histories-第13章

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indulging　without　moderation　the　appetites　which　a　protracted



poverty　had　inflamed；　and；　after　a　youth　of　indigence；　becoming



prodigal　in　old　age。　The　army　then　proceeded　by　slow　marches　through



the　territory　of　the　Allobroges　and　Vocontii；　the　very　length　of



each　day's　march　and　the　changes　of　encampment　being　made　a　matter



of　traffic　by　the　general；　who　concluded　disgraceful　bargains　to　the



injury　of　the　holders　of　land　and　the　magistrates　of　the　different



states；　and　used　such　menaces；　that　at　Lucus；　a　municipal　town　of



the　Vocontii；　he　was　on　the　point　of　setting　fire　to　the　place；　when　a



present　of　money　soothed　his　rage。　When　money　was　not　forthcoming　he



was　bought　off　by　sacrifices　to　his　lust。　Thus　he　made　his　way　to



the　Alps。



　　Caecina　revelled　more　freely　in　plunder　and　bloodshed。　His



restless　spirit　had　been　provoked　by　the　Helvetii；　a　Gallic　race



famous　once　for　its　warlike　population；　afterwards　for　the



associations　of　its　name。　Of　the　murder　of　Galba　they　knew　nothing；



and　they　rejected　the　authority　of　Vitellius。　The　war　originated　in



the　rapacity　and　impatience　of　the　21st　legion；　who　had　seized　some



money　sent　to　pay　the　garrison　of　a　fortress；　which　the　Helvetii　had



long　held　with　their　own　troops　and　at　their　own　expense。　The　Helvetii



in　their　indignation　intercepted　some　letters　written　in　the　name　of



the　army　of　Germany；　which　were　on　their　way　to　the　legions　of



Pannonia；　and　detained　the　centurion　and　some　of　his　soldiers　in



custody。　Caecina；　eager　for　war；　hastened　to　punish　every　delinquency；



as　it　occurred；　before　the　offender　could　repent。　Suddenly　moving



his　camp　he　ravaged　a　place；　which　during　a　long　period　of　peace　had



grown　up　into　something　like　a　town；　and　which　was　much　resorted　to　as



an　agreeable　watering　place。　Despatches　were　sent　to　the　Rhaetian



auxiliaries；　instructing　them　to　attack　the　Helvetii　in　the　rear　while



the　legion　was　engaging　them　in　front。



　　Bold　before　the　danger　came　and　timid　in　the　moment　of　peril；　the



Helvetii；　though　at　the　commencement　of　the　movement　they　had　chosen



Claudius　Severus　for　their　leader；　knew　not　how　to　use　their　arms；



to　keep　their　ranks；　or　to　act　in　concert。　A　pitched　battle　with



veteran　troops　would　be　destruction；　a　siege　would　be　perilous　with



fortifications　old　and　ruinous。　On　the　one　side　was　Caecina　at　the



head　of　a　powerful　army；　on　the　other　were　the　auxiliary　infantry



and　cavalry　of　Rhaetia　and　the　youth　of　that　province；　inured　to



arms　and　exercised　in　habits　of　warfare。　All　around　were　slaughter　and



devastation。　Wandering　to　and　fro　between　the　two　armies；　the　Helvetii



threw　aside　their　arms；　and　with　a　large　proportion　of　wounded　and



stragglers　fled　for　refuge　to　Mount　Vocetius。　They　were　immediately



dislodged　by　the　attack　of　some　Thracian　infantry。　Closely　pursued



by　the　Germans　and　Rhaetians　they　were　cut　down　in　their　forests　and



even　in　their　hiding　places。　Thousands　were　put　to　the　sword；



thousands　more　were　sold　into　slavery。　Every　place　having　been



completely　destroyed；　the　army　was　marching　in　regular　order　on



Aventicum；　the　capital　town；　when　a　deputation　was　sent　to　surrender



the　city。　This　surrender　was　accepted。　Julius　Alpinus；　one　of　the



principal　men；　was　executed　by　Caecina；　as　having　been　the　promoter　of



the　war。　All　the　rest　he　left　to　the　mercy　or　severity　of　Vitellius。



　　It　is　hard　to　say　whether　the　envoys　from　Helvetia　found　the　Emperor



or　his　army　less　merciful。　〃Exterminate　the　race；〃　was　the　cry　of



the　soldiers　as　they　brandished　their　weapons；　or　shook　their　fists　in



the　faces　of　the　envoys。　Even　Vitellius　himself　did　not　refrain　from



threatening　words　and　gestures；　till　at　length　Claudius　Cossus；　one　of



the　Helvetian　envoys；　a　man　of　well…known　eloquence；　but　who　then



concealed　the　art　of　the　orator　under　an　assumption　of　alarm；　and



was　therefore　more　effective；　soothed　the　rage　of　the　soldiers；　who；



like　all　multitudes；　were　liable　to　sudden　impulses；　and　were　now　as



inclined　to　pity　as　they　had　been　extravagant　in　fury。　Bursting　into



tears　and　praying　with　increasing　earnestness　for　a　milder　sentence；



they　procured　pardon　and　protection　for　the　state。



　　Caecina　while　halting　for　a　few　days　in　the　Helvetian　territory；



till　he　could　learn　the　decision　of　Vitellius；　and　at　the　same　time



making　preparations　for　the　passage　of　the　Alps；　received　from　Italy



the　good　news；　that　Silius'　Horse；　which　was　quartered　in　the



neighbourhood　of　Padus；　had　sworn　allegiance　to　Vitellius。　They　had



served　under　him　when　he　was　Proconsul　in　Africa；　from　which　place



Nero　had　soon　afterwards　brought　them；　intending　to　send　them　on



before　himself　into　Egypt；　but　had　recalled　them　in　consequence　of　the



rebellion　of　Vindex。　They　were　still　in　Italy；　and　now；　at　the



instigation　of　their　decurions；　who　knew　nothing　of　Otho；　but　were



bound　to　Vitellius；　and　who　magnified　the　strength　of　the　advancing



legions　and　the　fame　of　the　German　army；　they　joined　the



Vitellianists；　and　by　way　of　a　present　to　their　new　Prince　they



secured　for　him　the　strongest　towns　of　the　country　north　of　the　Padus；



Mediolanum；　Novaria；　Eporedia；　and　Vercellae。　This　Caecina　had



learnt　from　themselves。　Aware　that　the　widest　part　of　Italy　could



not　be　held　by　such　a　force　as　a　single　squadron　of　cavalry；　he　sent



on　in　advance　the　auxiliary　infantry　from　Gaul；　Lusitania；　and



Rhaetia；　with　the　veteran　troops　from　Germany；　and　Petra's　Horse；



while　he　made　a　brief　halt　to　consider　whether　he　should　pass　over　the



Rhaetian　range　into　Noricum；　to　attack　Petronius；　the　procurator；



who　had　collected　some　auxiliaries；　and　broken　down　the　bridges　over



the　rivers；　and　was　thought　to　be　faithful　to　Otho。　Fearing　however



that　he　might　lose　the　infantry　and　cavalry　which　he　had　sent　on　in



advance；　and　at　the　same　time　reflecting　that　more　honour　was　to　be



gained　by　holding　possession　of　Italy；　and　that；　wherever　the　decisive



conflict　might　take　place；　Noricum　would　be　included　among　the　other



prizes　of　victory；　he　marched　the　reserves　and　the　heavy　infantry



through　the　Penine　passes　while　the　Alps　were　still　covered　with　the



snows　of　winter。



　　Meanwhile　Otho；　to　the　surprise　of　all；　was　not　sinking　down　into



luxury　and　sloth。　He　deferred　his　pleasures；　concealed　his　profligacy；



and　moulded　his　whole　life　to　suit　the　dignity　of　empire。　Men



dreaded　all　the　more　virtues　so　false；　and　vices　so　certain　to　return。



Marius　Celsus；　consul　elect；　whom　he　had　rescued　from　the　fury　of



the　soldiers　by　pretending　to　imprison　him；　he　now　ordered　to　be



summoned　to　the　Capitol。　He　sought　to　acquire　a　reputation　for



clemency　by　sparing　a　distinguished　man　opposed　to　his　own　party。



Celsus　pleaded　guilty　to　the　charge　of　faithful　adherence　to　Galba；



and　even　made　a　merit　of　such　an　example　of　fidelity。　Otho　did　not



treat　him　as　a　man　to　be　pardoned；　and；　unwilling　to　blend　with　the



grace　of　reconciliation　the　memory　of　past　hostility；　at　once　admitted



him　to　his　intimate　friendship；　and　soon　afterwards　appointed　him　to



be　one　of　his　generals。　By　some　fatality；　as　it　seemed；　Celsus



maintained　also　to　Otho　a　fidelity　as　irreproachable　as　it　was



unfortunate。　The　escape　of　Celsus　gratified　the　leading　men　in　the



State；　was　generally　praised　by　the　people；　and　did　not　displease　even



the　soldiers；　who　could　not　but　admire　the　virtue　which　provoked　their



anger。



　　Then　followed　as　great　a　burst　of　joy；　though　from　a　less　worthy



cause；　when　the　destruction　of　Tigellinus　was　achieved。　Sophonius



Tigellinus；　a　man　of　obscure　birth；　steeped　in　infamy　from　his



boyhood；　and　shamelessly　profligate　in　his　old　age；　finding　vice　to　be



his　quickest　road　to　such　offices　as　the　command　of　the　watch　and　of



the　Praetorian　Guard；　and　to　other　distinctions　due