histories-第15章

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made　even　good　laws　a　dead　letter。



　　By　similar　bounty　Otho　sought　to　win　the　affections　of　the　cities



and　provinces。　He　bestowed　on　the　colonies　of　Hispalis　and　Emerita



some　additional　families；　on　the　entire　people　of　the　Lingones　the



privileges　of　Roman　citizenship；　to　the　province　of　Baetica　he



joined　the　states　of　Mauritania；　and　granted　to　Cappadocia　and



Africa　new　rights；　more　for　display　than　for　permanent　utility。　In　the



midst　of　these　measures；　which　may　find　an　excuse　in　the　urgency　of



the　crisis　and　the　anxieties　which　pressed　upon　him；　he　still　did



not　forget　his　old　amours；　and　by　a　decree　of　the　Senate　restored



the　statues　of　Poppaea。　It　is　even　believed　that　he　thought　of



celebrating　the　memory　of　Nero　in　the　hope　of　winning　the　populace；



and　persons　were　found　to　exhibit　statues　of　that　Prince。　There　were



days　on　which　the　people　and　the　soldiers　greeted　him　with　shouts　of



Nero　Otho；　as　if　they　were　heaping　on　him　new　distinction　and



honour。　Otho　himself　wavered　in　suspense；　afraid　to　forbid　or



ashamed　to　acknowledge　the　title。



　　Men's　minds　were　so　intent　on　the　civil　war；　that　foreign　affairs



were　disregarded。　This　emboldened　the　Roxolani；　a　Sarmatian　tribe；　who



had　destroyed　two　cohorts　in　the　previous　winter；　to　invade　Moesia



with　great　hopes　of　success。　They　had　9000　cavalry；　flushed　with



victory　and　intent　on　plunder　rather　than　on　fighting。　They　were



dispersed　and　off　their　guard；　when　the　third　legion　together　with



some　auxiliaries　attacked　them。　The　Romans　had　everything　ready　for



battle；　the　Sarmatians　were　scattered；　and　in　their　eagerness　for



plunder　had　encumbered　themselves　with　heavy　baggage；　while　the



superior　speed　of　their　horses　was　lost　on　the　slippery　roads。　Thus



they　were　cut　down　as　if　their　hands　were　tied。　It　is　wonderful　how



entirely　the　courage　of　this　people　is；　so　to　speak；　external　to



themselves。　No　troops　could　shew　so　little　spirit　when　fighting　on



foot；　when　they　charge　in　squadrons；　hardly　any　line　can　stand　against



them。　But　as　on　this　occasion　the　day　was　damp　and　the　ice　thawed；



what　with　the　continual　slipping　of　their　horses；　and　the　weight　of



their　coats　of　mail；　they　could　make　no　use　of　their　pikes　or　their



swords；　which　being　of　an　excessive　length　they　wield　with　both　hands。



These　coats　are　worn　as　defensive　armour　by　the　princes　and　most



distinguished　persons　of　the　tribe。　They　are　formed　of　plates　of



iron　or　very　tough　hides；　and　though　they　are　absolutely



impenetrable　to　blows；　yet　they　make　it　difficult　for　such　as　have



been　overthrown　by　the　charge　of　the　enemy　to　regain　their　feet。



Besides；　the　Sarmatians　were　perpetually　sinking　in　the　deep　and



soft　snow。　The　Roman　soldier；　moving　easily　in　his　cuirass；



continued　to　harass　them　with　javelins　and　lances；　and　whenever　the



occasion　required；　closed　with　them　with　his　short　sword；　and



stabbed　the　defenceless　enemy；　for　it　is　not　their　custom　to　defend



themselves　with　a　shield。　A　few　who　survived　the　battle　concealed



themselves　in　the　marshes。　There　they　perished　from　the　inclemency



of　the　season　and　the　severity　of　their　wounds。　When　this　success



was　known；　Marcus　Aponius；　governor　of　Moesia；　was　rewarded　with　a



triumphal　statue；　while　Fulvius　Aurelius；　Julianus　Titius；　and



Numisius　Lupus；　the　legates　of　the　legions；　received　the　ensigns　of



consular　rank。　Otho　was　delighted；　and　claimed　the　glory　for



himself；　as　if　it　were　he　that　commanded　success　in　war；　and　that



had　aggrandised　the　State　by　his　generals　and　his　armies。



　　Meanwhile；　from　a　trifling　cause；　whence　nothing　was　apprehended；



there　arose　a　tumult；　which　had　nearly　proved　fatal　to　the　capital。



Otho　had　ordered　the　7th　cohort　to　be　brought　up　to　Rome　from　Ostia；



and　the　charge　of　arming　it　was　entrusted　to　Varius　Crispinus；　one



of　the　tribunes　of　the　Praetorian　Guard。　This　officer；　thinking　that



he　could　carry　out　the　order　more　at　his　leisure；　when　the　camp　was



quiet；　opened　the　armoury；　and　ordered　the　wagons　of　the　cohort　to



be　laden　at　night…fall。　The　time　provoked　suspicion；　the　motive



challenged　accusation；　the　elaborate　attempt　at　quiet　ended　in　a



disturbance；　and　the　sight　of　arms　among　a　drunken　crowd　excited　the



desire　to　use　them。　The　soldiers　murmured；　and　charged　the　tribunes



and　centurions　with　treachery；　alleging　that　the　households　of　the



Senators　were　being　armed　to　destroy　Otho；　many　acted　in　ignorance　and



were　stupefied　by　wine；　the　worst　among　them　were　seeking　an



opportunity　for　plunder；　the　mass　was　as　usual　ready　for　any　new



movement；　and　the　military　obedience　of　the　better　disposed　was



neutralised　by　the　darkness。　The　tribune；　who　sought　to　check　the



movement；　and　the　strictest　disciplinarians　among　the　centurions；　were



cut　down。　The　soldiers　seized　their　arms；　bared　their　swords；　and；



mounted　on　their　horses；　made　for　the　city　and　the　palace。



　　Otho　was　giving　a　crowded　entertainment　to　the　most　distinguished



men　and　women　of　Rome。　In　their　alarm　they　doubted　whether　this　was



a　casual　outbreak　of　the　soldiers；　or　an　act　of　treachery　in　the



Emperor；　and　whether　to　remain　and　be　arrested　was　a　more　perilous



alternative　than　to　disperse　and　fly。　At　one　time　making　a　show　of



courage；　at　another　betrayed　by　their　terror；　they　still　watched　the



countenance　of　Otho。　And；　as　it　happened；　so　ready　were　all　to



suspect；　Otho　felt　as　much　alarm　as　he　inspired。　Terrified　no　less



by　the　Senate's　critical　position　than　by　his　own；　he　had　forthwith



despatched　the　prefects　of　the　Praetorian　Guard　to　allay　the　fury　of



the　soldiery；　and　he　now　ordered　all　to　leave　the　banquet　without



delay。　Then　on　all　sides　officers　of　state　cast　aside　the　insignia



of　office；　and　shunned　the　retinues　of　their　friends　and　domestics；



aged　men　and　women　wandered　in　the　darkness　of　night　about　the　various



streets　of　the　city；　few　went　to　their　homes；　most　sought　the　houses



of　friends；　or　some　obscure　hiding…place　in　the　dwelling　of　their



humblest　dependents。



　　The　rush　of　the　soldiers　was　not　even　checked　by　the　doors　of　the



palace。　They　burst　in　upon　the　banquet　with　loud　demands　that　Otho



should　shew　himself。　They　wounded　the　tribune；　Julius　Martialis；　and



the　prefect；　Vitellius　Saturninus；　who　sought　to　stem　the　torrent。



On　every　they　brandished　their　swords；　and　menaced　the　centurions



and　tribunes　at　one　moment；　the　whole　Senate　at　another。　Their　minds



were　maddened　by　a　blind　panic；　and；　unable　to　single　out　any　one



object　for　their　fury；　they　sought　for　indiscriminate　vengeance。　At



last　Otho；　regardless　of　his　imperial　dignity；　stood　up　on　a　couch；



and　by　dint　of　prayers　and　tears　contrived　to　restrain　them。　Reluctant



and　guilty；　they　returned　to　the　camp。　The　next　day　the　houses　were



closed　as　they　might　be　in　a　captured　city。　Few　of　the　citizens



could　be　seen　in　the　streets；　the　populace　were　dejected；　the　soldiers



walked　with　downcast　looks；　and　seemed　gloomy　rather　than　penitent。



Licinius　Proculus　and　Plotius　Firmus；　the　prefects；　addressed　the



companies　in　the　gentler　or　harsher　terms　that　suited　their　respective



characters。　The　end　of　these　harangues　was　that　5000　sesterces　were



paid　to　each　soldier。　Then　did　Otho　venture　to　enter　the　camp；　the



tribunes　and　centurions　surrounded　him。　They　had　thrown　aside　the



insignia　of　their　rank；　and　they　demanded　release　from　the　toils　and



perils　of　service。　The　soldiers　felt　the　reproach；　returning　to



their　duty；　they　even　demanded　the　execution　of　the　ringleaders　in　the



riot。



　　Otho　was　aware　how　disturbed　was　the　country；　and　how　conflicting



the　feelings　of　the　soldiery；　the　most　respectable　of　whom　cried　out



for　some　remedy　for　the　existing　licence；　while　the　great　mass



delighted　in　riot　and　in　an　empire　resting　on　popularity；　and　could　be