histories-第42部分

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spot　where　Galba　was　slain；　was　then　driven　along　till　they　reached



the　Gemoniae；　the　place　where　the　corpse　of　Flavius　Sabinus　had



lain。　One　speech　was　heard　from　him　shewing　a　spirit　not　utterly



degraded；　when　to　the　insults　of　a　tribune　he　answered；　〃Yet　I　was



your　Emperor。〃　Then　he　fell　under　a　shower　of　blows；　and　the　mob



reviled　the　dead　man　with　the　same　heartlessness　with　which　they　had



flattered　him　when　he　was　alive。



　　Luceria　was　his　native　place。　He　had　nearly　completed　his　57th　year。



His　consulate；　his　priesthood；　his　high　reputation；　his　place　among



the　first　men　of　the　State；　he　owed；　not　to　any　energy　of　his　own；　but



to　the　renown　of　his　father。　The　throne　was　offered　him　by　men　who　did



not　know　him。　Seldom　have　the　affections　of　the　army　attached



themselves　to　any　man　who　sought　to　gain　them　by　his　virtues　as　firmly



as　they　did　to　him　from　the　indolence　of　his　character。　Yet　he　had　a



certain　frankness　and　generosity；　qualities　indeed　which　turn　to　a



man's　ruin；　unless　tempered　with　discretion。　Believing　that　friendship



may　be　retained　by　munificent　gifts　rather　than　by　consistency　of



character；　he　deserved　more　of　it　than　he　secured。　Doubtless　it　was



good　for　the　State　that　Vitellius　should　be　overthrown；　but　they　who



betrayed　Vitellius　to　Vespasian　cannot　make　a　merit　of　their



treachery；　since　they　had　themselves　revolted　from　Galba。　The　day



was　now　fast　drawing　to　a　close；　and　the　Senate　could　not　be　convened；



owing　to　the　panic　of　the　magistrates　and　Senators；　who　had　stolen　out



of　the　city；　or　were　concealing　themselves　in　the　houses　of



dependants。　When　nothing　more　was　to　be　feared　from　the　enemy；



Domitian　came　forward　to　meet　the　leaders　of　the　party；　he　was



universally　saluted　by　the　title　of　Caesar；　and　the　troops；　in　great



numbers；　armed　as　they　were；　conducted　him　to　his　father's　house。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　IV；　January　…　November；　A。D。　70







　　WHEN　Vitellius　was　dead；　the　war　had　indeed　come　to　an　end；　but



peace　had　yet　to　begin。　Sword　in　hand；　throughout　the　capital；　the



conquerors　hunted　down　the　conquered　with　merciless　hatred。　The



streets　were　choked　with　carnage；　the　squares　and　temples　reeked



with　blood；　for　men　were　massacred　everywhere　as　chance　threw　them



in　the　way。　Soon；　as　their　license　increased；　they　began　to　search　for



and　drag　forth　hidden　foes。　Whenever　they　saw　a　man　tall　and　young



they　cut　him　down；　making　no　distinction　between　soldiers　and



civilians。　But　the　ferocity；　which　in　the　first　impulse　of　hatred



could　be　gratified　only　by　blood；　soon　passed　into　the　greed　of



gain。　They　let　nothing　be　kept　secret；　nothing　be　closed；



Vitellianists；　they　pretended；　might　be　thus　concealed。　Here　was　the



first　step　to　breaking　open　private　houses；　here；　if　resistance　were



made；　a　pretext　for　slaughter。　The　most　needy　of　the　populace　and



the　most　worthless　of　the　slaves　did　not　fail　to　come　forward　and



betray　their　wealthy　masters；　others　were　denounced　by　friends。



Everywhere　were　lamentations；　and　wailings；　and　all　the　miseries　of



a　captured　city；　till　the　license　of　the　Vitellianist　and



Othonianist　soldiery；　once　so　odious；　was　remembered　with　regret。



The　leaders　of　the　party；　so　energetic　in　kindling　civil　strife；



were　incapable　of　checking　the　abuse　of　victory。　In　stirring　up　tumult



and　strife　the　worst　men　can　do　the　most；　but　peace　and　quiet　cannot



be　established　without　virtue。



　　Domitian　had　entered　into　possession　of　the　title　and　residence　of



Caesar；　but　not　yet　applying　himself　to　business；　was　playing　the　part



of　a　son　of　the　throne　with　debauchery　and　intrigue。　The　office　of



prefect　of　the　Praetorian　Guard　was　held　by　Arrius　Varus；　but　the



supreme　power　was　in　the　hands　of　Primus　Antonius；　who　carried　off



money　and　slaves　from　the　establishment　of　the　Emperor；　as　if　they



were　the　spoils　of　Cremona。　The　other　generals；　whose　moderation　or



insignificance　had　shut　them　out　from　distinction　in　the　war；　had



accordingly　no　share　in　its　prizes。　The　country；　terror…stricken　and



ready　to　acquiesce　in　servitude；　urgently　demanded　that　Lucius



Vitellius　with　his　cohorts　should　be　intercepted　on　his　way　from



Tarracina；　and　that　the　last　sparks　of　war　should　be　trodden　out。



The　cavalry　were　sent　on　to　Aricia；　the　main　body　of　the　legions



halted　on　this　side　of　Bovillae。　Without　hesitation　Vitellius



surrendered　himself　and　his　cohorts　to　the　discretion　of　the



conqueror；　and　the　soldiers　threw　down　their　ill…starred　arms　in



rage　quite　as　much　as　in　alarm。　The　long　train　of　prisoners；　closely



guarded　by　armed　men；　passed　through　the　capital。　Not　one　of　them　wore



the　look　of　a　suppliant；　sullen　and　savage；　they　were　unmoved　by　the



shouts　and　jests　of　the　insulting　rabble。　A　few；　who　ventured　to　break



away；　were　overpowered　by　the　force　that　hemmed　them　in；　the　rest　were



thrown　into　prison。　Not　one　of　them　uttered　an　unworthy　word；　even



in　disaster　the　honour　of　the　soldier　was　preserved。　After　this　Lucius



Vitellius　was　executed。　Equally　vicious　with　his　brother；　he　had　yet



shewn　greater　vigilance　during　that　brother's　reign；　and　may　be



said；　not　so　much　to　have　shared　his　elevation；　as　to　have　been



dragged　down　by　his　fall。



　　About　the　same　time　Lucilius　Bassus　was　sent　with　some　light　cavalry



to　establish　order　in　Campania；　where　the　towns　were　still



disturbed；　but　by　mutual　animosities　rather　than　by　any　spirit　of



opposition　to　the　new　Emperor。　The　sight　of　the　soldiery　restored



quiet；　and　the　smaller　colonies　escaped　unpunished。　At　Capua；　however；



the　third　legion　was　stationed　to　pass　the　winter；　and　the　noble



families　suffered　severely。　Tarracina；　on　the　other　hand；　received



no　relief；　so　much　more　inclined　are　we　to　requite　an　injury　than　an



obligation。　Gratitude　is　a　burden；　while　there　seems　to　be　a　profit　in



revenge。　They　were　consoled　by　seeing　the　slave　of　Verginius　Capito；



whom　I　have　mentioned　as　the　betrayer　of　Tarracina；　gibbeted　in　the



very　rings　of　knighthood；　the　gift　of　Vitellius；　which　they　had　seen



him　wear。　At　Rome　the　Senate；　delighted　and　full　of　confident　hope；



decreed　to　Vespasian　all　the　honours　customarily　bestowed　on　the



Emperors。　And　indeed　the　civil　war；　which；　beginning　in　Gaul　and



Spain；　and　afterwards　drawing　into　the　struggle　first　Germany　and　then



Illyricum；　had　traversed　Aegypt；　Judaea；　and　Syria；　every　province；



and　every　army；　this　war；　now　that　the　whole　earth　was；　as　it　were；



purged　from　guilt；　seemed　to　have　reached　its　close。　Their　alacrity



was　increased　by　a　letter　from　Vespasian；　written　during　the



continuance　of　the　war。　Such　indeed　was　its　character　at　first



sight；　the　writer；　however；　expressed　himself　as　an　Emperor；



speaking　modestly　about　himself；　in　admirable　language　about　the



State。　There　was　no　want　of　deference　on　the　part　of　the　Senate。　On



the　Emperor　and　his　son　Titus　the　consulship　was　bestowed　by　decree；



on　Domitian　the　office　of　praetor　with　consular　authority。



　　Mucianus　had　also　forwarded　to　the　Senate　certain　letters　which



furnished　matter　for　talk。　It　was　said；　〃Why；　if　he　is　a　private



citizen；　does　he　speak　like　a　public　man？　In　a　few　days'　time　he　might



have　said　the　very　same　words　in　his　place　as　a　Senator。　And　even



the　invective　against　Vitellius　comes　too　late；　and　is　ungenerous；



while　certainly　it　is　arrogance　to　the　State　and　an　insult　to　the



Emperor　to　boast　that　he　had　the　Imperial　power　in　his　hands；　and　made



a　present　of　it　to　Vespasian。〃　Their　dislike；　however；　was



concealed；　their　adulation　was　open　enough。　In　most　flattering



language　they　voted　a　triumph　to　Mucianus；　a　triumph　for　a　civil



war；　though　the　expedition　against　the　Sarmatae　was　the　pretext。　On



Antonius　Primus　were　bestowed　the　insignia　of　consular　rank；　on　Arrius



Varus　and　Cornelius　Fuscus　praetorian　honours。　Then　they　remembered



the　Gods。　It　was　determined　that　the　Capitol　should　be　restored。　All



these　motions　Valerius　Asiaticus；　consul　elect；　proposed。　Most　of



the　Senators　signified　their　assent　by　their　looks；　or　by　raising



the　hand；　but　a　few；　who　either　held　a　distinguished　rank；　or　had　a



practised　talent　for　flattery；　declared　their　acquiescence　in



studied　speeches。　When　it　came　to　the　turn　of　Helvidius　Priscus；



praetor　elect；　to　vote；　he　delivered　an　opinion；　full　of　respect



indeed　to　a　worthy　Emperor；　and　yet　wholly　free　from　insincerity；



and　he　was　strongly　supported　by　the　sympathies　of　the　Senate。　To



Priscus　indeed　this　day　was　in　an　especial　manner　the　beginning　of　a



great　quarrel　and　a　great　renown。



　　As　I　have　again　happened　to　mention　a　man　of　whom　I　shall　often　have



to　speak；　the　subject　seems　to　demand　that　I　should　give　a　brief



account　of　his　life　and　pursuits；　and　of　his　fortunes。　Helvidius



Priscus　was　a　native　of　the　town　of　Carecina　in　Italy；　and　was　the　son



of　one　Cluvius；　who　had　been　a　centurion　of　the　first　rank。　In　early



youth　he　devoted　his　distinguished　talents　to　the　loftiest　pursuits；



not　wishing；　as　do　many；　to　cloak　under　an　imposing　name　a　life　of



indolence；　but　to　be　able　to　enter　upon　public　life　with　a　spirit



fortified　against　the　chances　of　fortune。　He　followed　those　teachers



of　philosophy　who　hold　nothing　to　be　good　but　what　is　honourable；



nothing　evil　but　what　is　base；　and　who　refuse　to　count　either　among



things　good　or　evil；　power；　rank；　or　indeed　any　thing　not　belonging　to



the　mind。　While　still　holding　the　quaestorship；　he　was　selected　by



Paetus　Thrasea　to　be　his　son…in…law；　and　from　the　example　of　his



father…in…law　imbibed　with　peculiar　eagerness　a　love　of　liberty。　As



a　citizen　and　as　a　Senator；　as　a　husband；　as　a　son…in…law；　as　a



friend；　and　in　all　the　relations　of　life；　he　was　ever　the　same；



despising　wealth；　stead