histories-第35部分

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！




became　evident。　With　so　small　a　force；　even　had　it　been　thoroughly



loyal；　he　could　not　have　made　his　way　through　the　enemy；　and　the



loyalty　they　had　brought　with　them　was　not　beyond　suspicion。　Yet　shame



and　respect　for　the　presence　of　their　general　held　them　in　check；　no



lasting　restraint　with　men　who　loved　danger　and　were　careless　of



disgrace。　Moved　by　this　apprehension；　Valens；　while　he　retained　a



few　attendants　whom　adversity　had　not　changed；　sent　on　the　infantry　to



Ariminum　and　ordered　the　cavalry　to　cover　his　rear。　He　then　himself



made　his　way　to　Umbria；　and　thence　to　Etruria；　where；　having　learnt



the　issue　of　the　battle　of　Cremona；　he　conceived　a　plan　not　wanting　in



vigour；　and　which；　had　it　succeeded；　would　have　had　terrible



results。　This　was　to　seize　some　ships；　to　land　on　some　part　of



Gallia　Narbonensis；　to　rouse　Gaul　with　its　armies　as　well　as　the



tribes　of　Germany；　and　so　to　kindle　a　fresh　war。



　　The　garrison　of　Ariminum　were　discouraged　by　the　departure　of



Valens；　and　Cornelius　Fuscus；　bringing　up　his　army　and　disposing　his



Liburnian　ships　at　the　nearest　points　of　the　shore；　invested　the　place



by　sea　and　land。　His　troops　occupied　the　plains　of　Umbria　and　that



portion　of　the　Picentine　territory　that　is　washed　by　the　Adriatic；　and



now　the　whole　of　Italy　was　divided　by　the　range　of　the　Apennines



between　Vespasian　and　Vitellius。　Valens；　having　started　from　the　bay



of　Pisa；　was　compelled；　either　by　a　calm　or　a　contrary　wind；　to　put　in



at　the　port　of　Hercules　Monoecus。　Near　this　place　was　stationed　Marius



Maturus；　procurator　of　the　Maritime　Alps；　who　was　loyal　to



Vitellius；　and　who；　though　everything　around　him　was　hostile；　had



not　yet　thrown　off　his　allegiance。　While　courteously　receiving　Valens；



he　deterred　him　by　his　advice　from　rashly　invading　Gallia　Narbonensis。



And　now　the　fidelity　of　the　rest　of　the　party　was　weakened　by　their



fears。　In　fact　the　procurator　Valerius　Paullinus；　an　enterprising



officer；　who　had　been　a　friend　of　Vespasian　before　his　elevation　to



the　throne；　had　made　the　neighbouring　States　swear　allegiance　to



that　Prince。



　　Paullinus　had　collected　all　the　troops　who；　having　been　disbanded　by



Vitellius；　were　now　spontaneously　taking　up　arms；　and　was　holding　with



this　force　the　colony　of　Forum　Julii；　which　commanded　the　sea。　His



influence　was　all　the　greater；　because　Forum　Julii　was　his　native



place；　and　because　he　was　respected　by　the　Praetorians；　in　which　force



he　had　once　been　a　tribune。　The　inhabitants　themselves；　favouring　a



fellow…townsman；　and　anticipating　his　future　greatness；　did　their　best



to　promote　the　cause。　When　these　preparations；　which　were　really



formidable　and　were　exaggerated　by　report；　became　known　among　the



now　distracted　Vitellianists；　Fabius　Valens　returned　to　his　ships　with



four　soldiers　of　the　body…guard；　three　personal　friends；　and　as　many



centurions；　while　Maturus　and　the　rest　chose　to　remain　behind　and



swear　allegiance　to　Vespasian。　For　Valens　indeed　the　open　sea　was



safer　than　the　coast　or　the　towns；　yet；　all　uncertain　about　the



future；　and　knowing　rather　what　he　must　avoid　than　what　he　could



trust；　he　was　thrown　by　adverse　weather　on　the　Stoechades；　islands　off



Massilia。　There　he　was　captured　by　some　Liburnian　ships；　dispatched　by



Paullinus。



　　Valens　once　captured；　everything　turned　to　swell　the　resources　of



the　conqueror；　the　lead　was　taken　in　Spain　by　the　1st　legion　（the



〃Adjutrix〃）；　whose　recollections　of　Otho　made　them　hate　Vitellius；



they　drew　with　them　the　6th　and　10th。　Gaul　did　not　hesitate　to　follow。



A　partiality　long　felt　in　Britain　for　Vespasian；　who　had　there



commanded　the　2nd　legion　by　the　appointment　of　Claudius；　and　had



served　with　distinction；　attached　that　province　to　his　cause；　though



not　without　some　commotion　among　the　other　legions；　in　which　were　many



centurions　and　soldiers　promoted　by　Vitellius；　who　felt　uneasy　in



exchanging　for　another　ruler　one　whom　they　knew　already。



　　These　dissensions；　and　the　continual　rumours　of　civil　war；　raised



the　courage　of　the　Britons。　They　were　led　by　one　Venutius；　who；



besides　being　naturally　high　spirited；　and　hating　the　name　of　Rome；



was　fired　by　his　private　animosity　against　Queen　Cartismandua。



Cartismandua　ruled　the　Brigantes　in　virtue　of　her　illustrious　birth；



and　she　strengthened　her　throne；　when；　by　the　treacherous　capture　of



king　Caractacus；　she　was　regarded　as　having　given　its　chief



distinction　to　the　triumph　of　Claudius　Caesar。　Then　followed　wealth



and　the　self…indulgence　of　prosperity。　Spurning　her　husband



Venutius；　she　made　Vellocatus；　his　armour…bearer；　the　partner　of　her



bed　and　throne。　By　this　enormity　the　power　of　her　house　was　at　once



shaken　to　its　base。　On　the　side　of　the　husband　were　the　affections



of　the　people；　on　that　of　the　adulterer；　the　lust　and　savage　temper　of



the　Queen。　Accordingly　Venutius　collected　some　auxiliaries；　and；　aided



at　the　same　time　by　a　revolt　of　the　Brigantes；　brought　Cartismandua



into　the　utmost　peril。　She　asked　for　some　Roman　troops；　and　our



auxiliary　infantry　and　cavalry；　after　fighting　with　various　success；



contrived　to　rescue　the　Queen　from　her　peril。　Venutius　retained　the



kingdom；　and　we　had　the　war　on　our　hands。



　　About　the　same　time；　Germany　suffered　from　the　supineness　of　our



generals　and　the　mutinous　conduct　of　our　legions；　the　assaults　of



enemies　and　the　perfidy　of　allies　all　but　overthrew　the　power　of　Rome。



Of　this　war；　its　origin　and　its　issue；　for　it　lasted　long；　I　shall



hereafter　speak。　The　Dacians　also　were　in　motion；　a　people　which　never



can　be　trusted；　and　which；　now　that　our　legions　were　withdrawn　from



Moesia；　had　nothing　to　fear。　They　quietly　watched　the　opening　of　the



campaign；　but　when　they　heard　that　Italy　was　in　a　blaze　of　war；　and



that　the　whole　Empire　was　divided　against　itself；　they　stormed　the



winter　quarters　of　the　auxiliary　infantry　and　cavalry；　and　occupied



both　banks　of　the　Danube。　They　were　then　preparing　to　destroy　the　camp



of　the　legions；　but　Mucianus　sent　the　6th　legion　against　them；　for



he　knew　of　the　victory　of　Cremona；　and　he　feared　this　double



pressure　of　barbarian　power　with　Dacians　and　Germans　invading　Italy



from　opposite　sides。　We　were　helped；　as　often　before；　by　the　good



fortune　of　the　Roman　people；　which　brought　to　the　spot　Mucianus　with



the　armies　of　the　East；　and　by　the　decisive　settlement　which　in　the



meantime　was　effected　at　Cremona。　Fonteius　Agrippa　was　removed　from



Asia　（which　province　he　had　governed　as　proconsul　for　a　year）　to



Moesia；　and　had　some　troops　given　him　from　the　army　of　Vitellius。　That



this　army　should　be　dispersed　through　the　provinces　and　closely



occupied　with　foreign　wars；　was　sound　policy　and　essential　to　peace。



　　All　other　nations　were　equally　restless。　A　sudden　outbreak　had



been　excited　in　Pontus　by　a　barbarian　slave；　who　had　before



commanded　the　royal　fleet。　This　was　Anicetus；　a　freedman　of　Polemon；



once　a　very　powerful　personage；　who；　when　the　kingdom　was　converted



into　a　Roman　province；　ill　brooked　the　change。　Accordingly　he　raised



in　the　name　of　Vitellius　the　tribes　that　border　on　Pontus；　bribed　a



number　of　very　needy　adventurers　by　the　hope　of　plunder；　and；　at　the



head　of　a　force　by　no　means　contemptible；　made　a　sudden　attack　on



the　old　and　famous　city　of　Trapezus；　founded　by　the　Greeks　on　the



farthest　shore　of　the　Pontus。　There　he　destroyed　a　cohort；　once　a　part



of　the　royal　contingent。　They　had　afterwards　received　the　privileges



of　citizenship；　and　while　they　carried　their　arms　and　banners　in　Roman



fashion；　they　still　retained　the　indolence　and　licence　of　the　Greek。



Anicetus　also　set　fire　to　the　fleet；　and；　as　the　sea　was　not



guarded；　escaped；　for　Mucianus　had　brought　up　to　Byzantium　the　best　of



the　Liburnian　ships　and　all　the　troops。　The　barbarians　even　insolently



scoured　the　sea　in　hastily　constructed　vessels　of　their　own　called



〃camarae；〃　built　with　narrow　sides　and　broad　bottoms；　and　joined



together　without　fastenings　of　brass　or　iron。　Whenever　the　water　is



rough　they　raise　the　bulwarks　with　additional　planks　according　to



the　increasing　height　of　the　waves；　till　the　vessel　is　covered　in　like



a　house。　Thus　they　roll　about　amid　the　billows；　and；　as　they　have　a



prow　at　both　extremities　alike　and　a　convertible　arrangement　of



oars；　they　may　be　paddled　in　one　direction　or　another　indifferently



and　without　risk。



　　The　matter　attracted　the　attention　of　Vespasian；　and　induced　him



to　dispatch　some　veterans　from　the　legions　under　Virdius　Geminus；　a



tried　soldier。　Finding　the　enemy　in　disorder　and　dispersed　in　the



eager　pursuit　of　plunder；　he　attacked　them；　and　drove　them　to　their



ships。　Hastily　fitting　out　a　fleet　of　Liburnian　ships　he　pursued



Anicetus；　and　overtook　him　at　the　mouth　of　the　river　Cohibus；　where　he



was　protected　by　the　king　of　the　Sedochezi；　whose　alliance　he　had



secured　by　a　sum　of　money　and　other　presents。　This　prince　at　first



endeavoured　to　protect　the　suppliant　by　a　threat　of　hostilities；　when；



however；　the　choice　was　presented　to　him　between　war　and　the　profit　to



be　derived　from　treachery；　he　consented；　with　the　characteristic



perfidy　of　barbarians；　to　the　destruction　of　Anicetus；　and　delivered



up　the　refugees。　So　ended　this　servile　war。　Amidst　the　joy　of　this



success；　while　everything　was　prosperous　beyond　his　hopes；　tidings



of　the　victory　of　Cremona　reached　Vespasian　in　Aegypt。　This　made　him



hasten　his　advance　to　Alexandria；　for；　now　that　the　army　of



Vitellius　was　shattered；　he　sought　to　apply　the　pressure　of　famine



to　the　capital；　which　is　always　dependent　on　foreign　supplies。　He



was　indeed　also　preparing　to　invade　by　sea　and　land　the　province　of



Africa；　which　lies　on　the　same　line　of　coast