histories-第16章

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



most　easily　urged　to　civil　war　by　indulgence　in　tumult　and　rapine。



At　the　same　time　he　reflected　that　power　acquired　by　crime　could　not



be　retained　by　a　sudden　assumption　of　the　moderation　and　of　the



dignity　of　former　times；　yet　he　was　alarmed　by　the　critical　position



of　the　capital　and　by　the　perils　of　the　Senate。　Finally；　he



addressed　the　troops　in　these　terms：　〃Comrades；　I　am　not　come　that　I



may　move　your　hearts　to　love　me；　or　that　I　may　rouse　your　courage；



love　and　courage　you　have　in　superfluous　abundance。　I　am　come　to



pray　you　to　put　some　restraint　on　your　valour；　some　check　on　your



affection　for　me。　The　origin　of　the　late　tumult　is　to　be　traced　not　to



rapacity　or　disaffection；　feelings　which　have　driven　many　armies



into　civil　strife；　much　less　to　any　shrinking　from；　or　fear　of　danger。



It　was　your　excessive　affection　for　me　that　roused　you　to　act　with



more　zeal　than　discretion。　For　even　honourable　motives　of　action；



unless　directed　by　judgment；　are　followed　by　disastrous　results。　We



are　now　starting　for　a　campaign。　Does　the　nature　of　things；　does　the



rapid　flight　of　opportunities；　admit　of　all　intelligence　being



publicly　announced；　of　every　plan　being　discussed　in　the　presence　of



all？　It　is　as　needful　that　the　soldiers　should　be　ignorant　of　some



things　as　that　they　should　know　others。　The　general's　authority；　the



stern　laws　of　discipline；　require　that　in　many　matters　even　the



centurions　and　tribunes　shall　only　receive　orders。　If；　whenever　orders



are　given；　individuals　may　ask　questions；　obedience　ceases；　and　all



command　is　at　an　end。　Will　you　in　the　field　too　snatch　up　your　arms　in



the　dead　of　night？　Shall　one　or　two　worthless　and　drunken　fellows；　for



I　cannot　believe　that　more　were　carried　away　by　the　frenzy　of　the　late



outbreak；　imbrue　their　hands　in　the　blood　of　centurions　and



tribunes；　and　burst　into　the　tent　of　their　Emperor？



　　〃You　indeed　did　this　to　serve　me；　but　in　the　tumult；　the　darkness；



and　the　general　confusion；　an　opportunity　may　well　occur　that　may　be



used　against　me。　If　Vitellius　and　his　satellites　were　allowed　to



choose；　what　would　be　the　temper　and　what　the　thoughts　with　which　they



would　curse　us？　What　would　they　wish　for　us　but　mutiny　and　strife；



that　the　private　should　not　obey　the　centurion；　nor　the　centurion



the　tribune；　that　thus　we　should　rush；　horse　and　foot　together；　on　our



own　destruction？　Comrades；　it　is　by　obeying；　not　by　questioning　the



orders　of　commanders；　that　military　power　is　kept　together。　And　that



army　is　the　most　courageous　in　the　moment　of　peril；　which　is　the



most　orderly　before　the　peril　comes。　Keep　you　your　arms　and　your



courage；　leave　it　to　me　to　plan；　and　to　guide　your　valour。　A　few



were　in　fault；　two　will　be　punished。　Let　all　the　rest　blot　out　the



remembrance　of　that　night　of　infamy。　Never　let　any　army　hear　those



cries　against　the　Senate。　To　clamour　for　the　destruction　of　what　is



the　head　of　the　Empire；　and　contains　all　that　is　distinguished　in



the　provinces；　good　God！　it　is　a　thing　which　not　even　those　Germans；



whom　Vitellius　at　this　very　moment　is　rousing　against　us；　would　dare



to　do。　Shall　any　sons　of　Italy；　the　true　youth　of　Rome；　cry　out　for



the　massacre　of　an　order；　by　whose　splendid　distinctions　we　throw　into



the　shade　the　mean　and　obscure　faction　of　Vitellius？　Vitellius　is



the　master　of　a　few　tribes；　and　has　some　semblance　of　an　army。　We　have



the　Senate。　The　country　is　with　us；　with　them；　the　country's



enemies。　What！　do　you　imagine　that　this　fairest　of　cities　is　made　up



of　dwellings　and　edifices　and　piles　of　stones？　These　dumb　and



inanimate　things　may　be　indifferently　destroyed　and　rebuilt。　The



eternal　duration　of　empire；　the　peace　of　nations；　my　safety　and　yours；



rest　on　the　security　of　the　Senate。　This　order　which　was　instituted



under　due　auspices　by　the　Father　and　Founder　of　the　city；　and　which



has　lasted　without　interruption　and　without　decay　from　the　Kings



down　to　the　Emperors；　we　will　bequeath　to　our　descendants；　as　we



have　inherited　it　from　our　ancestors。　For　you　give　the　state　its



Senators；　and　the　Senate　gives　it　its　Princes。〃



　　This　speech；　which　was　meant　to　touch　and　to　calm　the　feelings　of



the　soldiers；　and　the　moderate　amount　of　severity　exercised　（for



Otho　had　ordered　two　and　no　more　to　be　punished）；　met　with　a



grateful　acceptance；　and　for　the　moment　reduced　to　order　men　who　could



not　be　coerced。　Yet　tranquillity　was　not　restored　to　the　capital；



there　was　still　the　din　of　arms　and　all　the　sights　of　war；　and　the



soldiers；　though　they　made　no　concerted　disturbance；　had　dispersed



themselves　in　disguise　about　private　houses；　and　exercised　a　malignant



surveillance　over　all　whom　exalted　rank；　or　distinction　of　any　kind；



exposed　to　injurious　reports。　Many　too　believed　that　some　of　the



soldiers　of　Vitellius　had　come　to　the　capital　to　learn　the　feelings　of



the　different　parties。　Hence　everything　was　rife　with　suspicion；　and



even　the　privacy　of　the　family　was　hardly　exempt　from　fear。　It　was



however　in　public　that　most　alarm　was　felt；　with　every　piece　of



intelligence　that　rumour　brought；　men　changed　their　looks　and　spirits；



anxious　not　to　appear　discouraged　by　unfavourable　omens；　or　too　little



delighted　by　success。　When　the　Senate　was　summoned　to　the　Chamber；



it　was　hard　for　them　to　maintain　in　all　things　a　safe　moderation。



Silence　might　seem　contumacious；　and　frankness　might　provoke



suspicion；　and　Otho；　who　had　lately　been　a　subject；　and　had　used　the



same　language；　was　familiar　with　flattery。　Accordingly；　they　discussed



various　motions　on　which　they　had　put　many　constructions。　Vitellius



they　called　a　public　enemy　and　a　traitor　to　his　country；　the　more



prudent　contenting　themselves　with　hackneyed　terms　of　abuse；　though



some　threw　out　reproaches　founded　in　truth；　yet　only　did　so　in　the



midst　of　clamour；　and　when　many　voices　were　heard　at　once；　drowning



their　own　speech　in　a　tumult　of　words。



　　Prodigies　which　were　now　noised　abroad　from　various　sources



increased　men's　terror。　It　was　said　that　in　the　porch　of　the　Capitol



the　reins　of　the　chariot；　on　which　stood　the　goddess　of　Victory；　had



dropped　from　her　hand；　that　from　the　chapel　of　Juno　there　had　rushed



forth　a　form　greater　than　the　form　of　man；　that　the　statue　of　the



Divine　Julius；　which　stands　on　the　island　in　the　Tiber；　had　turned



from　the　West　to　the　East　on　a　calm　and　tranquil　day；　that　an　ox　had



spoken　aloud　in　Etruria；　that　strange　births　of　animals　had　taken



place；　besides　many　other　things；　such　as　in　barbarous　ages　are



observed　even　during　seasons　of　peace；　but　are　now　heard　of　only　in



times　of　terror。　But　an　alarm　greater　than　all；　because　it　connected



immediate　loss　with　fears　for　the　future；　arose　from　a　sudden



inundation　of　the　Tiber。　The　river　became　vastly　swollen；　broke　down



the　wooden　bridge；　was　checked　by　the　heap　of　ruins　across　the



current；　and　overflowed　not　only　the　low　and　level　districts　of　the



capital；　but　also　much　that　had　been　thought　safe　from　such



casualties。　Many　were　swept　away　in　the　streets；　many　more　were　cut



off　in　their　shops　and　chambers。　The　want　of　employment　and　the



scarcity　of　provisions　caused　a　famine　among　the　populace。　The



poorer　class　of　houses　had　their　foundations　sapped　by　the　stagnant



waters；　and　fell　when　the　river　returned　to　its　channel。　When　men's



minds　were　no　longer　occupied　by　their　fears；　the　fact；　that　while



Otho　was　preparing　for　his　campaign；　the　Campus　Martius　and　the　Via



Flaminia；　his　route　to　the　war；　were　obstructed　by　causes　either



fortuitous　or　natural；　was　regarded　as　a　prodigy　and　an　omen　of



impending　disasters。



　　Otho；　after　publicly　purifying　the　city　and　weighing　various　plans



for　the　campaign；　determined　to