histories-第43章

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destroyed；　the　part　of　the　informer　was　intrusted　to　Lucius　Vitellius。



An　unworthy　jealousy　made　him　the　enemy　of　Blaesus；　whose



illustrious　character　raised　him　far　above　one　who　was　stained　with



every　infamy；　he　burst　into　the　Imperial　chamber；　and　clasping　to



his　bosom　the　Emperor's　son；　fell　at　his　knees。　On　Vitellius　enquiring



the　cause　of　his　emotion：　〃It　is　not；〃　he　replied；　〃from　any　private



apprehension；　or　because　I　am　anxious　for　myself；　it　is　for　a



brother　and　for　a　brother's　children　that　I　have　come　hither　with　my



prayers　and　tears。　It　is　idle　to　fear　Vespasian；　when　there　are　so



many　legions　of　Germany；　so　many　provinces　with　their　valour　and　their



loyalty；　and　lastly；　so　vast　an　extent　of　sea　and　land　with　enormous



distances；　to　keep　him　from　us。　In　the　capital；　in　the　very　bosom　of



the　empire；　there　is　the　foe　of　whom　we　must　beware；　a　foe　who



boasts　of　Junii　and　Antonii　among　his　ancestors；　who；　claiming　an



Imperial　descent；　displays　to　soldiers　his　condescension　and　his



magnificence。　On　him　all　thoughts　are　fixed；　while　Vitellius；



regardless　alike　of　friends　and　foes；　is　cherishing　a　rival；　who



from　his　banqueting　table　gazes　at　the　sufferings　of　his　sovereign。



For　such　ill…timed　mirth　let　him　be　recompensed　with　a　night　of　sorrow



and　of　death；　that　he　may　know　and　feel　that　Vitellius　still　lives　and



reigns；　and　has　a　son；　if　in　the　course　of　destiny　anything　should



happen　to　himself。〃



　　Vitellius；　after　wavering　between　his　guilty　purpose　and　his



fears；　dreading　lest　to　postpone　the　murder　of　Blaesus　might　hasten



his　own　ruin；　while　openly　to　order　it　might　provoke　terrible　odium；



determined　to　destroy　him　by　poison。　He　gave　a　proof　of　his　guilt　by



his　marked　joy　when　he　visited　Blaesus。　He　was　even　heard　to　utter　a



most　brutal　speech；　in　which　（I　will　relate　the　very　words）　he　boasted



that　he　had　feasted　his　eyes　on　the　spectacle　of　his　enemy's　death。



Besides　his　noble　birth　and　refinement　of　character；　Blaesus　was　a　man



of　resolute　loyalty。　In　the　flourishing　days　of　the　party；　when



canvassed　by　Caecina　and　the　leading　men；　who　were　beginning　to



despise　Vitellius；　he　persevered　in　rejecting　their　solicitations。　A



righteous　man　and　a　lover　of　peace；　who　coveted　no　sudden　elevation；



much　less　the　throne；　he　could　not　escape　being　thought　to　deserve　it。



　　Meanwhile　Fabius　Valens；　who　was　moving　along　with　a　vast　and



luxurious　train　of　concubines　and　eunuchs　too　tardily　for　a　general



about　to　take　the　field；　received　speedy　intelligence　of　the



betrayal　of　the　Ravenna　fleet　by　Lucilius　Bassus。　Had　he　hastened



the　march　which　he　had　then　begun；　he　might　have　come　up　with



Caecina　while　still　undecided；　or　have　reached　the　legions　previous　to



the　decisive　action。　Some　advised　him　to　take　a　few　of　his　most



devoted　soldiers；　and；　avoiding　Ravenna；　to　hurry　on　by　unfrequented



paths　to　Hostilia　or　Cremona。　Others　thought　that　he　should　summon　the



Praetorian　cohorts　from　Rome；　and　then　force　his　way　with　a　strong



body　of　troops。　But　with　a　ruinous　delay　he　wasted　in　deliberation　the



opportunities　of　action。　Eventually　he　rejected　both　plans；　and　did



what　is　the　very　worst　thing　in　circumstances　of　peril；　attempted　a



middle　course；　and　was　neither　bold　enough　on　the　one　hand；　nor



cautious　enough　on　the　other。



　　He　wrote　to　Vitellius　asking　for　aid。　Three　cohorts　with　some



British　cavalry　arrived；　a　force　too　numerous　to　elude　observation；



too　small　to　force　its　way。　Even　amidst　such　perils　Valens　could　not



keep　himself　clear　of　the　infamous　reputation　of　grasping　at



unlawful　gratifications　and　polluting　the　houses　of　his　hosts　with



intrigue　and　violation。　He　had　power；　he　had　money；　and　he　indulged



the　lusts　that　are　the　last　solace　of　desperate　fortunes。　At　length　on



the　arrival　of　the　infantry　and　cavalry　the　folly　of　his　plans



became　evident。　With　so　small　a　force；　even　had　it　been　thoroughly



loyal；　he　could　not　have　made　his　way　through　the　enemy；　and　the



loyalty　they　had　brought　with　them　was　not　beyond　suspicion。　Yet　shame



and　respect　for　the　presence　of　their　general　held　them　in　check；　no



lasting　restraint　with　men　who　loved　danger　and　were　careless　of



disgrace。　Moved　by　this　apprehension；　Valens；　while　he　retained　a



few　attendants　whom　adversity　had　not　changed；　sent　on　the　infantry　to



Ariminum　and　ordered　the　cavalry　to　cover　his　rear。　He　then　himself



made　his　way　to　Umbria；　and　thence　to　Etruria；　where；　having　learnt



the　issue　of　the　battle　of　Cremona；　he　conceived　a　plan　not　wanting　in



vigour；　and　which；　had　it　succeeded；　would　have　had　terrible



results。　This　was　to　seize　some　ships；　to　land　on　some　part　of



Gallia　Narbonensis；　to　rouse　Gaul　with　its　armies　as　well　as　the



tribes　of　Germany；　and　so　to　kindle　a　fresh　war。



　　The　garrison　of　Ariminum　were　discouraged　by　the　departure　of



Valens；　and　Cornelius　Fuscus；　bringing　up　his　army　and　disposing　his



Liburnian　ships　at　the　nearest　points　of　the　shore；　invested　the　place



by　sea　and　land。　His　troops　occupied　the　plains　of　Umbria　and　that



portion　of　the　Picentine　territory　that　is　washed　by　the　Adriatic；　and



now　the　whole　of　Italy　was　divided　by　the　range　of　the　Apennines



between　Vespasian　and　Vitellius。　Valens；　having　started　from　the　bay



of　Pisa；　was　compelled；　either　by　a　calm　or　a　contrary　wind；　to　put　in



at　the　port　of　Hercules　Monoecus。　Near　this　place　was　stationed　Marius



Maturus；　procurator　of　the　Maritime　Alps；　who　was　loyal　to



Vitellius；　and　who；　though　everything　around　him　was　hostile；　had



not　yet　thrown　off　his　allegiance。　While　courteously　receiving　Valens；



he　deterred　him　by　his　advice　from　rashly　invading　Gallia　Narbonensis。



And　now　the　fidelity　of　the　rest　of　the　party　was　weakened　by　their



fears。　In　fact　the　procurator　Valerius　Paullinus；　an　enterprising



officer；　who　had　been　a　friend　of　Vespasian　before　his　elevation　to



the　throne；　had　made　the　neighbouring　States　swear　allegiance　to



that　Prince。



　　Paullinus　had　collected　all　the　troops　who；　having　been　disbanded　by



Vitellius；　were　now　spontaneously　taking　up　arms；　and　was　holding　with



this　force　the　colony　of　Forum　Julii；　which　commanded　the　sea。　His



influence　was　all　the　greater；　because　Forum　Julii　was　his　native



place；　and　because　he　was　respected　by　the　Praetorians；　in　which　force



he　had　once　been　a　tribune。　The　inhabitants　themselves；　favouring　a



fellow…townsman；　and　anticipating　his　future　greatness；　did　their　best



to　promote　the　cause。　When　these　preparations；　which　were　really



formidable　and　were　exaggerated　by　report；　became　known　among　the



now　distracted　Vitellianists；　Fabius　Valens　returned　to　his　ships　with



four　soldiers　of　the　body…guard；　three　personal　friends；　and　as　many



centurions；　while　Maturus　and　the　rest　chose　to　remain　behind　and



swear　allegiance　to　Vespasian。　For　Valens　indeed　the　open　sea　was



safer　than　the　coast　or　the　towns；　yet；　all　uncertain　about　the



future；　and　knowing　rather　what　he　must　avoid　than　what　he　could



trust；　he　was　thrown　by　adverse　weather　on　the　Stoechades；　islands　off



Massilia。　There　he　was　captured　by　some　Liburnian　ships；　dispatched　by



Paullinus。



　　Valens　once　captured；　everything　turned　to　swell　the　resources　of



the　conqueror；　the　lead　was　taken　in　Spain　by　the　1st　legion　（the



〃Adjutrix〃）；　whose　recollections　of　Otho　made　them　hate　Vitellius；



they　drew　with　them　the　6th　and　10th。　Gaul　did　not　hesitate　to　follow。



A　partiality　long　felt　in　Britain　for　Vespasian；　who　had　there



commanded　the　2nd　legion　by　the　appointment　of　Claudius；　and　had



served　with　distinction；　attached　that　province　to　his　cause；　though



not　without　some　commotion　among　the　other　legions；　in　which　were　many



centurions　and　soldiers　promoted　by　Vitellius；　who　felt　uneasy　in



exchanging　for　another　ruler　one　who