histories-第38部分

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to　capture　rather　than　to　preserve　the　capital。　Greater　will　be　our



reward；　far　higher　our　reputation；　if　we　secure　without　bloodshed



the　safety　of　the　Senate　and　of　the　people　of　Rome。〃　By　this　and



similar　language　their　impatience　was　allayed。



　　Soon　after；　the　legions　arrived。　Alarmed　by　the　report　of　this



increase　to　the　army；　the　Vitellianist　cohorts　began　to　waver；　no



one　urged　them　to　fight；　many　urged　them　to　change　sides；　each　more



eager　than　the　other　to　hand　over　his　company　or　troop；　a　present　to



the　conqueror；　and　a　source　of　future　advantage　to　himself。　From　these



men　it　was　ascertained　that　Interamna；　situated　in　the　adjoining



plain；　was　occupied　by　a　garrison　of　400　cavalry。　Varus　was　at　once



dispatched　with　a　lightly　equipped　force；　and　cut　to　pieces　a　few



who　attempted　to　resist；　the　greater　number　threw　down　their　arms；　and



begged　for　quarter。　Some　fled　back　into　the　camp；　and　spread　panic



everywhere　by　exaggerated　reports　of　the　courage　and　strength　of　the



enemy；　seeking　thus　to　mitigate　the　disgrace　of　having　lost　the



position。　Among　the　Vitellianists　treason　went　unpunished；　all　loyalty



was　subverted　by　the　rewards　of　desertion；　and　nothing　was　left　but



emulation　in　perfidy。　There　were　numerous　desertions　among　the



tribunes　and　centurions；　the　common　soldiers　remained　obstinately



faithful　to　Vitellius；　till　Priscus　and　Alfenius；　deserting　the　camp



and　returning　to　Vitellius；　relieved　all　from　any　shame　they　might



feel　at　being　traitors。



　　About　the　same　time　Fabius　Valens　was　put　to　death　while　in



confinement　at　Urbinum。　His　head　was　displayed　to　the　Vitellianist



cohort；　that　they　might　not　cherish　any　further　hope；　for　they



generally　believed　that　Valens　had　made　his　way　into　Germany；　and



was　there　bringing　into　the　field　veteran　as　well　as　newly　levied



armies。　The　bloody　spectacle　reduced　them　to　despair；　and　it　was



amazing　how　the　army　of　Vespasian　welcomed　in　their　hearts　the



destruction　of　Valens　as　the　termination　of　the　war。　Valens　was　a



native　of　Anagnia；　and　belonged　to　an　Equestrian　family；　he　was　a



man　of　loose　character；　but　of　no　small　ability；　who　sought　to　gain　by



profligacy　a　reputation　for　elegance。　In　the　theatricals　performed



by　young　men　during　the　reign　of　Nero；　at　first　apparently　from



compulsion；　afterwards　of　his　own　free　choice；　he　repeatedly　acted



in　the　farces；　with　more　cleverness　than　propriety。　While　legate　of



a　legion；　he　first　supported；　then　slandered；　Verginius。　Fonteius



Capito　he　murdered；　either　after　he　had　corrupted　him；　or　because　he



had　failed　to　do　so。　Though　a　traitor　to　Galba　he　was　loyal　to



Vitellius；　and　gained　a　lustre　from　the　perfidy　of　others。



　　Finding　all　their　hopes　cut　off；　the　troops　of　Vitellius；



intending　to　pass　over　to　the　side　of　the　conqueror；　but　to　do　so　with



honour；　marched　down　with　their　standards　and　colours　into　the



plains　beneath　Narnia。　The　army　of　Vespasian；　prepared　and　equipped　as



if　for　action；　was　drawn　up　in　dense　array　on　both　sides　of　the



road。　The　Vitellianists　were　received　between　the　two　columns；　when



they　were　thus　surrounded；　Antonius　addressed　them　kindly。　One



division　was　ordered　to　remain　at　Narnia；　another　at　Interamna；　with



them　were　left　some　of　the　victorious　legions；　which　would　not　be



formidable　to　them　if　they　remained　quiet；　but　were　strong　enough　to



crush　all　turbulence。　At　the　same　time　Primus　and　Varus　did　not



neglect　to　forward　continual　messages　to　Vitellius；　offering　him



personal　safety；　the　enjoyment　of　wealth；　and　a　quiet　retreat　in



Campania；　provided　he　would　lay　down　his　arms　and　surrender　himself



and　his　children　to　Vespasian。　Mucianus　also　wrote　to　him　to　the



same　effect；　and　Vitellius　was　often　disposed　to　trust　these



overtures；　and　even　discussed　the　number　of　his　household　and　the



choice　of　a　residence　on　the　coast。　Such　a　lethargy　had　come　over



his　spirit；　that；　had　not　others　remembered　he　had　been　an　Emperor；　he



would　have　himself　forgotten　it。



　　The　leading　men　in　the　State　had　secret　conferences　with　Flavius



Sabinus；　prefect　of　the　city；　urging　him　to　secure　a　share　in　the



credit　of　the　victory。　〃You　have；〃　they　said；　〃a　force　of　your　own



in　the　city　cohorts；　the　cohorts　of　the　watch　will　not　fail　you；　and



there　are　also　our　own　slaves；　there　is　the　prestige　of　the　party；



there　is　the　fact　that　to　the　victorious　everything　is　easy。　You



should　not　yield　the　glory　of　the　war　to　Antonius　and　Varus。　Vitellius



has　but　a　few　cohorts；　and　they　are　alarmed　by　gloomy　tidings　from



every　quarter。　The　feelings　of　the　people　are　easily　swayed；　and；　if



you　put　yourself　at　their　head；　there　will　soon　be　the　same　flatteries



ready　for　Vespasian。　Vitellius　even　in　prosperity　was　unequal　to　his



position；　and　he　is　proportionately　unnerved　by　disaster。　The　merit　of



having　finished　the　war　will　belong　to　him　who　may　have　possessed



himself　of　the　capital。　It　would　well　become　Sabinus　to　keep　the



Empire　for　his　brother；　and　Vespasian　equally　well；　to　count　his　other



adherents　inferior　to　Sabinus。〃



　　Old　and　infirm　as　he　was；　it　was　with　anything　but　eagerness　that　he



listened　to　these　suggestions。　Some　indeed　assailed　him　with　dark



insinuations；　implying　that　from　motives　of　envy　and　rivalry　he　was



seeking　to　retard　the　elevation　of　his　brother。　It　was　true；　that



while　both　were　in　a　private　station；　Flavius　Sabinus；　who　was　the



elder；　was　the　superior　of　Vespasian　in　influence　and　in　wealth。　He



was　believed　indeed　to　have　sustained　the　failing　credit　of　his



brother；　while　taking　a　mortgage　of　his　house　and　lands；　and　hence；



though　the　outward　appearance　of　harmony　was　preserved；　some　secret



grudge　was　feared。　It　is　more　charitable　to　suppose　that　the　mild





temper　of　the　man　shrank　from　bloodshed　and　slaughter；　and　that　for



this　reason　he　had　held　frequent　conferences　with　Vitellius　to　discuss



the　question　of　peace　and　the　cessation　of　hostilities　upon　certain



conditions。　After　many　private　interviews；　they　finally；　so　report



said；　ratified　an　agreement　in　the　temple　of　Apollo。　The　words　of



their　conversation　had　two　witnesses　in　Cluvius　Rufus　and　Silius



Italicus。　Their　looks　were　noted　by　the　more　distant　spectators；　the



expression　of　Vitellius　was　abject　and　mean；　that　of　Sabinus　not



triumphant；　but　rather　akin　to　pity。



　　Could　Vitellius　have　swayed　the　feelings　of　his　partisans　as



easily　as　he　had　himself　yielded；　the　army　of　Vespasian　might　have



entered　the　capital　without　bloodshed。　But　the　more　loyal　his



adherents；　the　more　did　they　protest　against　peace　and　negotiation。



They　pointed　out　the　danger　and　disgrace　of　a　submission　in　which



the　caprice　of　the　conqueror　would　be　their　sole　guarantee。　〃And



Vespasian；〃　they　said；　〃is　not　so　arrogant　as　to　tolerate　such　a



subject　as　Vitellius。　Even　the　vanquished　would　not　endure　it。　Their



pity　would　be　dangerous　to　him。　You　certainly　are　an　old　man；　and　have



had　enough　both　of　prosperity　and　of　adversity；　but　think　what　a　name；



what　a　position；　you　will　leave　to　your　son　Germanicus。　Now　indeed



they　promise　you　wealth；　and　a　large　establishment；　and　a　luxurious



retreat　in　Campania；　but　when　Vespasian　has　once　seized　the　throne；



neither　he；　nor　his　friends；　nor　even　his　armies；　will　feel　themselves



secure　till　all　rivalry　has　been　extinguished。　Fabius　Valens；



captive　as　he　was；　and　reserved　against　the　chance　of　disaster；　was



yet　too　formidable　to　them；　and　certainly　Primus；　Fuscus；　and



Mucianus；　who　exhibits　the　temper　of　his　party；　will　not　be　allowed



power　over　Vitellius　except　to　put　him　to　death。　Caesar　did　not



leave　Pompey；　Augustus　did　not　leave　Antony　in　safety；　though；



perhaps；　Vespasian　may　show　a　more　lofty　spirit；　Vespasian；　who　was



a　dependant　of　Vitellius；　when　Vitellius　was　the　colleague　of



Claudius。　If　you　would　act　as　becomes　the　censorship；　the



thrice…repeated　consulate　of　your　father；　and　all　the　honours　of



your　illustrious　house；　let　despair　at　any　rate　arm　you　to



courageous　action。　The　troops　are　still　firm；　and　among　the　people



there　is　abundant　zeal。　Lastly；　nothing　can　happen　to　us　more　terrible



than　that　upon　which　we　are　voluntarily　rushing。　If　we　are



conquered；　we　must　die；　we　must　die；　if　we　capitulate。　All　that



concerns　us　is　this；　shall　we　draw　our　last　breath　amidst　scorn　and



insult；　or　in　a　valiant　struggle？〃



　　The　ears　of　Vitellius　were　deaf　to　manly　counsels。　His　whole　soul



was　overwhelmed　by　a　tender　anxiety；　lest　by　an　obstinate　resistance



he　might　leave　the　conqueror　less　mercifully　disposed　to　his　wife



and　children。　He　had　also　a　mother　old　and　feeble；　but　she；　expiring　a



few　days　before；　escaped　by　her　opportune　death　the　ruin　of　her　house；



having　gained　from　the　Imperial　dignity　of　her　son　nothing　but



sorrow　and　a　good　name。　On　the　18th　of　December；　after　hearing　of



the　defection　of　the　legion　and　the　auxiliary　infantry　which　had



surrendered　at　Narnia；　he　left　the　palace；　clad　in　mourning　robes；　and



surrounded　by　his　weeping　household。　With　him　went　his　little　son；



carried　in　a　litter；　as　though　in　a　funeral　procession。　The



greetings　of　the　people　were　flattering；　but　ill…suited　to　the　time；



the　soldiers　preserved　an　ominous　silence。



　　There　could　hardly　be　a　man　so　careless　of　human　interests　as　not　to



be　affected　by　this　spectacle。　There　was　the　Roman　Emperor；　lord　but　a



few　days　before　of　the　whole　human　race；　leaving　the　seat　of　his



power；　and　passing　through　the　midst　of　his　people　and　his　capital；　to



abdicate　his　throne。　Men　had　never　before　seen　or　heard　of　such　an



event。　Caesar；　the　Dictator；　had　fallen　by　sudden　violence；　Caligula



by　secret　treason。　The　shades　of　night　and　the　obscurity　of　a　rural



hiding…place　h