histories-第61章

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to　prejudice　the　safety　of　any　person；　and　that　they　had　gained　no



distinction　or　advantage　by　the　ruin　of　Roman　citizens。　Great　was



the　alarm；　and　various　the　devices　for　altering　the　words　of　the　oath；



among　those　who　felt　the　consciousness　of　guilt。　The　Senate



appreciated　the　scruple；　but　denounced　the　perjury。　This　public



censure；　as　it　might　be　called；　fell　with　especial　severity　on　three



men；　Sariolenus　Vocula；　Nonnius　Attianus；　and　Cestius　Severus；　all



of　them　infamous　for　having　practised　the　trade　of　the　informer　in　the



days　of　Nero。　Sariolenus　indeed　laboured　under　an　imputation　of　recent



date。　It　was　said　that　he　had　attempted　the　same　practices　during



the　reign　of　Vitellius。　The　Senators　did　not　desist　from　threatening



gestures；　till　he　quitted　the　chamber；　then　passing　to　Paccius



Africanus；　they　assailed　him　in　the　same　way。　It　was　he；　they　said；



who　had　singled　out　as　victims　for　Nero　the　brothers　Scribonius；



renowned　for　their　mutual　affection　and　for　their　wealth。　Africanus



dared　not　confess　his　guilt；　and　could　not　deny　it；　but　he　himself



turned　on　Vibius　Crispus；　who　was　pressing　him　with　questions；　and



complicating　a　charge　which　he　could　not　rebut；　shifted　the　blame　from



himself　by　associating　another　with　his　guilt。



　　Great　was　the　reputation　for　brotherly　affection；　as　well　as　for



eloquence；　which　Vipstanus　Messalla　earned　for　himself　on　that　day；　by



venturing；　though　not　yet　of　Senatorial　age；　to　plead　for　his



brother　Aquilius　Regulus。　The　fall　of　the　families　of　the　Crassi　and



Orfitus　had　brought　Regulus　into　the　utmost　odium。　Of　his　own　free



will；　as　it　seemed；　and　while　still　a　mere　youth；　he　had　undertaken



the　prosecution；　not　to　ward　off　any　peril　from　himself；　but　in　the



hope　of　gaining　power。　The　wife　of　Crassus；　Sulpicia　Praetextata；



and　her　four　children　were　ready；　should　the　Senate　take　cognizance　of



the　cause；　to　demand　vengeance。　Accordingly；　Messalla；　without



attempting　to　defend　the　case　or　the　person　accused；　had　simply　thrown



himself　in　the　way　of　the　perils　that　threatened　his　brother；　and



had　thus　wrought　upon　the　feelings　of　several　Senators。　On　this



Curtius　Montanus　met　him　with　a　fierce　speech；　in　which　he　went　to　the



length　of　asserting；　that　after　the　death　of　Galba；　money　had　been



given　by　Regulus　to　the　murderer　of　Piso；　and　that　he　had　even



fastened　his　teeth　in　the　murdered　man's　head。　〃Certainly；〃　he　said；



〃Nero　did　not　compel　this　act；　you　did　not　secure　by　this　piece　of



barbarity　either　your　rank　or　your　life。　We　may　bear　with　the



defence　put　forward　by　men　who　thought　it　better　to　destroy　others



than　to　come　into　peril　themselves。　As　for　you；　the　exile　of　your



father；　and　the　division　of　his　property　among　his　creditors；　had　left



you　perfectly　safe；　besides　that　your　youth　incapacitated　you　for



office；　there　was　nothing　in　you　which　Nero　could　either　covet　or



dread。　It　was　from　sheer　lust　of　slaughter　and　greed　of　gain　that　you；



unknown　as　you　were；　you；　who　had　never　pleaded　in　any　man's



defence；　steeped　your　soul　in　noble　blood；　when；　though　you　had



snatched　from　the　very　grave　of　your　Country　the　spoils　of　a　man　of



consular　rank；　had　been　fed　to　the　full　with　seven　million



sesterces；　and　shone　with　all　sacerdotal　honours；　you　yet



overwhelmed　in　one　common　ruin　innocent　boys；　old　men　of　illustrious



name；　and　noble　ladies；　when　you　actually　blamed　the　tardy　movements



of　Nero　in　wearying　himself　and　his　informers　with　the　overthrow　of



single　families；　and　declared　that　the　whole　Senate　might　be　destroyed



by　one　word。　Keep；　Conscript　Fathers；　preserve　a　man　of　such　ready



counsels；　that　every　age　may　be　furnished　with　its　teacher；　and　that



our　young　men　may　imitate　Regulus；　just　as　our　old　men　imitate



Marcellus　and　Crispus。　Even　unsuccessful　villany　finds　some　to　emulate



it：　what　will　happen；　if　it　flourish　and　be　strong？　And　the　man；



whom　we　dare　not　offend　when　he　holds　only　quaestor's　rank；　are　we



to　see　him　rise　to　the　dignities　of　praetor　and　consul？　Do　you　suppose



that　Nero　will　be　the　last　of　the　tyrants？　Those　who　survived



Tiberius；　those　who　survived　Caligula；　thought　the　same；　and　yet　after



each　there　arose　another　ruler　yet　more　detestable　and　more　cruel。



We　are　not　afraid　of　Vespasian；　the　age　and　moderation　of　the　new



Emperor　reassure　us。　But　the　influence　of　an　example　outlives　the



individual　character。　We　have　lost　our　vigour；　Conscript　Fathers；　we



are　no　longer　that　Senate；　which；　when　Nero　had　fallen；　demanded



that　the　informers　and　ministers　of　the　tyrant　should　be　punished



according　to　ancient　custom。　The　first　day　after　the　downfall　of　a



wicked　Emperor　is　the　best　of　opportunities。〃



　　Montanus　was　heard　with　such　approval　on　the　part　of　the　Senate；



that　Helvidius　conceived　a　hope　that　Marcellus　also　might　be



overthrown。　He　therefore　began　with　a　panegyric　on　Cluvius　Rufus；　who；



though　not　less　rich　nor　less　renowned　for　eloquence；　had　never



imperilled　a　single　life　in　the　days　of　Nero。　By　this　comparison；　as



well　as　by　direct　accusations；　he　pressed　Eprius　hard；　and　stirred　the



indignation　of　the　Senators。　When　Marcellus　perceived　this；　he　made　as



if　he　would　leave　the　House；　exclaiming；　〃We　go；　Priscus；　and　leave



you　your　Senate；　act　the　king；　though　Caesar　himself　be　present。〃



Crispus　followed。　Both　were　enraged；　but　their　looks　were　different；



Marcellus　cast　furious　glances　about　him；　while　Crispus　smiled。　They



were　drawn　back；　however；　into　the　Senate　by　the　hasty　interference　of



friends。　The　contest　grew　fiercer；　while　the　well…disposed　majority　on



the　one　side；　and　a　powerful　minority　on　the　other；　fought　out　their



obstinate　quarrel；　and　thus　the　day　was　spent　in　altercation。



　　At　the　next　meeting　of　the　Senate　Caesar　began　by　recommending



that　the　wrongs；　the　resentments；　and　the　terrible　necessities　of



former　times；　should　be　forgotten；　and　Mucianus　spoke　at　great



length　in　favour　of　the　informers。　At　the　same　time　he　admonished　in



gentle　terms　and　in　a　tone　of　entreaty　those　who　were　reviving



indictments；　which　they　had　before　commenced　and　afterwards　dropped。



The　Senators；　when　they　found　themselves　opposed；　relinquished　the



liberty　which　they　had　begun　to　exercise。　That　it　might　not　be　thought



that　the　opinion　of　the　Senate　was　disregarded；　or　that　impunity　was



accorded　to　all　acts　done　in　the　days　of　Nero；　Mucianus　sent　back　to



their　islands　two　men　of　Senatorial　rank；　Octavius　Sagitta　and



Antistius　Sosianus；　who　had　quitted　their　places　of　banishment。



Octavius　had　seduced　one　Pontia　Postumia；　and；　on　her　refusing　to



marry　him；　in　the　frenzy　of　passion　had　murdered　her。　Sosianus　by



his　depravity　had　brought　many　to　ruin。　Both　had　been　condemned　and



banished　by　a　solemn　decision　of　the　Senate；　and；　though　others　were



permitted　to　return；　were　kept　under　the　same　penalty。　But　this　did



not　mitigate　the　hatred　felt　against　Mucianus。　Sosianus　and　Sagitta



were　utterly　insignificant；　even　if　they　did　return；　but　men　dreaded



the　abilities　of　the　informers；　their　wealth；　and　the　power　which　they



exercised　in　many　sinister　ways。



　　A　trial；　conducted　in　the　Senate　according　to　ancient　precedents；



brought　into　harmony　for　a　time　the　feelings　of　its　members。　Manlius



Patruitus；　a　Senator；　laid　a　complaint；　that　he　had　been　beaten　by　a



mob　in　the　colony　of　Sena；　and　that　by　order　of　the　magistrates；



that　the　wrong　had　not　stopped　here；　but　that　lamentations　and



wailings；　in　fact　a　representation　of　funeral　obsequies；　had　been



enacted　in　his　presence；　accompanied　with　contemptuous　and　insulting



expressions　levelled　against　the　whole　Senate。　The　persons　accused



were　summoned　to　appear；　and　after　the　case　had　been　investigated；



punishment　was　inflicted　on　those　who　were　found　guilty。　A



resolution