes；　the　centurions；　and　the　common　soldiers；



were　brought　over　to　the　cause　by　appeals　to　their　energy　or　their



love　of　license；　to　their　virtues　or　to　their　vices；　according　to



their　different　dispositions。



　　Long　before　the　arrival　of　Titus；　both　armies　had　taken　the　oath



of　allegiance　to　Otho。　The　news　had　come；　as　is　usual；　with　great



speed；　while　there　was　much　to　delay　the　gigantic　undertaking　of　a



civil　war；　for　which　the　East　after　a　long　period　of　repose　was　then



for　the　first　time　preparing。　In　former　times　the　mightiest　civil



conflicts　had　been　begun　in　Gaul　or　Italy　with　the　resources　of　the



West。　Pompey；　Brutus；　Cassius；　and　Antony；　all　of　whom　had　been



followed　across　the　sea　by　civil　war；　had　met　with　a　disastrous　end；



and　the　Emperors　had　been　oftener　heard　of　than　seen　in　Syria　and



Judaea。　There　had　been　no　mutiny　among　the　legions；　nothing　indeed　but



some　demonstrations　against　the　Parthians；　attended　with　various



success。　In　the　last　civil　war；　though　other　provinces　had　been



disturbed；　peace　had　been　here　unshaken。　Then　had　followed　a　loyal



adherence　to　Galba。　But　when　it　became　notorious　that　Otho　and



Vitellius；　opposed　in　impious　strife；　were　ready　to　make　a　spoil　of



the　Empire；　the　thought　that　others　would　engross　the　rewards　of



power；　while　they　would　have　nothing　left　for　themselves　but　a



compulsory　submission；　made　the　soldiers　murmur　and　take　a　survey　of



their　own　strength。　There　were　close　at　hand　seven　legions；　there　were



Syria　and　Judaea；　with　a　vast　number　of　auxiliaries。　Then；　without　any



interval　of　separation；　there　was　Egypt　and　its　two　legions；　and　on



the　other　side　Cappadocia；　Pontus；　and　all　the　garrisons　along　the



frontier　of　Armenia。　There　was　Asia　Minor；　there　were　the　other



provinces；　not　without　a　military　population；　and　well　furnished



with　money。　There　were　all　the　islands　of　the　Mediterranean。　And　there



was　the　sea　itself；　which　during　the　interval　of　preparation　for　war



would　be　both　a　convenience　and　a　protection。



　　The　ardour　of　the　troops　was　not　unknown　to　their　generals；　but　it



was　judged　advisable　to　wait　for　the　issue　of　the　struggle　which



others　were　carrying　on。　The　conquerors　and　the　conquered；　it　was



said；　never　unite　with　a　genuine　good　faith。　It　matters　not　whether



fortune　make　Otho　or　Vitellius　to　be　the　victor。　Even　great　generals



grow　insolent　in　prosperity；　these　men　are　quarrelsome；　indolent；



and　profligate；　and　their　own　faults　will　make　war　fatal　to　the　one；



and　success　to　the　other。　They　therefore　postponed　the　war　until　a



more　fitting　opportunity；　and　though　Vespasian　and　Mucianus　had　but



lately　resolved　on　concerted　action；　the　others　had　done　so　long



before。　The　worthiest　among　them　were　moved　by　patriotism；　many　were



wrought　upon　by　the　attractions　of　plunder；　some　by　their　private



embarrassments。　And　so；　good　and　bad；　from　different　motives；　but　with



equal　zeal；　were　all　eager　for　war。



　　About　this　time　Achaia　and　Asia　Minor　were　terrified　by　a　false



report　that　Nero　was　at　hand。　Various　rumours　were　current　about　his



death；　and　so　there　were　many　who　pretended　and　believed　that　he　was



still　alive。　The　adventures　and　enterprises　of　the　other　pretenders



I　shall　relate　in　the　regular　course　of　my　work。　The　pretender　in　this



case　was　a　slave　from　Pontus；　or；　according　to　some　accounts；　a



freedman　from　Italy；　a　skilful　harp…player　and　singer；



accomplishments；　which；　added　to　a　resemblance　in　the　face；　gave　a



very　deceptive　plausibility　to　his　pretensions。　After　attaching　to



himself　some　deserters；　needy　vagrants　whom　he　bribed　with　great



offers；　he　put　to　sea。　Driven　by　stress　of　weather　to　the　island　of



Cythnus；　he　induced　certain　soldiers；　who　were　on　their　way　from　the



East；　to　join　him；　and　ordered　others；　who　refused；　to　be　executed。　He



also　robbed　the　traders　and　armed　all　the　most　able　bodied　of　the



slaves。　The　centurion　Sisenna；　who　was　the　bearer　of　the　clasped　right



hands；　the　usual　emblems　of　friendship；　from　the　armies　of　Syria　to



the　Praetorians；　was　assailed　by　him　with　various　artifices；　till　he



left　the　island　secretly；　and；　fearing　actual　violence；　made　his



escape　with　all　haste。　Thence　the　alarm　spread　far　and　wide；　and



many　roused　themselves　at　the　well…known　name；　eager　for　change；　and



detesting　the　present　state　of　things。　The　report　was　daily　gaining



credit　when　an　accident　put　an　end　to　it。



　　Galba　had　entrusted　the　government　of　Galatia　and　Pamphylia　to



Calpurnius　Asprenas。　Two　triremes　from　the　fleet　of　Misenum　were　given



him　to　pursue　the　adventurer：　with　these　he　reached　the　island　of



Cythnus。　Persons　were　found　to　summon　the　captains　in　the　name　of



Nero。　The　pretender　himself；　assuming　a　studied　appearance　of



sorrow；　and　appealing　to　their　fidelity　as　old　soldiers　of　his　own；



besought　them　to　land　him　in　Egypt　or　Syria。　The　captains；　perhaps



wavering；　perhaps　intending　to　deceive；　declared　that　they　must



address　their　soldiers；　and　that　they　would　return　when　the　minds　of



all　had　been　prepared。　Everything；　however；　was　faithfully　reported　to



Asprenas；　and　at　his　bidding　the　ship　was　boarded　and　taken；　and　the



man；　whoever　he　was；　killed。　The　body；　in　which　the　eyes；　the　hair；



and　the　savage　countenance；　were　remarkable　features；　was　conveyed



to　Asia；　and　thence　to　Rome。



　　In　a　state　that　was　distracted　by　strife；　and　that　from　frequent



changes　in　its　rulers　trembled　on　the　verge　between　liberty　and



licence；　even　little　matters　were　attended　with　great　excitement。



Vibius　Crispus；　whose　wealth；　power；　and　ability；　made　him　rank



among　men　of　distinction；　rather　than　among　men　of　worth；　demanded



that　Annius　Faustus；　of　the　Equestrian　order；　who　in　the　days　of



Nero　had　practised　the　trade　of　the　informer；　should　be　brought　to



trial　before　the　Senate。　The　Senators　indeed　had　recently；　during



the　reign　of　Galba；　passed　a　resolution；　that　cognizance　should　be



taken　of　the　cases　of　the　informers。　This　decree　was　variously　carried



out；　and；　while　retained　as　law；　was　powerless　or　effectual；　according



as　the　person；　who　happened　to　be　accused；　was　influential　or



helpless。　Besides　the　terror　of　the　law；　Crispus　had　exerted　his　own



power　to　the　utmost　to　destroy　the　man　who　had　informed　against　his



brother。　He　had　prevailed　upon　a　great　part　of　the　Senate　to　demand



that　he　should　be　consigned　to　destruction；　undefended　and　unheard。



But；　on　the　other　hand；　there　were　some　with　whom　nothing　helped　the



accused　person　so　much　as　the　excessive　power　of　the　accuser。　They



gave　it　as　their　opinion；　that　time　ought　to　be　allowed；　that　the



charges　ought　to　be　specified；　that；　odious　and　guilty　as　the　man



might　be；　he　yet　ought　to　be　heard；　as　precedent　required。　At　first



they　carried　their　point；　and　the　trial　was　postponed　for　a　few



days；　but　before　long　Faustus　was　condemned；　but　by　no　means　with　that



unanimity　on　the　part　of　the　people　which　his　detestable　character　had



deserved。　Men　remembered　that　Crispus　had　followed　the　same　profession



with　profit；　nor　was　it　the　penalty　but　the　prosecutor　that　they



disliked。



　　Meanwhile　the　campaign　had　opened　favourably　for　Otho；　at　whose



bidding　the　armies　of　Dalmatia　and　Pannonia　had　begun　to　move。　These



comprised　four　legions；　from　each　of　which　two　thousand　troops　were



sent　on　in　advance。　The　7th　had　been　raised　by　Galba；　the　11th；



13th；　and　14th　were　veteran　soldiers；　the　14th　having　particularly



distinguished　itself　by　quelling　the　revolt　in　Britain。　Nero　had　added



to　their　reputation　by　selecting　them　as　his　most　effective　troops。



This　had　made　them　long　faithful　to　Nero；　and　kindled　their　zeal　for



Otho