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again　rising　into　strength。



　　The　next　question　was；　what　place　should　be　selected　as　the　seat



of　war。　Verona　seemed　the　most　eligible；　surrounded　as　it　was　with



open　plains；　suitable　for　the　action　of　cavalry；　in　which　they　were



very　strong。　At　the　same　time　it　was　thought　that　in　wresting　from



Vitellius　a　colony　so　rich　in　resources　there　would　be　both　profit　and



glory。　They　secured　Vicetia　by　simply　passing　through　it。　Though　in



itself　a　small　gain；　for　the　town　is　but　of　moderate　strength；　it



was　considered　an　important　advantage　when　they　reflected　that　in　this



town　Caecina　was　born；　and　that　the　general　of　the　enemy　had　lost



his　native　place。　The　people　of　Verona　were　a　valuable　aid；　they



served　the　cause　by　the　example　of　their　zeal　and　by　their　wealth；　and



the　army　thus　occupied　a　position　between　Rhaetia　and　the　Julian　Alps。



It　was　to　cut　off　all　passage　at　this　point　from　the　armies　of　Germany



that　they　had　barred　this　route。　All　this　was　done　either　without



the　knowledge；　or　against　the　commands　of　Vespasian。　He　gave　orders



that　the　army　should　halt　at　Aquileia　and　there　await　Mucianus；　and



these　orders　he　supported　by　the　argument；　that　as　Aegypt；　which



commanded　the　corn　supplies；　and　the　revenues　of　the　wealthiest



provinces　were　in　his　hands；　the　army　of　Vitellius　would　be



compelled　to　capitulate　from　the　want　of　pay　and　provisions。



Mucianus　in　frequent　letters　advised　the　same　policy；　a　victory　that



should　cost　neither　blood　nor　tears；　and　other　objects　of　the　kind；



were　his　pretexts；　but　in　truth　he　was　greedy　of　glory；　and　anxious　to



keep　the　whole　credit　of　the　war　to　himself。　Owing；　however；　to　the



vast　distances；　the　advice　came　only　after　the　matter　was　decided。



　　Then　Antonius　by　a　sudden　movement　fell　upon　the　outposts　of　the



enemy；　and　made　trial　of　their　courage　in　a　slight　skirmish；　the



combatants　separating　on　equal　terms。　Soon　afterwards；　Caecina



strongly　fortified　a　camp　between　Hostilia；　a　village　belonging　to



Verona；　and　the　marshes　of　the　river　Tartarus；　where　his　position



was　secure；　as　his　rear　was　covered　by　the　river；　and　his　flank　by



intervening　marshes。　Had　he　only　been　loyal；　those　two　legions；



which　had　not　been　joined　by　the　army　of　Moesia；　might　have　been



crushed　by　the　united　strength　of　the　Vitellianists；　or　driven　back



and　compelled　to　evacuate　Italy　in　a　disgraceful　retreat。　Caecina；



however；　by　various　delays　betrayed　to　the　enemy　the　early



opportunities　of　the　campaign；　assailing　by　letters　those　whom　it



was　easy　to　drive　out　by　force　of　arms；　until　by　his　envoys　he　settled



the　conditions　of　his　treachery。　In　this　interval　Aponius　Saturninus



came　up　with　the　7th　legion　（Claudius'）。　This　legion　was　commanded



by　the　tribune　Vipstanus　Messalla；　a　man　of　illustrious　family；



himself　highly　distinguished；　the　only　man　who　had　brought　into　that



conflict　an　honest　purpose。　To　this　army；　which　was　far　from　equalling



the　forces　of　Vitellius　（it　in　fact　consisted　of　three　legions）；



Caecina　despatched　a　letter　reproaching　them　with　rashness　in　again



drawing　the　sword　in　a　vanquished　cause。　At　the　same　time　he



extolled　the　valour　of　the　German　army；　of　Vitellius　he　made　but



some　slight　and　common…place　mention　without　any　abuse　of　Vespasian。



Certainly　he　said　nothing　which　could　either　seduce　or　terrify　the



enemy。　The　leaders　of　the　Flavianist　party；　omitting　all　apology　for



their　former　fortune；　at　once　took　up　a　tone　of　high　praise　of



Vespasian；　of　confidence　in　their　cause；　of　security　as　to　their　army；



and　of　hostility　to　Vitellius；　while　hopes　were　held　out　to　the



tribunes　and　centurions　of　retaining　the　privileges　which　Vitellius



had　granted　them；　and　Caecina　was　himself　encouraged　in　no　ambiguous



terms　to　change　sides。　These　letters　read　to　the　assembled　army



increased　their　confidence；　for　Caecina　had　written　in　a　humble



strain；　as　if　he　feared　to　offend　Vespasian；　while　their　own



generals　had　used　contemptuous　language；　meant；　it　would　seem；　to



insult　Vitellius。



　　On　the　subsequent　arrival　of　two　legions；　the　third　commanded　by



Dillius　Aponianus；　the　eighth　by　Numisius　Lupus；　it　was　resolved　to



make　a　demonstration　of　their　strength；　and　to　surround　Verona　with



military　lines。　It　so　happened　that　Galba's　legion　had　had　their



work　allotted　to　them　on　that　side　the　lines　which　faced　the　enemy；



and　that　some　of　the　allied　cavalry　appearing　in　the　distance　were



taken　for　the　enemy；　and　excited　a　groundless　panic。　They　flew　to



arms；　and　as　the　rage　of　the　soldiers　at　the　supposed　treachery　fell



upon　T。　Ampius　Flavianus；　not　from　any　proof　of　his　guilt；　but　because



he　had　been　long　unpopular；　they　clamoured　for　his　death　in　a　very



whirlwind　of　passion；　vociferating　that　he　was　the　kinsman　of



Vitellius；　that　he　had　betrayed　Otho；　that　he　had　embezzled　the



donative。　He　could　get　no　opportunity　of　defending　himself；　even



though　he　stretched　out　his　hands　in　entreaty；　repeatedly



prostrating　himself　on　the　ground；　his　garments　torn；　his　breast　and



features　convulsed　with　sobs。　This　very　conduct　provoked　afresh



these　furious　men；　for　fear　so　excessive　seemed　to　argue　a



consciousness　of　guilt。　Aponius　was　clamoured　down　by　the　shouts　of



the　soldiers；　when　he　attempted　to　address　them；　every　one　else　was



repulsed　with　noisy　cries。　To　Antonius　alone　the　soldiers'　ears　were



open；　for　he　had　eloquence；　the　art　of　soothing　an　angry　crowd；　and



personal　influence。　As　the　mutiny　grew　fiercer；　and　the　soldiers



went　on　from　abuse　and　taunts　to　use　their　hands　and　their　weapons；　he



ordered　that　Flavianus　should　be　put　in　irons。　The　soldiers　saw　what　a



mockery　it　was；　and　pushing　aside　those　who　were　guarding　the



tribunal；　were　about　to　commit　the　most　outrageous　violence。



Antonius　threw　himself　in　the　way　with　his　sword　drawn；　protesting



that　he　would　die　either　by　the　soldiers'　hands　or　by　his　own；



whenever　he　saw　any　one　who　was　known　to　him；　or　who　was　distinguished



by　any　military　decoration；　he　summoned　him　by　name　to　his　assistance。



Then　he　turned　to　the　standards；　and　prayed　to　the　gods　of　war；　that



they　would　inspire　the　armies　of　the　enemy；　rather　than　his　own；



with　such　madness　and　such　strife。　So　the　mutiny　began　to　abate；　and



at　the　close　of　the　day　the　men　dispersed　to　their　tents。　The　same



night　Flavianus　set　out；　and　being　met　by　letters　from　Vespasian；



was　relieved　from　his　perilous　position。



　　The　legions　had　caught　the　infection　of　mutiny；　and　next　assailed



Aponius　Saturnius；　legate　of　the　army　of　Moesia；　this　time　the　more



furiously　because　their　rage　broke　out；　not　as　before；　when　they



were　wearied　with　labour　and　military　toils；　but　at　mid…day。　Some



letters　had　been　published；　which　Saturninus　was　believed　to　have



written　to　Vitellius。　If　once　they　had　emulated　each　other　in　valour



and　obedience；　so　now　there　was　a　rivalry　in　insubordination　and



insolence；　till　they　clamoured　as　violently　for　the　execution　of



Aponius　as　they　had　for　that　of　Flavianus。　The　legions　of　Moesia



recalled　how　they　had　aided　the　vengeance　of　the　Pannonian　army；　while



the　soldiers　of　Pannonia；　as　if　they　were　absolved　by　the　mutiny　of



others；　took　a　delight　in　repeating　their　fault。　They　hastened　to



the　gardens　in　which　Saturninus　was　passing　his　time；　and　it　was　not



the　efforts　of　Primus　Antonius；　Aponianus；　and　Messalla；　though　they



exerted　themselves　to　the　uttermost；　that　saved　him；　so　much　as　the



obscurity　of　the　hiding…place　in　which　he　concealed　himself；　for　he



was　hidden　in　the　furnace　of　some　baths　that　happened　to　be　out　of



use。　In　a　short　time　he　gave　up　his　lictors；　and　retired　to



Patavium。　After　the　departure　of　the　two　men　of　consular　rank；　all



power　and　authority　over　the　two　armies　centred　in　Antonius　alone；　his



colleagues　giving　way　to　him；　and　the　soldiers　being　strongly　biased



in　his　favour。　There　were　those　who　believed　that　both　these



mutinies　were　set　on　foot　by　the　intrigues　of　Antonius；　in　order



that　he　might　engross　all　the　prizes　of　the　war。



　　Nor　indeed　was　there　less　restlessness　among　the　partisans　of



Vitellius；　who　were　distracted　by　yet　more　fatal　dissensions；



springing；　not　from　the　suspicions　of　the　common　men；　but　from　the



treachery　of　the　generals。　Lucilius　Bassus；　prefect　of　the　Ravenna



fleet；　finding　that　the　troops　wavered　in　purpose；　from　the　fact



that　many　were　natives　of　Dalmatia　and　Pannonia；　provinces　held　for



Vespasian；　had　attached　them　to　the　Flavianist　party。　The　night…time



was　chosen　for　accomplishing　the　treason；　because　then；　unknown　to　all



the　rest；　the　ringleaders　alone　might　assemble　at　head…quarters。



Bassus；　moved　by　shame；　or　perhaps　by　fear；　awaited　the　issue　in　his



house。　The　captains　of　the　triremes　rushed　with　a　great　outcry　on



the　images　of　Vitellius；　a　few；　who　attempted　to　resist；　were　cut



down；　the　great　majority；　with　the　usual　love　of　change；　were　ready　to



join　Vespasian。　Then　Bassus　came　forward　and　openly　sanctioned　the



movement。　The　fleet　appointed　Cornelius　Fuscus　to　be　prefect；　and　he



hastened　to　join　them。　Lucilius　was　put　under　honourable　arrest；　and



conveyed　as　far　as　Adria　by　the　Liburnian　ships；　there　he　was　thrown



into　prison　by　Vivennius　Rufinus；　prefect　of　a　squadron　of　cavalry；



which　was　there　in　garrison。　His　chains；　however；　were　immediately



struck　off　on　the　interference　of　Hormus；　one　of　the　Emperor's



freedmen；　for　he　too　ranked　among　the　generals。



　　On　the　revolt　of　the　fleet　becoming　known；　Caecina　called　together



to　head…quarters；　which　he　purposely　selected　as　being　the　most



retired　part　of　the　camp；　the　chief　centurions　and　some　few



soldiers；　while　the　rest　were　dispersed　on　various　military　duties。



Then　he　extolled　the　va