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necks；　begged　for　parting　kisses；　and　entreated　that　they　might　not　be



deserted；　or　doomed　in　a　common　cause　to　suffer　a　different　lot。



They　invoked　now　Mucianus；　now　the　absent　Emperor；　and；　as　a　last



resource；　heaven　and　the　Gods；　till　Mucianus　came　forward；　and　calling



them　〃soldiers　bound　by　the　same　oath　and　servants　of　the　same



Emperor；〃　stopped　the　groundless　panic。　And　indeed　the　victorious　army



seconded　the　tears　of　the　vanquished　with　their　approving　shouts。　This



terminated　the　proceedings　for　that　day。　But　when　Domitian　harangued



them　a　few　days　afterwards；　they　received　him　with　increased



confidence。　The　land　that　was　offered　them　they　contemptuously



rejected；　and　begged　for　regular　service　and　pay。　Theirs　were



prayers　indeed；　but　such　as　it　was　impossible　to　reject。　They　were



therefore　received　into　the　Praetorian　camp。　Then　such　as　had



reached　the　prescribed　age；　or　had　served　the　proper　number　of



campaigns；　received　an　honourable　discharge；　others　were　dismissed　for



misconduct；　but　this　was　done　by　degrees　and　in　detail；　always　the



safest　mode　of　reducing　the　united　strength　of　a　multitude。



　　It　is　a　fact　that；　whether　suggested　by　real　poverty　or　by　a　wish　to



give　the　appearance　of　it；　a　proposition　passed　the　Senate　to　the



effect　that　a　loan　of　sixty　million　sesterces　from　private　persons



should　be　accepted。　Pompeius　Silvanus　was　appointed　to　manage　the



affair。　Before　long；　either　the　necessity　ceased　or　the　pretence　was



dropped。　After　this；　on　the　motion　of　Domitian；　the　consulships



conferred　by　Vitellius　were　cancelled；　and　the　honours　of　a　censor's



funeral　were　paid　to　Sabinus；　great　lessons　both　of　the　mutability



of　fortune；　ever　bringing　together　the　highest　honours　and　the



lowest　humiliations。



　　About　the　same　time　the　proconsul　Lucius　Piso　was　murdered。　I



shall　make　the　account　of　this　murder　as　exact　as　possible　by　first



reviewing　a　few　earlier　circumstances；　which　have　a　bearing　on　the



origin　and　motives　of　such　deeds。　The　legion　and　the　auxiliaries



stationed　in　Africa　to　guard　the　frontiers　of　the　Empire　were　under



the　proconsul's　authority　during　the　reigns　of　the　divine　Augustus　and



Tiberius。　But　in　course　of　time　Caligula；　prompted　by　his　restless



temper　and　by　his　fear　of　Marcus　Silanus；　who　then　held　Africa；　took



away　the　legion　from　the　proconsul；　and　handed　it　over　to　a　legate



whom　he　sent　for　that　purpose。　The　patronage　was　equally　divided



between　the　two　officers。　A　source　of　disagreement　was　thus　studiously



sought　in　the　continual　clashing　of　their　authority；　and　it　was



further　developed　by　an　unprincipled　rivalry。　The　power　of　the　legates



grew　through　their　lengthened　tenure　of　office；　and；　perhaps；



because　an　inferior　feels　greater　interest　in　such　a　competition。



All　the　more　distinguished　of　the　proconsuls　cared　more　for　security



than　for　power。



　　At　this　time　the　legion　in　Africa　was　commanded　by　Valerius



Festus；　a　young　man　of　extravagant　habits　and　immoderate　ambition；　who



was　now　made　uneasy　by　his　relationship　to　Vitellius。　Whether　this　man



in　their　frequent　interviews　tempted　Piso　to　revolt；　or　whether　he



resisted　such　overtures；　is　not　known　for　certain；　for　no　one　was



present　at　their　confidential　meetings；　and；　after　Piso's　death；



many　were　disposed　to　ingratiate　themselves　with　the　murderer。　There



is　no　doubt　that　the　province　and　the　troops　entertained　feelings　of



hostility　to　Vespasian；　and　some　of　the　Vitellianists；　who　had　escaped



from　the　capital；　incessantly　represented　to　Piso　that　Gaul　was



hesitating　and　Germany　ready　to　revolt；　that　his　own　position　was



perilous；　and　that　for　one　who　in　peace　must　be　suspected；　war　was　the



safer　course。　While　this　was　going　on；　Claudius　Sagitta；　prefect　of



Petra's　Horse；　making　a　very　quick　passage；　reached　Africa　before



Papirius；　the　centurion　despatched　by　Mucianus。　He　declared　that　an



order　to　put　Piso　to　death　had　been　given　to　the　centurion；　and　that



Galerianus；　his　cousin　and　son…in…law；　had　perished；　that　his　only



hope　of　safety　was　in　bold　action；　that　in　such　action　two　paths



were　open；　he　might　defend　himself　on　the　spot；　or　he　might　sail　for



Gaul　and　offer　his　services　as　general　to　the　Vitellianist　armies。



Piso　was　wholly　unmoved　by　this　statement。　The　centurion　despatched　by



Mucianus；　on　landing　in　the　port　of　Carthage；　raised　his　voice；　and



invoked　in　succession　all　blessings　on　the　head　of　Piso；　as　if　he　were



Emperor；　and　bade　the　bystanders；　who　were　astonished　by　this　sudden



and　strange　proceeding；　take　up　the　same　cry。　The　credulous　mob　rushed



into　the　market…place；　and　demanded　that　Piso　should　shew　himself。



They　threw　everything　into　an　uproar　with　their　clamorous　shouts　of



joy；　careless　of　the　truth；　and　only　eager　to　flatter。　Piso；　acting　on



the　information　of　Sagitta；　or；　perhaps；　from　natural　modesty；　would



not　make　his　appearance　in　public；　or　trust　himself　to　the　zeal　of　the



populace。　On　questioning　the　centurion；　and　finding　that　he　had　sought



a　pretext　for　accusing　and　murdering　him；　he　ordered　the　man　to　be



executed；　moved；　not　so　much　by　any　hope　of　saving　his　life；　as　by



indignation　against　the　assassin；　for　this　fellow　had　been　one　of



the　murderers　of　Macer；　and　was　now　come　to　slay　the　proconsul　with



hands　already　stained　with　the　blood　of　the　legate。　He　then　severely



blamed　the　people　of　Carthage　in　an　edict　which　betrayed　his



anxiety；　and　ceased　to　discharge　even　the　usual　duties　of　his



office；　shutting　himself　up　in　his　palace；　to　guard　against　any　casual



occurrence　that　might　lead　to　a　new　outbreak。



　　But　when　the　agitation　of　the　people；　the　execution　of　the



centurion；　and　other　news；　true　or　false；　exaggerated　as　usual　by



report；　came　to　the　ears　of　Festus；　he　sent　some　cavalry　to　put　Piso



to　death。　They　rode　over　at　full　speed；　and　broke　into　the　dwelling　of



the　proconsul　in　the　dim　light　of　early　dawn；　with　their　swords



drawn　in　their　hands。　Many　of　them　were　unacquainted　with　the　person



of　Piso；　for　the　legate　had　selected　some　Moorish　and　Carthaginian



auxiliaries　to　perpetrate　the　deed。　Near　the　proconsul's　chamber



they　chanced　to　meet　a　slave；　and　asked　him　who　he　was；　and　where　Piso



was　to　be　found？　The　slave　with　a　noble　untruth　replied；　〃I　am　he；〃



and　was　immediately　cut　down。　Soon　after　Piso　was　killed；　for　there



was　on　the　spot　one　who　recognized　him；　Baebius　Massa；　one　of　the



procurators　of　Africa；　a　name　even　then　fatal　to　the　good；　and



destined　often　to　reappear　among　the　causes　of　the　sufferings　which　he



had　ere　long　to　endure。　From　Adrumetum；　where　he　had　stayed　to　watch



the　result；　Festus　went　to　the　legion；　and　gave　orders　that



Cetronius　Pisanus；　prefect　of　the　camp；　should　be　put　in　irons。　He　did



this　out　of　private　pique；　but　he　called　the　man　an　accomplice　of



Piso。　Some　few　centurions　and　soldiers　he　punished；　others　he



rewarded；　neither　the　one　nor　the　other　deservedly；　but　he　wished



men　to　believe　that　he　had　extinguished　a　war。　He　then　put　an　end　to　a



quarrel　between　the　Censes　and　the　Leptitani；　which；　originating　in



robberies　of　corn　and　cattle　by　two　rustic　populations；　had　grown　from



this　insignificant　beginning　till　it　was　carried　on　in　pitched



battles。　The　people　of　Ceea；　who　were　inferior　in　numbers；　had



summoned　to　their　aid　the　Garamantes；　a　wild　race　incessantly　occupied



in　robbing　their　neighbours。　This　had　brought　the　Leptitani　to



extremities；　their　territories　had　been　ravaged　far　and　wide；　and　they



were　trembling　within　their　walls；　when　the　Garamantes　were　put　to



flight　by　the　arrival　of　the　auxiliary　infantry　and　cavalry；　and　the



whole　of　the　booty　was　recaptured；　with　the　exception　of　some　which



the　plunderers；　in　their　wanderings　through　inaccessible　hamlets；



had　sold　to　more　distant　tribes。



　　Vespasian　had　heard　of　the　victory　of　Cremona；　and　had　received



favourable　tidings　from　all　quarters；　and　he　was　now　informed　of　the



fall　of　Vitellius　by　many　persons　of　every　rank；　who；　with　a　good



fortune　equal　to　their　courage；　risked　the　perils　of　the　wintry　sea。



Envoys　had　come　from　king　Vologesus　to　offer　him　40；000　Parthian



cavalry。　It　was　a　matter　of　pride　and　joy　to　him　to　be　courted　with



such　splendid　offers　of　help　from　the　allies；　and　not　to　want　them。　He



thanked　Vologesus；　and　recommended　him　to　send　ambassadors　to　the



Senate；　and　to　learn　for　himself　that　peace　had　been　restored。　While



his　thoughts　were　fixed　on　Italy　and　on　the　state　of　the　Capital；　he



heard　an　unfavourable　account　of　Domitian；　which　represented　him　as



overstepping　the　limits　of　his　age　and　the　privileges　of　a　son。　He



therefore　entrusted　Titus　with　the　main　strength　of　the　army　to



complete　what　had　yet　to　be　done　in　the　Jewish　war。



　　It　was　said　that　Titus　before　his　departure　had　a　long　interview



with　his　father；　in　which　he　implored　him　not　to　let　himself　be　easily



excited　by　the　reports　of　slanderers；　but　to　shew　an　impartial　and



forgiving　temper　towards　his　son。　〃Legions　and　fleets；〃　he　reminded



him；　〃are　not　such　sure　bulwarks　of　Imperial　power　as　a　numerous



family。　As　for　friends；　time；　altered　fortunes；　perhaps　their　passions



or　their　errors；　may　weaken；　may　change；　may　even　destroy；　their



affection。　A　man's　own　race　can　never　be　dissociated　from　him；　least



of　all　with　Princes；　whose　prosperity　is　shared　by　others；　while　their



reverses　touch　but　their　nearest　kin。　Even　between　brothers　there



can　be　no　lasting　affection；　except　the　father　sets　the　example。〃



Vespasian；　delighted　with　the　brotherly　affection　of　Titus　rather　than



reconciled　to　Domitian；　bade　his　son　be　of　good　cheer；　and



aggrandise　the　State　by　war　and　deeds　of　arms。　He　would　himself



provide　for　the　interests　of　peace；