histories-第32章

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Empire　to　Vespasian　was　taken　at　Alexandria　under　the　prompt　direction



of　Tiberius　Alexander；　who　on　the　1st　of　July　made　the　legions　swear



allegiance　to　him。　That　day　was　ever　after　celebrated　as　the　first



of　his　reign；　though　the　army　of　Judaea　on　July　3rd　took　the　oath　to



Vespasian　in　person　with　such　eager　alacrity　that　they　would　not



wait　for　the　return　of　his　son　Titus；　who　was　then　on　his　way　back



from　Syria；　acting　as　the　medium　between　Mucianus　and　his　father　for



the　communication　of　their　plans。　All　this　was　done　by　the　impulsive



action　of　the　soldiers　without　the　preliminary　of　a　formal　harangue　or



any　concentration　of　the　legions。



　　While　they　were　seeking　a　suitable　time　and　place；　and　for　that



which　in　such　an　affair　is　the　great　difficulty；　the　first　man　to



speak；　while　hope；　fear；　the　chances　of　success　or　of　disaster；　were



present　to　their　minds；　one　day；　on　Vespasian　quitting　his　chamber；



a　few　soldiers　who　stood　near；　in　the　usual　form　in　which　they　would



salute　their　legate；　suddenly　saluted　him　as　Emperor。　Then　all　the



rest　hurried　up；　called　him　Caesar　and　Augustus；　and　heaped　on　him　all



the　titles　of　Imperial　rank。　Their　minds　had　passed　from



apprehension　to　confidence　of　success。　In　Vespasian　there　appeared



no　sign　of　elation　or　arrogance；　or　of　any　change　arising　from　his



changed　fortunes。　As　soon　as　he　had　dispelled　the　mist　with　which　so



astonishing　a　vicissitude　had　clouded　his　vision；　he　addressed　the



troops　in　a　soldier…like　style；　and　listened　to　the　joyful



intelligence　that　came　pouring　in　from　all　quarters。　This　was　the　very



opportunity　for　which　Mucianus　had　been　waiting。　He　now　at　once



administered　to　the　eager　soldiers　the　oath　of　allegiance　to



Vespasian。　Then　he　entered　the　theatre　at　Antioch；　where　it　is



customary　for　the　citizens　to　hold　their　public　deliberations；　and



as　they　crowded　together　with　profuse　expressions　of　flattery；　he



addressed　them。　He　could　speak　Greek　with　considerable　grace；　and　in



all　that　he　did　and　said　he　had　the　art　of　displaying　himself　to



advantage。　Nothing　excited　the　provincials　and　the　army　so　much　as　the



assertion　of　Mucianus　that　Vitellius　had　determined　to　remove　the



legions　of　Germany　to　Syria；　to　an　easy　and　lucrative　service；　while



the　armies　of　Syria　were　to　have　given　them　in　exchange　the



encampments　of　Germany　with　their　inclement　climate　and　their



harassing　toils。　On　the　one　hand；　the　provincials　from　long　use　felt　a



pleasure　in　the　companionship　of　the　soldiers；　with　whom　many　of



them　were　connected　by　friendship　or　relationship；　on　the　other；　the



soldiers　from　the　long　duration　of　their　service　loved　the



well…known　and　familiar　camp　as　a　home。



　　Before　the　15th　of　July　the　whole　of　Syria　had　adopted　the　same



alliance。　There　joined　him；　each　with　his　entire　kingdom；　Sohemus；　who



had　no　contemptible　army；　and　Antiochus；　who　possessed　vast



ancestral　wealth；　and　was　the　richest　of　all　the　subject…kings。　Before



long　Agrippa；　who　had　been　summoned　from　the　capital　by　secret



despatches　from　his　friends；　while　as　yet　Vitellius　knew　nothing；



was　crossing　the　sea　with　all　speed。　Queen　Berenice　too；　who　was



then　in　the　prime　of　youth　and　beauty；　and　who　had　charmed　even　the



old　Vespasian　by　the　splendour　of　her　presents；　promoted　his　cause



with　equal　zeal。　All　the　provinces　washed　by　the　sea；　as　far　as　Asia



and　Achaia；　and　the　whole　expanse　of　country　inland　towards　Pontus　and



Armenia；　took　the　oath　of　allegiance。　The　legates；　however；　of　these



provinces　were　without　troops；　Cappadocia　as　yet　having　had　no　legions



assigned　to　it。　A　council　was　held　at　Berytus　to　deliberate　on　the



general　conduct　of　the　war。　Thither　came　Mucianus　with　the　legates　and



tribunes　and　all　the　most　distinguished　centurions　and　soldiers；　and



thither　also　the　picked　troops　of　the　army　of　Judaea。　Such　a　vast



assemblage　of　cavalry　and　infantry；　and　the　pomp　of　the　kings　that



strove　to　rival　each　other　in　magnificence；　presented　an　appearance　of



Imperial　splendour。



　　The　first　business　of　the　campaign　was　to　levy　troops　and　recall　the



veterans　to　service。　The　strong　cities　were　set　apart　for　the



manufacture　of　arms；　at　Antioch　gold　and　silver　money　was　coined；



everything　being　vigorously　carried　on　in　its　appointed　place　by



properly　qualified　agents。　Vespasian　himself　went　everywhere；　urged　to



exertion；　encouraged　the　industrious　by　praise；　and　with　the



indolent　used　the　stimulus　of　example　rather　than　of　compulsion；　and



chose　to　be　blind　to　the　faults　rather　than　to　the　merits　of　his



friends。　Many　among　them　he　distinguished　with　prefectures　and



governments；　and　several　with　the　honours　of　senatorial　rank；　all



these　were　men　of　eminence　who　soon　reached　the　highest　positions。



In　some　cases　good　fortune　served　instead　of　merit。　Of　a　donative　to



the　troops　Mucianus　in　his　first　speech　had　held　out　only　moderate



hopes；　and　even　Vespasian　offered　no　more　in　the　civil　war　than　others



had　done　in　times　of　peace；　thus　making　a　noble　stand　against　all



bribery　of　the　soldiery；　and　possessing　in　consequence　a　better



army。　Envoys　were　sent　to　Parthia　and　Armenia；　and　precautions　were



taken　that；　when　the　legions　were　engaged　in　the　civil　war；　the



country　in　their　rear　might　not　be　exposed　to　attack。　It　was



arranged　that　Titus　should　pursue　the　war　in　Judaea；　while　Vespasian



should　secure　the　passes　into　Egypt。　To　cope　with　Vitellius；　a　portion



of　the　army；　the　generalship　of　Mucianus；　the　prestige　of



Vespasian's　name；　and　the　destiny　before　which　all　difficulties



vanish；　seemed　sufficient。　To　all　the　armies　and　legates　letters



were　despatched；　and　instructions　were　given　to　them　that　they　were　to



attach　the　Praetorians；　who　hated　Vitellius；　by　the　inducement　of



renewed　military　service。



　　Mucianus；　who　acted　more　as　a　colleague　than　as　a　servant　of　the



Emperor；　moved　on　with　some　light…armed　troops；　not　indeed　at　a



tardy　pace　so　as　to　give　the　appearance　of　delay；　yet　not　with



extraordinary　speed。　Thus　he　allowed　rumour　to　gather　fresh　strength



by　distance；　well　aware　that　his　force　was　but　small；　and　that



exaggerated　notions　are　formed　about　what　is　not　seen。　Behind　him；



however；　came　in　a　vast　body　the　6th　legion　and　13；000　veterans。　He



had　given　directions　that　the　fleet　from　the　Pontus　should　be



brought　up　to　Byzantium；　not　having　yet　made　up　his　mind；　whether；



avoiding　Moesia；　he　should　move　on　Dyrrachium　with　his　infantry　and



cavalry；　and　at　the　same　time　blockade　the　sea　on　the　side　of　Italy



with　his　ships　of　war；　thus　leaving　Asia　and　Achaia　safe　in　his



rear；　which；　being　bare　of　troops；　would　be　left　at　the　mercy　of



Vitellius；　unless　they　were　occupied　with　proper　garrisons。　And　thus



too　Vitellius　himself；　finding　Brundisium；　Tarentum；　and　the　shores　of



Calabria　and　Lucania　menaced　by　hostile　fleets；　would　be　in　utter



perplexity　as　to　which　part　of　Italy　he　should　protect。



　　Thus　the　provinces　echoed　with　the　bustle　of　preparing　fleets；



armies；　and　the　implements　of　war。　Nothing；　however；　was　so



vexatious　as　the　raising　of　money。　Mucianus；　with　the　perpetual



assertion　that　money　was　the　sinews　of　war；　looked　in　all　questions；



not　to　right　or　truth；　but　only　to　the　extent　of　a　man's　fortune。



Informations　abounded；　and　all　the　richest　men　were　fastened　on　for



plunder。　These　intolerable　oppressions；　which　yet　found　some　excuse　in



the　necessities　of　war；　were　continued　even　in　peace。　Vespasian



himself　indeed　at　the　beginning　of　his　reign　was　not　so　bent　on



enforcing　these　iniquitous　measures；　till；　spoilt　by　prosperity　and



evil　counsellors；　he　learnt　this　policy　and　ventured　to　use　it。



Mucianus　contributed　to　the　war　even　from　his　own　purse；　liberal



with　his　private　means　because　he　helped　himself　without　scruple



from