histories-第50章

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among　the　baggage。　Some　caught　the　watchword　by　which　the



Vitellianists　recognised　each　other；　and；　themselves　challenging



others　and　giving　it　when　challenged；　found　in　their　audacity　an



effectual　disguise。



　　When　the　enemy　first　burst　in；　Domitian　concealed　himself　in　the



house　of　a　servant　of　the　temple。　At　the　ingenious　suggestion　of　a



freedman；　he　assumed　a　linen　vestment；　and　passing　unnoticed　among　a



crowd　of　acolytes；　found　a　refuge　with　Cornelius　Primus；　one　of　his



father's　dependants；　in　a　house　near　the　Velabrum。　When　his　father



mounted　the　throne；　he　pulled　down　the　chamber　of　the



temple…servant；　and　built　a　small　chapel；　dedicated　to　Jupiter　the



Preserver；　with　an　altar　on　which　his　own　adventures　were



represented　in　marble。　Afterwards；　on　his　own　accession　to　the



Imperial　power；　he　consecrated　a　vast　temple　to　Jupiter　the



Guardian；　with　an　effigy　of　himself　in　the　arms　of　the　god。　Sabinus



and　Atticus　were　loaded　with　chains；　and　conducted　to　Vitellius；　who



received　them　with　anything　but　anger　in　his　words　and　looks；　amidst



the　murmurs　of　those　who　demanded　the　privilege　of　slaying　them　and



their　pay　for　the　work　they　had　done。　Those　who　were　standing　near



began　the　clamour；　and　the　degraded　rabble　cried　out　for　the　execution



of　Sabinus；　and　mingled　threats　with　their　flatteries。　Vitellius；



who　was　standing　before　the　steps　of　the　palace；　and　was　preparing



to　intercede；　was　induced　to　desist。　The　body　of　Sabinus；　pierced



and　mutilated　and　with　the　head　severed　from　it；　was　dragged　to　the



Gemoniae。



　　Such　was　the　end　of　a　man　in　no　wise　contemptible。　In　five　and



thirty　campaigns　he　had　served　the　State；　and　had　gained　distinction



both　at　home　and　abroad。　His　blamelessness　and　integrity　no　one



could　question。　He　was　somewhat　boastful；　this　was　the　only　fault　of



which　rumour　accused　him　in　the　seven　years　during　which　he　had



governed　Moesia；　and　the　twelve　during　which　he　was　prefect　of　the



city。　In　the　closing　scene　of　his　life　some　have　seen　pusillanimity；



many　a　moderate　temper；　sparing　of　the　blood　of　his　countrymen。　One



thing　is　allowed　by　all；　that；　before　the　accession　of　Vespasian；



the　distinction　of　the　family　was　centred　in　Sabinus。　I　have　heard



that　his　death　gratified　Mucianus；　and　many　indeed　asserted　that　the



interests　of　peace　were　promoted　by　the　removal　of　the　rivalry　between



these　two　men；　one　of　whom　felt　himself　to　be　the　brother　of　the



Emperor；　while　the　other　thought　himself　his　colleague。　Vitellius



resisted　the　demands　of　the　people　for　the　execution　of　the　Consul；　he



was　now　pacified；　and　wished；　it　would　seem；　to　recompense　Atticus；



who；　when　asked　who　had　set　fire　to　the　Capitol；　had　confessed　his　own



guilt；　and　by　this　confession；　which　may　indeed　have　been　an　opportune



falsehood；　was　thought　to　have　taken　upon　himself　the　odium　of　the



crime；　and　to　have　acquitted　the　Vitellianist　party。



　　Meanwhile　Lucius　Vitellius；　who　was　encamped　near　Feronia；　was



threatening　Tarracina　with　destruction。　There　were　shut　up　in　the



place　a　few　gladiators　and　seamen；　who　dared　not　leave　the　walls　and



risk　an　engagement　in　the　plain。　I　have　mentioned　before　that　Julianus



was　in　command　of　the　gladiators；　Apollinaris　of　the　seamen；　two　men



whose　profligacy　and　indolence　made　them　resemble　gladiators　rather



than　generals。　They　kept　no　watch；　they　did　not　strengthen　the　weak



points　of　the　fortifications；　but；　making　each　pleasant　spot　ring　with



the　noise　of　their　daily　and　nightly　dissipation；　they　dispersed　their



soldiers　on　errands　which　were　to　minister　to　their　luxury；　and



never　spoke　of　war；　except　at　their　banquets。　Apinius　Tiro　had　quitted



the　place　a　few　days　before；　and　was　now；　by　the　harsh　exaction　of



presents　and　contributions　from　the　towns；　adding　to　the



unpopularity　rather　than　to　the　resources　of　his　party。



　　Meanwhile　a　slave　belonging　to　Verginius　Capito　deserted　to　L。



Vitellius；　and　having　engaged；　on　being　furnished　with　a　force；　to　put



him　in　possession　of　the　unoccupied　citadel；　proceeded　at　a　late



hour　of　the　night　to　place　some　light…armed　cohorts　on　the　summit　of　a



range　of　hills　which　commanded　the　enemy's　position。　From　this　place



the　troops　descended　to　what　was　more　a　massacre　than　a　conflict。　Many



whom　they　slew　were　unarmed　or　in　the　act　of　arming　themselves；　some



were　just　awaking　from　sleep；　amid　the　confusion　of　darkness　and



panic；　the　braying　of　trumpets；　and　the　shouts　of　the　foe。　A　few　of



the　gladiators　resisted；　and　fell　not　altogether　unavenged。　The　rest



made　a　rush　for　the　ships；　where　everything　was　involved　in　a



general　panic；　the　troops　being　mingled　with　country　people；　whom



the　Vitellianists　slaughtered　indiscriminately。　Six　Liburnian　ships



with　Apollinaris；　prefect　of　the　fleet；　escaped　in　the　first



confusion。　The　rest　were　either　seized　upon　the　beach；　or　were　swamped



by　the　weight　of　the　crowds　that　rushed　on　board。　Julianus　was　brought



before　L。　Vitellius；　and；　after　being　ignominiously　scourged；　was



put　to　death　in　his　presence。　Some　persons　accused　Triaria；　the　wife



of　L。　Vitellius；　of　having　armed　herself　with　a　soldier's　sword；　and



of　having　behaved　with　arrogance　and　cruelty　amid　the　horrors　and



massacres　of　the　storm　of　Tarracina。　Lucius　himself　sent　to　his



brother　a　laurelled　dispatch　with　an　account　of　his　success；　and　asked



whether　he　wished　him　at　once　to　return　to　Rome；　or　to　complete　the



subjugation　of　Campania。　This　circumstance　was　advantageous　to　the



State　as　well　as　to　the　cause　of　Vespasian。　Had　the　army　fresh　from



victory；　and　with　all　the　pride　of　success　added　to　its　natural



obstinacy；　marched　upon　Rome；　a　conflict　of　no　slight　magnitude；　and



involving　the　destruction　of　the　capital；　must　have　ensued。　Lucius



Vitellius；　infamous　as　he　was；　had　yet　some　energy；　but　it　was　not



through　his　virtues；　as　is　the　case　with　the　good；　but　through　his



vices；　that　he；　like　the　worst　of　villains；　was　formidable。



　　While　these　successes　were　being　achieved　on　the　side　of



Vitellius；　the　army　of　Vespasian　had　left　Narnia；　and　was　passing



the　holiday　of　the　Saturnalia　in　idleness　at　Ocriculum。　The　reason



alleged　for　so　injurious　a　delay　was　that　they　might　wait　for



Mucianus。　Some　persons　indeed　there　were　who　assailed　Antonius　with



insinuations；　that　he　lingered　with　treacherous　intent；　after



receiving　private　letters　from　Vitellius；　which　conveyed　to　him　the



offer　of　the　consulship　and　of　the　Emperor's　daughter　in　marriage　with



a　vast　dowry；　as　the　price　of　treason。　Others　asserted　that　this　was



all　a　fiction；　invented　to　please　Mucianus。　Some　again　alleged　that



the　policy　agreed　upon　by　all　the　generals　was　to　threaten　rather　than



actually　to　attack　the　capital；　as　Vitellius'　strongest　cohorts　had



revolted　from　him；　and　it　seemed　likely　that；　deprived　of　all　support；



he　would　abdicate　the　throne；　but　that　the　whole　plan　was　ruined　by



the　impatience　and　subsequent　cowardice　of　Sabinus；　who；　after



rashly　taking　up　arms；　had　not　been　able　to　defend　against　three



cohorts　the　great　stronghold　of　the　Capitol；　which　might　have　defied



even　the　mightiest　armies。　One　cannot；　however；　easily　fix　upon　one



man　the　blame　which　belongs　to　all。　Mucianus　did　in　fact　delay　the



conquerors　by　ambiguously…worded　dispatches；　Antonius；　by　a　perverse



acquiescence；　or　by　an　attempt　to　throw　the　odium　upon　another；　laid



himself　open　to　blame；　the　other　generals；　by　imagining　that　the　war



was　over；　contrived　a　distinction　for　its　closing　scene。　Even　Petilius



Cerialis；　though　he　had　been　sent　on　with　a　thousand　cavalry　by



crossroads　through　the　Sabine　district　so　as　to　enter　Rome　by　the



Via　Salaria；　had　not　been　sufficiently　prompt　in　his　movements；　when



the　report　of　the　siege　of　the　Capitol　put　all　alike　on　the　alert。