that with one Legion some fewe Aydes Irelande might be wunne possessed and that it were also a strength for our Brittish affaires if the Roman forces were planted ech-where and liberty as it were banisht out of sight Now in the sommer which beganne the sixt yeare of his office because a generall rising in armes of all the further nations beyonde Bodotria was feared and passages were all beset with the power of the enemies he manned a fleete to search the creekes and harboroughs of the ample region beyonde it backing then first of all with a nauy the rest of his strength and with a goodly braue shewe bringing warre both by lande and by sea And oft so it chanced that the horseman and footeman and the sea soldier met and made merry in the same campe extolling magnifying ech their owne prowesse and aduentures making their vaunts and comparisons soldierlike the one of the woods and high mountaines the other of dangers of tempests and waues the one of the lande and the enemie the other of the Ocean subdued The Britans as by the prisoners it was vnderstoode were amazed also at the sight of the nauy as though now the secrets of their sea were disclosed and no refuge remained if they were ouercome Whereupon the Caledonians arming with great preparation and greater fame as the maner is of matters vnknowen assayled our castels as challengers brauing and putting in feare insomuch that some of our side which would seeme to bee wise being dastards indeede counselled the Generall to retire on this side Bodotria and rather to depart of his owne accorde then to be repelled with shame In the meane season Agricola hath knowledge that the enemies ment to diuide themselues and to giue the onset in seuerall companies Whereupon lest he should be inclosed about intrapped by their multitude and skill in the cuntrey he marched also with his army diuided in three Which when it was knowen to the enemy changing aduise on the sodayne and vniting their forces togither they ioyntly assaulted by night the nienth Legion as being of weakest resistance and hauing slaine the watch partly asleepe partly amazed with feare brake into the campe And now were they fighting within the trenches when Agricola hauing vnderstoode by spyes what way the enemies had taken and following their footsteppes commandeth the lightest horsemen and footmen to play on their backes and maintayne the skirmish anone the whole army to showte And when it drew neare to be day the glittering of the enseignes was seene So the Britans being quayled with a double danger the Romans recouered courage againe and being out of perill of their persons fought now for their honour freshly assayling their late assaylers driuing them to the gates where in the strayts the conflict was sharpe cruell till in the end the enemies were forced to flee whilest both our armies contended the one to seeme to haue helped their fellowes the other to haue needed none other to helpe them and if the bogges and woods had not couered their flight that victory had ended the warre Vpon this battaile so manfully fought so famously wunne the army presuming that to their prowesse all things were easy and open cryed to leade into Caledonia and to finde out the limit of Britannie with a course of continuall conquests and those which erewhile were so wary and wise waxt forward enough after the euent and grew to speake bigly such is the hard condition of warres if ought fall out well all challenge a part misfortunes are onely imputed to one Contrariwise the Britans presupposing that not valure but the cunning of the Generall by vsing the occasion had caried it away abated no whit of their stomacke but armed their youth transported their children and wiues into places of safety and sought by assemblies and religious rites to establish an association of the citties togither And so for that yeare both parties departed incensed away The same sommer a cohort of Vsipians leuyed in Germanie and sent ouer into Britannie committed a haynous and memorable act For hauing slaine a Centurion and certaine souldiers set ouer them for direction in discipline they fled and embarcked themselues in three vessels compelling the Masters by force to execute their charge and onely one doing his office the other two being suspected and thereupon slaine this strange going out the fact being yet not noysed abroad was gazed and wondred at Afterward beeing driuen vncertainly hither and thither and assayling the Britans which stoode in defence of their owne often preuayling and sometimes repulsed they came at the last to that misery that they were enforced to eate one another first of the weakest then as the lot lighted And thus floating about Britannie and leesing their vessels for lacke of gouernement they were intercepted first by the Sueuians and then by the Frisians as pyrats and robbers and some of them being bought by merchants as slaues and by change of masters brought to our side of the riuer grew into a name by giuing first notice of so great and so rare an aduenture In the beginning of the sommer Agricola was deepely touched with a grieuous mischance which happened in his owne house for he lost his owne sonne being about a yeare olde Which infortunate happe he neyther bare out as some great men haue done in the like vaingloriously nor tooke it againe so impatiently as women are woont and amidst his mourning and sorrowes vsed the warre as one of his remedies Therefore sending his nauy before which by spoyling in sundry places should induce a greater and vncertainer terrour vpon them hee made readie and followed himselfe with his army ioyning thereto some of the valiantest Britans whom by long experience in peace hee had found most faithfull and so arriued at the mount a Now called Grantzbaine Grampius where the enemies were lodged before For the Britans not daunted with the euent of the former battaile and attending for nothing els but reuenge or seruitude and beeing taught at the length that common danger must bee repelled with concorde by leagues and embassages had assembled the power of all the citties togither aboue thirty thousand armed men the view being taken beside an endles number of youth which dayly flocked to them and lusty olde men renowned in warre and bearing the badges due to their honour at what time Galgacus for vertue and birth of all the leaders the principall man seeing the multitude hoatly demande the battaile is sayed to haue vsed this speech When I view and consider REND = margQuotes the cause of this warre and our present necessity I haue reason me seemes to presume that this day and this your agreeing consent will giue a happy beginning to the freedome of the whole ilande For both haue we all hitherto liued in liberty and beside no lande remayneth beyond no sea for our safety the Roman nauy thus as you see surueying our coasts so that combat and
issued foorth of their campe fresh against his men being tired no supply remaining behind if it fortuned them to haue bene defeated Some few approued that reason of the Generall but most men condemned the fact and blamed him for it XII The description of a mutinee which happened in Valens campe Valens commeth into Jtalie and ioyneth his power with Caecinaes THIS ouerthrowe did not so much daunt the Vitellianists as it reduced them to a more modest behauiour not onely in Caecinaes campe who cast the fault on the souldier more ready to mutin then fight but the army of Fabius Valens also for now he was come to Ticinum laying aside contempt of the enemy and desirous to recouer their glory began to shew to their Generall a more reuerent and orderly obedience For before a great and hoate mutinee had happened out which I will now set downe from the beginning albeit not in his proper time because it was not conuenient to interrupt the course of Caecinaes actions The cohortes of Batauians which in the warre of Nero were departed from the fourteenth Legion and in their returne towarde Britannie hearing of Vitellius attempt in the countrey of Lingones had ioyned themselues a 1. Hist p. 43. and 45. as before we haue shewed to Fabius Valens began to waxe proud and insolent vanting and brauing as they came to the tentes of any of the Legions that they were the men which had ouerruled the fourteenth Legion bereaued Nero of Italy that in their handes alone lay all the fortune and whole successe of this warre That seemed contumelious to the souldier and highly displeased the Generall the discipline being by their wranglings and brawlings corrupted At the last Valens by their insolent behauiour suspecting perfidiousnesse also receiuing aduise that the wing of the Treueri and Tungrians were beaten by Othoes fleete and that the prouince of Narbon was in some danger of inuasion partly vpon a care to defend his friendes and allies and partly vpon militare pollicy to disperse these Batauians so mutinously affected and of so great strength if they remained together commaunded part of the cohorts to goe and relieue them Which thing when it was heard and noysed abroad the Auxiliaries mourned the b It seemeth strange that the Legions should be displeased with the departure of those whose insolent and contumelious behauiour they could not abide if Tacitus say true not past six lines before Legions stomacked lamenting they should be depriued in such a time of so maine an assistaunce of such valiant men what should those so experienced and conquerours in so many warres whenas the enemies were within viewe bee sent away as it were out of the field if the prouince were a matter of more consequence then the citty of Rome and safety of the state why did they not all followe thither but if the accomplishment of the victory the strength and stay of the cause consisted in Italie what reason then to breake off as it were the soundest and strongest limmes from the bodie vpon these and the like presumpteous speeches whenas Valens by sending his sergeauntes among them went about to correct their seditious behauiour they offred violence to himselfe threwe stones and forcing him to flee followed after and crying that the spoile of France the golde of Vienna and the price of their labours was by him embezeled and hid they spoiled his cariage they pearced and searched his pauilions and the very grounde it selfe with their lances and dartes for Valens himselfe in a bondemans apparell lay vnknowen in the tent of an vnder-captaine of horsemen Then Alphenus Varus the Campe-master perceauing the heate of the mutinee past and the souldiers by little and little to growe colder adioyneth a pollicie thereunto forbidding the Centurions to meddle with searching and perusing the watch and omitting to sound the trumpet by which the souldier is called to his charge Whereupon they stoode all amazed looking one on another astonished and dismayed to see themselues thus without head or direction and so with silence and patience and lastly with teares and intreatie besought pardon of their offence But whenas Valens came foorth aboue all expectation aliue weeping and badly attired then was there ioy and compassion and a generall fauouring of the man and chaunging their former affections into gladnesse as the common sort is in both without measure they caried him in the middest of the Standerds and enseignes with praises and gratulations to the Tribunall Valens vsing a profitable and discreete moderation required not any one to bee executed for this transgression onely in wordes reproued some fewe lest if he dissembled the whole he should be suspected the more knowing right well that in ciuill warres the souldiers haue a vantage ouer the Generall and are more bolde to commit disorders then the Generall may be to correct them As they were entrenching at Ticinum woorde was brought of Caecinaes ouerthrowe and the sedition was almost renewed againe as though by fraud and delayes of Valens they had bene kept backe and come short of the battell Whereupon refusing to rest any longer without staying for their Generall they marche forwarde running before their enseignes and hastening the enseigne-bearers and so in all speede ioyne with Caecina Valens was also disliked and generally blamed in the armie of Caecina who pretended themselues to bee aggreeued that they were left being so farre inferiour in number as a pray to the whole power of the enemies highly extolling withall the strength of the other army partly to excuse themselues and partly to flatter their fellowes lest as conquered and cowardly persons they shoulde bee despised of them and albeit Valens had more forces almost double number of Legions and Aides to the other yet were the goodwilles of the souldiers more inclining to Caecina beside curtesie wherein he excelled the other by reason also of his florishing age and talnesse of stature and vppon a certaine vaine fauour of men Hereupon there grew emulation betweene the two generalles Caecina contemned the other as a lewde person of life and criminally noted Valens scoffed at him as being proude and vaineglorious but reseruing their hatred in secrete they ioyned openly both in the common cause by many letters without respect of pardon obiecting to Otho his infamous life whereas the Generalles of Othoes side notwithstanding the argument yeelded that way most plentifull matter abstained from all reuiling speeches against Vitellius and in trueth before their endes which on Othoes side was most commendable of Vitellius most ignominious the drowsy pleasures of Vitellius were feared lesse then the hoat burning lustes of Otho and beside the death of Galba had made Otho more terrible and more odious contrarily no man charged Vitellius with beginning the warre Vitellius in excesse bellicheere was an enemy to himselfe Otho in riot cruelty audaciousnesse reputed more dangerous to the state XIII Otho determineth to commit the matter to the hazarde of a battel
them the skowts came rūning in hast signifying the enemy was at hand whereupon the parlee brake of so it remained vncertaine what they intended whether to lay a trayne for Caecina or to betray their owne fellowes or els some other honest deuise Caecina hauing dismissed the Tribunes riding backe to the campe founde the signe of the battell already giuen by Valens commaundement and the souldiers in armes Whilest the Legions cast lots concerning their order in marching to the field the horsemen issuing out charged were beaten backe very strangely by Othoes men being fewer in number euen into the trenches had not the Italian Legion manfully drawen their swords and by feare forced them to returne and make head vpon the enemy againe The Vitellian Legions were ordered and put in array without tumult or feare for the bushes and thickets tooke a way the sight of the enemy albeit he were neare Contrarily in Othoes army the Generals with feare were put out of their skill the souldiers neither loued nor trusted their Generals the wagons and idle followers of the camp troubled the works of the soldiers being confusedly mingled amongst them the hye way deepely ditched on both sides was too narrow for an army though marching without feare of the enemy some stoode about some sought their enseignes on euery side there was a confused noise of mē rūning crying and as ech was guided by boldnes or feare so pressed he forward into the first ranckes or retired into the last Their mindes being in this sorte striken with a sodaine terrour a falsely surmised ioy abated their fiercenesse for some there were which vntruly gaue out that the army was reuolted from Vitellius That rumour whether it was dispersed abroade by Vitellius spyes or rose otherwise among Othoes men whether by frawd or chance it is not certainly knowen but howsoeuer thereupon the Othonians laying aside all edge to fight in steede thereof profered after a friendly sort to salute them but were with vnfriendly murmure intertained againe which salutation gaue cause to many of their owne side that were ignorant of the rumour to feare treason Then the host of the enemies in good array superiour both in number strength charged vpon them the Othonians although in disarray fewer and weary yet valiantly receaued the charge And as in places troubled with trees and vines the fight was not euery where after one maner but here neare at hand and there a farre of sometime in squadron sometime in triangle figure vpon the height of the way ioining foote to foote and bearing downe with body to body and buckler to buckler omitting the vse of the dart and with swordes and hatchets vnbuckeling and breaking helmets and corcelets and the sides knowing one another and beeing seene of their companions ech contended to shewe vertue and valure as if vppon their manhood had depended the euent of the whole warre It fortuned that in open field betweene the Po the high way two Legions met and fought together for Vitellius the one and twentieth surnamed Rapax a Legion aunciently renowned of Othoes part the first called Adiutrix one neuer before brought to the battel but presuming greatly of hir selfe greedy as in hir first service of honour They of the first Legion beating to groūd the * stratis vnaetnicesimanorum principijs Plutarch in this place taketh principia for the foreward p. 1523. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enseignes of the one twentieth tooke away the standerd by force whereupon the Legion incensed with griefe both put them of the first in branle slaying Orphidius Benignus the Lieutenant also tooke many enseignes banners from them On the other side the thirteenth Legion was forced by them of the fifth and certaine of the fourteenth hemmed in with multitudes of enemies that came in vpon them And whereas the Generals of Othoes side had left the field and were fled already away Caecina and Valens yet strengthened their side with fresh supply and beside a new succour came in of a Camp-master in Valens host p. 73. and now vpon Caecinaes calling away lest to keepe play with the gladiatores of Othoes side as it seemeth Alphenus Varus with his Batauians after he had discomfited the band of the fencers who passing the water by boates were slaine by the aduersary cohorts in the very riuer it selfe So being victorious they inuaded the flanck of the enemies and when once the midle battell was forced the Othonians brake and fled b Being twenty miles of by our reckning or according to Plutarch 150 stadia which is about 19 miles toward Bebriacum The way was long and almost stopped vp with dead carcases the slaughter being the greater for that in ciuil warres there is no profit to be made of the prisoners Suetonius Paullinus and Licinius Proculus tooke sundry waies shunned the campe Vedius Aquila Lieutenant of the thirteenth Legion supposing al other waies vnsafe through vnaduised feare put himselfe into the danger of the furious soldier For entring into the campe a c It is very questionable how in one day an army could goe 16. miles ioyne battell break and fleeing away 20. miles of could come thither a great while before night about mid-Aprill great while before it was night he was exclaimed vpon railed at on euery side with clamors of the most seditious and cowardly persons who forbearing to vse neither tongues nor hands reuiled him as a fugitiue and traitour not vpon any specialty they could charge him withall but after the maner of the common sort ech man laying his owne shames vpon others Titianus and Celsus returned not before night which serued them to good purpose for the watch was now set and the soldiers fury appeased by the help of Annius Gallus who partly by intreaty and aduise partly by his credit and authority perswaded them not to heape misery vpon miserie and beside the losse of the battell to seeke the spoile one of another that whether the warre were now at an ende or els it would please them to resume it the onely meanes to releeue the conquered side consisted in their agreeing together And indeede the rest were out of courage and comfort onely the Garde-souldiers stormed affirming they were ouercome not by manhood but treason and that the Vitellian side had bought the victory dearly with their bloud their horsemen being repulsed the standerd of a Legion taken away that there yet remained in store many souldiers beyond the Po attending on Otho the Legions of Moesia were comming at hand that a great part of the army had staied behinde at Bebriacum and neuer presented themselues to the battell that surely these at the lest had not beene ouercome and if so needes it must bee they should with more honour dye in the fielde Vpon these and the like cogitations sometimes growing desperate and sometimes yeelding to feare through consideration of their owne forlorne estate they were
cared not for As the Legions stoode wauering in termes of breaking the Flauian horsemen charged vppon them and Vipsanius Messalla the Tribune was at their heeles with the Moesian Aides who in militare renowne albeit lately enrolled were nothing inferiour to the Legionary souldiers So horsemen and footemen mingled together did easilie breake the Vitellian Legions and the towne of Cremona lying so neare gaue them lesse minde to resist and more hope to escape neither did Antonius presse any further considering the trauaile and woundes which both his horsemen and horses had taken in so dangerous a skirmish albeit the ende went on his side Toward the shutting in of the euening the whole power of the Flauian army arriued who assoone as they troad among the heapes of dead bodies in the fresh steppes of so late a slaughter as if the whole warre had bene ended cryed to leade on out of hande to Cremona and take by surrendre or force those conquered persons These gay speeches were in their mouthes and openly pretended but secretely euery one cast thus with himselfe That a towne seated in the plaine might be wunne easily at a push that their courage would as well serue them to enter in the night and their liberty to spoile would then be much greater but if they attended till day then would there come supplications and intreaties for peace and so for their labour and hurts they should cary away the vaine smokes of clemencie and glory and such other titulare matters but the wealth and riches of the towne would cleaue to the captaines and Lieutenants fingers that the spoile of a citty taken by force fell to the souldiers but of a citty surrendred alwaies to the captaines alone Hereupon the perswasions of the Tribunes Centurions as persons suspect were reiected and because no mans speech should be heard they ratled their weapons threatening if no man would lead them beside to guide conduct themselues Then Antonius insinuating himselfe among the common soldiers after he had with the sight of his person reuerence of his place procured silence protested vnto them that his meaning was not in any sort to defraude so well deseruing soldiers either of honour or reward notwithstanding the captaines and soldiers duties were of different nature a souldier ought to be fierce and desirous to fight but in captaines a wary foresight deliberate kind of proceeding is rather commended and more often times profiteth and helpeth hee by protracting then venturing rashly For his parte as he had to his power with weapons and hande furthered the victorie so would hee likewise helpe now with direction and counsaile peculiare qualities to a Generall and the place he sustained And surely if they list but a litle consider the dangerousnesse of the enterprise was very apparent it was now night the situation of the towne was vnknowen within nothing but enemies and euery cornerfit for an ambush nay if the gates were wide open yet were it not safe for to enter no not in the day time but vpon good discouery before hand and assurance that al coasts were cleere what would they beginne an assault when they could not discerne the best place of approach nor the height of the walles whether it were best to attempt them by discharging of shot a farre of or by engins at hand or by mine then turning himselfe to particulare persons hee demaunded of them seuerally whether they had brought their * secures dolabrae hatchets axes with them all other tooles necessary for an assault when they denyed What quoth he then are any mens hands in the world of that force and strength to breake downe walles with iauelins and swords what if it fall out that we must of necessity raise mounts couer our selues with hurdles and frames of boarde shall we not then be forced to stand like good silly fooles gazing gaping at the height of their towers the strength of their fortificatioÌ„s nay rather let vs stay for one night and fetch hither in the meane time our engins instruments of battery and so cary the victory surely before vs. And herewith he dispatched the * calâ—neâ— â—ixa seruants followers of the campe and the freshest of his horsmen to Bebriacum to bring vittailes from thence and all other necessarie prouision VI. The great battell at Cremona betweene the Flauianists and the Vitellianists Cremona sacked and burnt THE soldier discontented thereat repining was growing toward a mutinee wheÌ„as their horsemen hauing scowred to the very walles of Cremona tooke certaine stragglers of the towne by whose confession it was vnderstoode that six Vitellian Legions and the whole power that lay at Hostilia hearing of the defeate of their fellowes had marched thirty miles that very day and prepared themselues to fight and would by and by be vpon them That terrour opened their mindes which before were closed against all their Generals good counsaile and so he commanded the third Legion to make stand vpon the “ or ridge cawsey of the Post-humian way fast by it on the left hand stoode the seuenth surnamed Galbiana in a plaine field then the seuenth called Claudiana hauing before it a * agrestis fossa common ditch for a kinde of defence as the place chanced to yeelde on the right hande stood the eightth Legion in an open grounde then the thirteenth in a thicket somewhat disunited by reason of bushes and shrubbes In this sorte stoode the standerds enseignes of the Legions but the soldiers were blended together as it chanced in the darcke The bande of Praetorians stoode next to the third Legion the Auxiliary cohorts were placed in the wings and the horsemen garded the flanckes and reareward Sido and Italicus the Sueuians with the choise of their countrey men serued in the foreward On the other side the Vitellian army whose best course doubtlesse had bene to haue taken some rest at Cremona and refreshed themselues with foode and sleepe and so the next day to haue giuen the onset vpon their enemies starued with hunger and colde for lacke of a leader and want of direction about the third hower of the night dashed them selues vpon the Flauian army who stoode now in array strongly prepared to receaue them The order and standing of the Vitellian army I dare not for certaine auouch being doubtlesse disordered through anger and darknes Some affirme that the fourth Legion called Macedonica stoode * in dextro cornu in the right wing the fift fifteenth Legions with certaine companies out of three Brittish Legions the ninth second twentieth filled vp the middle battel the left wing consisting of the tenth Legion the two twentieth the first the soldiers of Rapax and Italica dispersed themselues thorow out al the horsemen and Aides chose their owne standing The fight continued al night very doubtful cruel with great mortality sometime on the one side sometime on the
Priscus who had beene captaine of the garde vnder Vitellius killed himselfe rather for shame then vpon necessity His fellow Alphenus Varus ouerliued his honour and sawe himselfe counted a cowarde and a person infamed Asiaticus for his lewde credit vnder his master made satisfaction now as a freed-man with a seruile death VI. The rebellion of the Batauians and Caninefates through the instigation of Julius Ciuilis AT the same time the newes of the ouerthrow in Germanie was rife in the citty and the citty nothing troubled thereat Euery man talked how the armies were slaine the standing campes of the Legions taken by the enemy how France had reuolted as if it had beene newes of a strange cuntrey not a calamity that touched themselues That a This warre is shortly set downe by Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. c 11. and touched by Frontinus Strateg l. 4. c. 3. and Sarisburiensis in Polycratico warre vpon what causes it arose and with how great banding it was maintained both of our allies and of forraine nations I will now declare from the beginning The Batauians whilest they dwelt beyond the Rhene were a part and member of the Catti and being throwen out by ciuill sedition they seated themselues in the vttermost limits of France which then lay voide of inhabitants and tooke in withall the ilande that is situate in the flattes and hath the Ocean before behinde and on either side the riuer of Rhene And albeit they were confederate with the Romans much mightier then themselues yee were they not as it happeneth in such ouermatches spoiled of their riches and welth but onely bound to minister men and armour to the behoofe of the Empire and so for a long time they were emploied in the German warres Afterward they became more famous by reason of certaine cohortes of them sent ouer into Britannie by the Romans vnder the leading of certaine noblemen of their owne nation according to their ancient order and beside there remained behinde in the cuntrey a company of chosen horsemen practised especially in swimming so that they would in whole troupes passe ouer the Rhene in harnish gouerning their horse in their handes The principall men among them and farre excelling all other by reason of their royall parentage were Iulius Paulus and a Tacitus himselfe 1. Hist p. 43 Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Frontinus and Sarisburiensis call him Iulius Ciuilis but howsoeuer their names were it seemes by Tacitus pag. 169. 5. that Paulus Ciuilis were brethren Claudius Ciuilis whereof Paulus was lately put to death by Fonteius Capito vnder colour of a falsely surmised rebellion Ciuilis was sent in chaines vnto Nero and acquitted by Galba and againe vnder Vitellius b 1. Hist p. 43. 25. escaped narrowly the army instantly demanding his death Vpon these causes his anger was founded and vpon our troubles his hope But being of a crafty and suttle wit aboue the ordinary of those barbarous people and carying himselfe rather like a Sertorius or an Hannibal as indeed in the maime of his face he was not vnlike fearing lest if he should make open defection our armies would aduance themselues against him as an enemie he couered his dealing with loue to Vespasian fauour toward the side And in trueth c By this circumstance we may gather that the German rebellion beganne about the beginning of winter for Tacitus in noting both places and times is in my sense too negligent Antonius Primus had sent certaine letters vnto him wherein hee willed him to diuert awaie the Aides d Tac. 2 Hist p. 105. 22. sent for by Vitellius and vnder shew of trouble in Germanie to stay the Legions there The same aduise also Hordeonius Flaccus had giuen him by worde of mouth partlie vpon good will to Vespasian and partly vpon a care of the state which seemed to be in euident perill of vtter destruction if a new warre should beginne and so manie thousandes of armed men passe into Italie Thus Ciuilis being resolued to breake and yet concealing his purpose as meaning to gouerne himselfe in the action by the euent beganne after this maner to worke innouation At the commandement of Vitellius the able men of the Batauians were summoned to be pressed to the warre which being of it selfe a burdensome thing was made much more insupportable by the auarice and lewd disposition of the officers who billed chiefly such as were old or impotēt persons thē for money released thē againe such as were vnder age faire as many of their youths are of a comly tal stature thē they caried away to abuse their bodies At these dealings the cuntrey being highly offended certaine factious heads were suborned to persuade them to refuse to be pressed Whereupon Ciuilis assembling into a sacred wood vnder pretence of a banquet the nobility of the nation and the chiefe of the cōmunalty when he saw them at far in the night merry warmed with wine he beginneth a solēne oration recounting first the praises glorious acts of the nation then discourseth vnto them of the iniuries insolēcies other miseries whereūto they are subiect that are subiect vnto a strange nation for that now they were not with the Romans in state of frendes and allies as in former times but flat seruants and slaues and that not vnder a Lieutenant general which were more tolerable albeit they come with a chargeable traine and a proud and disdainful kinde of commanding but they were deliuered into the handes of petty captaines Centurions whom when they had filled with spoiles and bloud then were they remoued and straight waies fresh hungry masters set ouer them and new deuises of polling inuented that now the day of the muster approched when children should bee drawen from their parents brethren from brethren neuer to see one another againe that which might the rather encourage them the Romans were neuer in so poore a case hauing nothing in their standing campes but a rich spoile and olde men to garde it wherefore they should onely lift vp their eies and not be afraide at the naked and bare names of Legions that they had strēgth of their own both of footmen and horse the Germans were allied vnto them in bloud the French likewise affected that euen the Romans themselues would not greatly mislike of this warre the losses whereof if any were they might impute to Vespasian and if they went through and conquered they should not be called to their account Hauing ended his speech with great approbation of the audience hee bound them with barbarous ceremonies and adiurations vsed by them in like cases in a firme association together Straightwaies messengers were dispatched to the Cani◠fates to induce them also into the league The Caninefates inhabite a parte of the ilande of the same language and race in valure equall to the Batauians but inferiour in number Then Ciuilis sent secrete messages to solicite
it till vpon Hordeonius tendering the Tribunes vrging they tooke the oath albeit neither in countenance nor minde seeming to be fully resolued but pronouncing roundly the rest of their oath and at the name of Vespasian either stopping or tripping it lightly ouer or skipping it quite Then were the letters of Antonius to Ciuilis red in the open assembly which raised manye suspicions in the souldiers heades because they seemed to be written as to one of the same faction and spake hardly of the German army Anone worde was caried to the campe at Gelduba where the like was both spoken and done and thereupon Montanus sent with charge to Ciuilis to warne him to desist from making of warre and that he should not cloke any longer open rebellion with the coulour of following sides if he sought to helpe Vespasian his desire now was accomplished and his purpose perfourmed To these allegations Ciuilis replied first in suttle and crafty tearmes afterwarde perceiuing Montanus to be of a hoate and fierce disposition and ready to accept any new impression he beginneth with a complaint of the manifolde perilles which for twenty fiue yeares space hee had endured in the Roman seruice A woorthy and iust rewarde quoth he haue I had of my trauailes the death of my brother mine owne imprisonment and the bloudy wordes of this army of whom being demanded to the slaughter by the lawe of nations I doe and may iustly seeke my reuenge But as for you a For Alpim◠was borne in Trier◠3. Hist p. 125. Treueri and the rest of seruile soules what reward expect you of your bloud so often shed for their sakes but fruitlesse seruice continuall Tributes whippes gibbets and slauery vnder prowde insolent masters Beholde I a captaine of one cohorte and the Caninefates and Batauians a small portion of b Tacitus in some other places seemeth to comptize them vnder the name of Germans France haue c Those in Holland destroyed and ouerthrowen those vast and vaine campes of theirs and doe d Ment of Vetera besiege them with famine and sworde to conclude if we venture we shall either recouer our liberty or if we leese be in the same state we were in before Ciuilis hauing thus incensed Montanus dismissed him away howbeit willed him to make a more fauorable reporte who accordingly at his returne onely signified that hee had not sped in his embassage dissembling the rest which straight after brake out XIII Vocula ouerthroweth two captaines of Ciuilis sent against him as he lay at Gelduba CIVILIS retayning part of his host sent the olde cohortes and the forwardest of the Germans against Vocula and his army vnder the leading of Iulius Maximus and Claudius Victor his sisters sonne In the way they tooke vp and spoiled the standing campe of a wing sited at Asciburg and so sodainely assaulted the enemies campe at Gelduba that Vocula had no leysure to speake to the souldiers or to display the ranckes thus much onely as in a tumult hee warned to strengthen the middle battell with Legionarie souldiers and the Auxiliaries to cast themselues about on euery side Then our horsemen brake forth and seeing the enemie in good order and array to receiue them they turned their backes and fled toward their footmen whereupon a slaughter ensued and no fighting The cohorts also of the Neruij through feare or falsehood fled and bared the sides of our men and so way was made to our Legionary souldiers who beganne now to be ouerthrowen within the trenches and to lose their enseignes whenas sodainly with a newe supply the fortune of the battaile was changed For certaine cohorts of Vascones leuyed by Galba and then e Frō whence Nouesium Bonna Magontiacum or from what coast of the world sent for comming neare the campe hearing the noyse as they fought assayled the enemies backes being intentiue another way and caused a greater terrour then so small a number could otherwise haue done had not the enemie beleeued some of them that the rest from Nouesium and some that the whole power from Magontiacum was come That errour also increased the Romans courage and whilest they presumed vpon other mens strength they recouered their owne The most valiant of the Batauian footmen were slaine the horsemen escaped with the enseignes and captiues that were taken in the first conflict on our side that day were slaine mo in number but men of small seruice the Germans lost the very flower and strength of their armie Both the Generals by like default deserued the ouerthrowe in reason alike and winning were negligent both alike to follow their fortune For if Ciuilis had furnished his side with greater forces they could neuer haue bene by so fewe cohorts enclosed about the campe of the Romans being as it was by force broken vp had doubtlesse bene vtterly razed Vocula likewise lacking scowts abroad to signifie the enemies approche was sodainly surprized and so in one moment went out to fight and was ouercome afterward winning more by lucke then desert not trusting his own victory nor vsing the benefite thereof he vainely trifled out many daies before he would marche toward the enemy whom if he had presently followed pursued the course of his victory effectually he might at that blow haue raised the siege of the Legiōs at Vetera XIIII Vocula putteth Ciuilis to flight and entreth Vetera CIVILIS in the meane time had assayed to induce the Legiōs to surrendre as though the Romans had beene quite ouerthrowen his men obtained an entier victory for prooffe whereof he commanded the Roman enseignes and banners to be caried about and the prisoners produced in sight whereof one ventured worthely and declared alowde how the whole matter had passed was killed in the place by the Germans which thing caused them within to beleeue his relation the better and withall by the wasting burning of the villages they might discerne that their owne victorious army was comming When Vocula came neare vnto Vetera he commanded the enseigns to be pitched in the sight of the campe and a ditch and trenche to be cast round about that laying aside their baggage and needelesse furniture in place of safetie they might fight more lightlie and lesse encombred Whereupon the souldiers beganne to exclame crying to goe to the battaile and now they were growen to that custome to threaten their Leader So without taking so much time as onely to set the battell in array disordred and tired they beganne the fight for Ciuilis was ready to present them the battaile reposing no lesse affyance in the follies and faults of his enemies then in the vertue and valure of his owne people Of the Roman side the matter went doubtfull and hard and the most mutinous prooued the most dastards some there were which mindefull of the victorie lately obteined kept their standing galled the enemie and animated themselues and their fellowes The battaile being thus brought
of the other side for those of the other Legion a voide space of fifty foote being left at o. to answere the streete c. c. c. c. g. g. g. g. a crosse streete before the PRAETORIVM being a hundreth foote broad where I suppose was settled the watch mentioned by Polybius p. 185. 1 That is Euery daie one enseigne by course keepeth watch warde at the Genâ—â—als pauilion both for the safety of his person and maiesty of his place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Extraordinarij Equites and Extraordinarij Pedites a plot of a hundreth fifty foote in length for so it will fall out if we make the whole ground for the lodgings as we must perfectly a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 square and foure hundreth fifty in bredth answering to the QVAESTORIVM part of the PRAETORIVM for the Extraordinary band of the Auxilia primae Legionis consisting of two hundreth horse and eight hundreth forty foote some b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selected out of them onely excepted which are lodged els where the footemen quartering toward the trenches and the horse toward the campe And so of the other side for the other Legion Auxilia externa a plot of the same length and in bredth three hundreth and fifty foote for the forraine Aydes such as by occasion come in Selecti ac voluntarij Equites and Selecti ac voluntarij pedites a plot of two hundreth foote in length and three hundreth fifty in bredth where the selected out of the Extraordinary band of the Auxilia primae Legionis are placed the foote quartering toward the trenches the Horse toward the PRAETORIVM so of the other side for the other Legion reseruing in both place for voluntary men which vpon kinred or frendship or other respects follow the Generall These Selecti and Voluntarij doe not onely saieth Polybius quarter neare the Generall but also in marching and at all other times of any seruice are continually attendant vpon the Generall and the Quaestor in the nature peraduenture of a Cohors Praetoriae QVAESTORIVM a plot of two hundreth foote in length three hundreth seuenty fiue in bredth for the Quaestor and his traine with their treasure prouision for the pioners carpenters smithes armorours c. with their tooles and officers There was also the Auguraculum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and peraduenture the publicke prison FORVM a plot equall in both dimeÌ„sioÌ„s to the QVAESTORIVM Here was the place of publicke assemblies and the Tribunal with the c Sedescurulis seate of estate here also in likelyhood were those 2 Seates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof d 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 6. Iosephus maketh mention on which the Tribuns and Centurions sate in iudgement to decide the controuersies happening betweene the souldiers In the FORVM also the Eagles and Enseignes of the Legions with their bearers Aquiliferi and Signiferi certayne images of the gods in later times of the Prince and his children sometimes of his e Colique per theatra fora effigies Sciani tuteâ—que princi a legionum sinereâ— Tac. 4. An. quaedaÌ„ mâ—nera Syriâ—cis legionibus largtius est quâ—d solae nullam Setani imaginem inter signa coluissent Suâ—t Tiberio cap. 48. great fauorits also were quartered Tacitus 15. f pag. 322. Ann. describing a solemne assembly in that place Inde saieth he eques hinc agmina legionum stetere fulgentibus aequilis signisque simulacris deûm in modum templâ— Medio Tribunal sedem curulem sedes effigiem Neronis sustinebat The Eagles except peraduenture in time of assemblies stoode in litle chappels Dio 3 That is In al the Roman armies there is a litle chappel and in it a golden eagle doth stand lib. 40 p. 82. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Enseignes were placed subdio as indeede beeing certaine longe speares couered with siluer with the Princes image hanging vppon them vnder the Empire they could hardly bee planted vnder a tent and yet Herodian seemeth to place them all in one chappel 4 That is he sate downe in the chappel where the enâ—eignes and images are adored lib. 4 pag. 481. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayeth hee for as well the Aquilae and signa as the Simulacra deûm and imagines principuâ— were by the Roman souldiers adored as gods and therefore the place of their â—â—nding accounted sacred for by Principia so often remembred in g 1. Hist In ipsiâ— princiâ—â— slupâ—um ausa 3 Hist Nox proditionâ— electa vt caeteris ignaris soli desectores in principia coâ—rent ibidem secreta castrorum affectanum principia vocat Paulo post sed vbi totâ—ca strâ—â—n fama proditio recurreâ—s in principia miles Tacitus and oâ—hers I take the FORVM to be principally ment although in some places of the stoâ—es Principia maie seeme particularlie to bee intended of that rowe of lodgings where the Tribuni and Praefecti are quartered specially in that place of Tacitus h Principia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leaders lodgings 1. Ann. Prima Vari castra lato ambitu dimensis Principijs trium legionuÌ„ manus ostentabant and in some other places of the same a 2. Hist primani stratis vnaetuice simanoâ—um principus Aquilam abstulere 4. Ann effigies Scâ—ant inter principia legionum Tacitus this worde Principia seemes to be taken pro ipsâ Aquilâ signisque N. N. N. N. c. a voide roome of two hundreth foote broade rounde about betweene the lodgings and the Trench The vse of this voide roome is for the commodious entring and issuing of the Legions for the safe custody of the cattell in the night seasoÌ„ which are prouided for the vse of the campe or otherwise catched froÌ„ the enemy But the principall coÌ„modity is that the enemy vpon sodaine approches by night to the treÌ„ches caÌ„not throwe any fire worke or dart to doe any great hurt in so great a distaÌ„ce P. Q. R. S. Agger or Vallum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the trench which compassed the whole campe Agger signifying generally cuiuslibet rei coaceruationem as b Seruius in 10. Aâ—n cid one of the Grammarians saieth is here appropriated to that mounde of earth which is raysed for defence about the campe in which certaine stakes called Valli were pitched with two three of foure-forked heads to close and wreath one within another and were for that purpose prepared and caryed by the souldier ech man carying three fower and sometime vsque ad septenos vallos saieth Liuy Of these valli the whole fortification of the Campe is called Vallum c Vallum saieth Seruius in 9. Alâ—neâ—â— ipsa munitio valli fustes quibus vallum munitur In the Vallum in conuenient distances were raysed and cast out certaine platformes like turrets and on the d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 6. curtaine betweene the turrets were placed Balistae 1 catapultae
pollicy he could not so Burdo was presently had into prison and after the victory the souldiers malice being appeased enlarged againe In the meane time Crispinus the Centurion was yeelded vnto them as an * vt piaculum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expiatory sacrifice who had embrued his hands with Capitoes bloud and therefore more in the eye of the soldier of lesse account a For it might be his owne case with Vitellius Next after was Iulius Ciuilis a man of great might credit among the Batauians deliuered from danger lest by his death that fierce nation should become foes Moreouer in the state of the Lingones there lay of Batauians eight cohorts the Aides of the fourteenth Legion but then by means of the troublesōe times they were departed away of no smal moment to sway the whole cause as they hapned to fauor the one or the other The foure centurions before mentioned Nonius Donatius Romilius Calpurnius Vitellius cōmanded to be executed being attainted of truth a most hainous crime among rebels Then came to the side Valerius Asiaticus Lieutenāt of Belgica to whom anone after Vitellius maried his daughter Iunius Bloesus Gouernour of Gallia Lugdunensis with the Italian Legion and Taurin wing encamped at Lions The Rhoetian soldier without any stay ioined himselfe In Britannie also the matter went cleare b 2 Hist p. 90. vita Agric. pag. 591. Trebellius Maximus was Lieutenant general there contemned hated of the army for his niggardly sparing polling and Roscius Coelius Lieutenant of the twentieth legion inflamed them further against him his ancient enemy but now by occasion of ciuil dissensions they were fallen out further brake into more hainous terms Trebellius obiecting to Coelius and charging him with factious behauiour dissoluing of discipline Coelius againe that Trebellius had spoiled beggered the legiōs but in the mean time the lieutenants thus iarring the modesty of the army was marred the discord at length growing so great that Trebellius being railed away by the Aydes also in cohorts and wings sorting themselues to Coelius side was glad to giue place being forsaken flee to Vitellius The prouince although the lieutenant general was absent remained in quiet the Lieutenants of the Legions supplying the charge in right of equal autority but Coelius indeed bare the most stroake because he was of most boldnesse Now that the Brittish host was adioyned Vitellius growing strong in men and money ordaines for the warre two sundry Generals and two sundry waies for the Generals to passe Fabius Valens was willed to allure by faire meanes or if they refused to wast and destroie the countreyes of Gallia and so by the Cottian Alpes to enter by force into Italie Caecina was commanded a shorter passage by the Penine Alpes to make his descēt Valens had vnder his conduct the choise men of the lower army and the fift Legion with cohorts wings c This number of fortie thousand far exceeding the number of a Legion in any age was made vp by gelding the other Legions of that prouince yet leauing vnto thē their standerd and their name and by Auxiliaries of the Germans as it appeareth by the wordes of Tacitus forty thousand armed men Out of higher Germany Caecina led thirty thousand the flower and strength whereof consisted in the one twentieth Legion Moreouer they had both assigned vnto them d Not onely of the French side but ◠Trans rhenanis and such I thinke were principally ment in this place Aides of the Germans out of whom Vitellius who was to folow with the maine weight of the warre furnished vp his army also Strange was the difference between the army and their Emperour the soldier was instant demanding armes whilest they of Gallia stood in a feare whilest Spaine in a doubt as for the winter that was no let nor such like excuses receueable only in idle peaceable times that Italy must out of hād be inuaded the city surprized that nought is more safe then speede in ciuill dissension where dispatch is more needful then long consultation on the other side Vitellius a man of nothing playing the Prince before hand in rioting and prodigal banquets drunck at noone-day heauy with surfet but the soldiers forwardnes feruency fully supplied the place of the leader as if he were presēt in person encouraging or terrifiyng the valiāt or dastard Whē al was in order ready to march they cal to soūd the remoue increasing Vitellius stile with the name of Germanicus for Caesar euen after the victory e In perpetuum saith Suet. Vitel c. 8. but Tacit 3. Hist teacheth vs otherwise Quin Caesarem dici se voluit aspernatus antea he refused to be called X How Fabius Valens guided his charge of forty thousand fighting men from Coleyn to the Cottian Alpes THE very day of remouing there appeared a lucky signe to Fabius Valens the army which he led to the warre an eagle softly flying before as the army marched as it were to note out the way for a great space the soldiers so shouted for ioy and the bird passed on without fear so assuredly that is was reputed an vndoubted tokē of great prosperous successe The state of Triers as frends they passed thorow with al security At Diuodurū a town of the Mediomatrici although they were with al kind of curtesy receiued a sodain feare came vpon them the alarme was giuen to sacke the pore innocent citty not for the pray or desire of spoile but vpon a fury and rage and causes not knowen and therefore the remedyes harder to finde till at length being pacified by Valens entreating they held their handes from razing the citty notwithstanding about four thousand men were slaine This accident strooke such a terror into them of Gallia that alwaies after as the camp was a comming whole citties with their officers and humble supplications went out for to meet them with women children down on their knees along the way side generally al means by the which men asswage their enemies anger though warre they had none yet then were they forced to purchase their peace Valens in the a Sueton. Vitellio c. 9. saieth that Vitellius hard the news of Galbaes death before Valens departed citty of the Leuci receiued the newes that Galba was slaine and Otho in place the souldier was neither gladder nor sadder hauing nothing but warre in his minde the French thereby were b For as long as Galbatheir benefactour liued they were loth any way but enforced to aide Vitellius but now hating a like Otho and Vitellius and fearing but the one it was great reasō to make the most countenance thither whēce they feared most present danger resolued Otho and Vitellius they hated alike and Vitellius they feared beside The next city was that of the Lingones sure to the side being intertained there curteously they requited it with modest behauiour
but the ioy lasted not long through the disorder of those cohorts which being departed as before I haue sayed from the fourteenth legion Fabius Valens had ioined to his army hard woordes grewe at the first then quarrelling betweene the Batauians and Legionaries and as the rest of the souldiers suted on sides it had welny come to a hoat fray had not Valens in time by punishing a fewe reclaymed the Batauians who had now forgotten their duty Against the Hedui was sought but in vaine some occasion of warre being willed to bring in both money and armour they brought also vittailes for nothing That which the Hedui did vpon feare the same did the Lugdunenses for ioy neuerthelesse the Italian Legion and Taurin wing were taken away The eighteenth cohort it was thought conuenient to leaue there at Lions in the accustomed standing campe Manlius Valens Lieutenant of the Italian Legion although he had wel deserued of the side was not in any credit with Vitellius Fabius by secrete sinister reports had defaced him vnwitting in outward speech commending him that he might be at more vnawares circumuented The ancient hart-burning c The discord as it may seme was founded vppon this ground The first inhabiters of Lions had beene driuen by force out of Vienna and therfore were iustly to hate them as iniust vsurpers of that which was theirs betweene them of Lions and them of Vienna was by the late warre freshly reuiued much hurt was done on both sides d Municipalem aemulationem bellis civilibus miscentes as Tacitus writeth 3. Hist of Capua and Putcoli so often and in so cruel sort that a man might easily see they fought not alone for Nero and Galba and Galba by occasion of displeasure had confiscated the reuenews of the Lugdunenses contrariwise much honoured them of Vienna whereupon grewe emulation and enuy and inseparable hatred betweene them whom one riuer separated Vpon these causes the Lugdunenses incited the soldiers seuerally to the subuersion of the Viennenses shewing vnto them howe they had besieged Lions furthered Vindex attempts mustered of late Legions for Galba and hauing so placed in the first shewe the causes why iustly they were to be hated then they suggest to the souldiers minde what a rich and welthy pray they might get so frō secret exhorting proceeding to publicke requests they besought them to go and reuenge so many wrongs to raze the seat-towne of the French warre that there was nothing els but straungers and enemies contrariwise themselues a Roman colony and part of the army their companions in welth and in wo and if fortune should chaunce to disfauour they praied not to leaue abandon their frendes to the mercy of their mortal and mercilesse enemies With these speeches many such like they had wrought and incensed the souldier so that euen the Lieutenantes and Captaines of the the side did scantly thinke it a possible matter to quench their choler when they of Vienna in very good season foreseeing their danger with sacred veles and infules afore them as the army marched embracing their armor their knees their feete mollified the soldiers minds beside Valens bestowed vpon thē a That is 46. ◠10. d ob and so for 40000. for so many he had beside the eight cohorts of Batauians the legio Italica and ala Taurina 93750.li. three hundreth sesterces a man Then was the antiquity dignity of the colony respected then were the wordes of Fabius commēding vnto them the liues welfare of the Viennenses patiently heard being fined notwithstāding to forfait their publicke munition ech man according to his abilitie with priuate prouisiō helped the soldier But the report went constantly that Fabius fauor was bought with a large summe of mony the mā a great while needy poore becōming now rich on the sodaine cloaked not wel the change of his fortune exercising excessiuely the lusts desires which long pouerty had kindled of a beggerly yongmā a prodigal olde Afterward the army marched on slowly thorow the territory of the Allobroges the Vocontij the General setting to sale the lēgth of his iournies places of lodging bargaining shame lesly with the owners of the groūds magistrats of the cities that in such threatning maner that he offred to set Lucus a free towne of the Vocontij on fire til he was appeased with money where matter of money was wanting there payment was made with women and such like pleasures And so at the last they came to the Alpes XI The iourney of Caecina from Coleyn with thirty thousand men thorow the Penine Alpes into Italie CAECINA gained more spoile shed more bloud The Heluetians a b Liuy lib. 21. fol. 131. seemeth to call them Semigermanos Quae ad Peninum ferunt itinera obsepta gentibus Semigermanis fuerunt of Gallia anciently in name for warlike men and after for the memory of their renowne hauing not heard of Galbaes death refusing to be at Vitellius deuotion had exasperated his froward troublesome disposition The warre was cōmenced from the soldiers rage by a coulorable casting in prison to be sent for into the Capitoll his meaning was by pardoning so noble a man so odious to the side to purchase a name of mercifull dealing Celsus being called constantly confessed the whole accusation of faithfulnesse vnto Galba affirming that Princes were not to mislike such examples and Otho not as remitting a fault but admitting the defence as iust and vertuous streight way put him in place nearest about him and anone in the warre appointed him one of his principal leaders lest lying aloofe as a pardoned enemy hee might peraduenture suspect the breach were but badly made vp and Celsus fatally fauouring the losing side persisted vnfortunately faithfull for Otho also The sauing of Celsus an acte which reioyced the chiefe of the citty and was to the common sort plausible euen of the souldier was not misliked admiring that vertue with which they were displeased erewhile XIII Tigellinus put to death Crispinilla escapeth LIKE ioy was conceyued vpon causes vnlike when Tigellinus death was obtained Sophonius Tigellinus was a mā by birth obscure a beastly boy a vicious old man who hauing atteyned the captains place of the watch the Gard other rewards due vnto vertue by vices because it was the more expedite way exercised in those places cruelty and auarice other lewde qualities incident to * virilia seclera in opposition to foela pueritia for all vices are not incident to all ages riper years corrupting Nero to al kind of mischiefe some things attēpting vnwitting to him at last a traitor backslider from him whereupon both the il wel willers of Nero vpon a The il willers hating him as Neroes chiefe instrument of al wickednes the wel-willers as one that had left and betraied his master diuers respects cried out importunatly to make him away In Galbaes time the credit
against him for his trayterous dealing the vnruly soldiers and vnskilful of seruice snatching vp their enseignes banners rushed forward and as the captaine endeuoured to stay them they bent their weapons vpon him not respecting their Centurions Tribunes who commended the captaines circumspectnes but the souldiers cried FOR OTHO stucke not more ouer to affirme that Caecina was sent for vnder hande Spurinna yeelded to followe their follie by force at the first afterward making shew as if he were willing that his counsailes might cary more credit if it happened hereafter the sedition to coole When they were in the sight of the Po the night approched order was giuen that the camp should be entrenched and staked That labour strange and vnusuall to the city-souldier abated their fiercenesse Then they of the elder sort began to see their owne errour and correct their credulity to lay-open the feare the danger if in those champion countries Caecina should with his army enuiron thē being as it were but an hand ful now they began throughout al the whole campe to vse modest dutifull speeches and by meanes of the Centurions Tribunes who insinuated themselues into their companies to commend the wisedome of the captaine in that he had chosen out for the strength and seate of the warre a colonie of that power that wealth lastly Spurinna himselfe not by vntimely exprobrating their fault but by reason convincing it wanne them to his opinion and leauing some behinde for scouts brought backe the rest into Placentia lesse mutinous then before and more at commandemēt The walles were made stronger the number of bulwarkes towers encreased and prouision made not only of armour but of subiection and loue of obeying the onely point which lacked in that side whenas otherwise they had of valour sufficient IX Caecina commeth into Jtalie and lyeth before Placentia in vaine BVT Caecina as if he had left on the other side of the mountaines cruelty and licentiousnes behinde him marched thorow Italie with al modesty he his companies His kinde of attire the free cities and colonies construed as a signe of pride because he gaue audience to men which came gowned himselfe being in his short souldiers cote of changeable coulour and wearing withall breeches after the French barbarous fashion and as though they had beene interessed thereby they were greeued also to see his wife Salonina riding vppon a goodly palfray with a rich furniture of purple albeit no man were wronged therein such is the nature of man and so deepely is the quality rooted in vs straitly to looke into the late prosperity of others with an enuious eye and to require a moderation of fortune no where so much as in those wee haue seene in an equall degree with our selues Caecina hauing passed the Po and assayed by parlees and promises to weaken the loialty of Othoes men being quit with the like on their part seeing that the plausible names of peace and concord had often beene spent betweene them in vaine conuerted his counsailes and cares to the besieging of Placentia in most terrible maner knowing right well that as the beginning of the warre should succeede so for the rest reputation woulde follow But the first daies worke was conducted rather by fury then according to skill meete for men of so long experience in seruice without couer or defence they vētured rashly vnder the walles their bodies surcharged with meate and with wine In that assault the Amphitheatre a piece of most curious workmanship standing without the walles was burned set on fire either by the besiegers as they hurledbrāds and balles of wildefire against the besieged or by the besieged as they hurled againe The townesmen being ielous prone to suspicions beleeued that matter was ministred to the fire vppon malice by certaine neighbour colonies vpon emulation enuy because no piece of worke in all Italie was of that capacity beside by what chance soeuer it happened whilest further daunger was feared it passed not greatly regarded when all perill was past as if no greater misfortune could haue befallen then it was much sorrowed for lamented but in the end Caecina was repulsed with losse of many of his mē the night following was spent on both sides in new preparations The Vitellianists make prouision of plutei crates vineae instruments to vndermine the walles protect those which were to giue the assault the Othonians of timber logges great waightes ofstones and lead and brasse to breake thorowe the workes and ouerwhelme the aduersaries Both parties were pricked a With shame to be ouercome glory of ouercōming with shame and with glory and seueral encouragements were vsed the one side exalting the Legions and strength of the German army the other magnifiyng the honour of the cittie-seruice of the Praetorian cohorts the one reuiling the soldier within as sluggish and resty and effeminated in the Race Threatres the other rebuking the enemy without as a forrainer and stranger assuming withall into part of the praise and dispraise the persons of Otho and Vitellius afoording indeede more plentifully matter of reproch then of iust commendation The day was scarcely yet sprung when as the walles were replenished with men at defēce the fieldes did glister with armour soldiers the Legionary * densum legionum agmen and yet Caecina had but one Legion namely vnacivicesima Rapax as I take it with their thicke and close ranckes the Auxiliary loose and dispersed they attempt with arrowes and stones a farre of to disfurnish the highest parts of the walles if any place were neglected or decayed by age thither they make nearer approches Othoes men from aboue with more peyze and certainty hurle darts vpon the German cohortes which rashly came vnder with a hideous note according to their cuntrey maner with bodies naked shaking their targets ouer their shoulders The Legionary soldier couered with plutei and crates vndermineth the walles raiseth vp mounts endeuoreth to wrest open the gates of the contrary side the Praetorian soldiers hauing milstones of huge waight placed for the purpose with fearefull noyse rowle them downe vpon the enemy part which came vnder were ouerwhelmed part wounded with dartes and slaine or mangled and so as in a confusion feare the slaughter encreasing below consequently their fiercenes aboue the Vitellianists retired with decay of reputation to the side and Caecina vpon the infamy and shame of this siege so rashly attempted lest hee shoulde seeme to sit still in the same ground skorned and to no purpose passeth the Po backe againe with purpose to go to Cremona As he departed away Turullius a For the sullet satisfactiō of the reader it had bene conuenient to haue declared whether they fled from Spurinna or Gallus or some other and by what occasion they were then in that place Cerealis with many of the mariners reuolted vnto him and Iulius
and retireth himselfe to Brixellum THE forces of Caecina and Valens being ioyned together the Vitellianists refused not any longer to end the cause in a maine battell Otho proposed the matter in councell whether way were more expedient to prolong the warre or els to put it by and by to the fortune of a fielde Then Suetonius Paullinus esteemed the most experte man of that age in militare affayres supposing it agreeable to his fame renowne to discourse of the whole maner of proceeding in this warre stoode vp declared his opinion to bee that making of haste was profitable for the enemy and delaying for them that al the host of Vitellius was come certaine small forces remaining behinde which could not conueniently be remoued from the banke of the Rhene for feare of inuasion of those fierce nations especially Fraunce standing also in some tearmes of rebellion the souldier in Britannie had his hands full of the enemy there and was also stopped by the sea that Spaine had no great store of souldiers the prouince of Narbon was frighted by reason of the late inuasion by sea and the ouerthrow which they receiued and that portion of Italie beyonde the Po now in the possession of the enemy was wasted with the passage of their army and hauing no helpe by sea and by lande shut in with the Alpes could not be relieued from abroad so that they could no-where haue corne for their men and an host without prouision could not bee entertained Nowe the Germans which of all the enemies were most terrible hauing foggy and waterish bodies would not if the warre were prolonged to the sommer be able to endure the change of the soile and the avre that many armies whose fury at the first rush could not be resisted by delayes wearying out were brought vnto nothing Contrariwise they had all thinges themselues well stoared and well assured vnto them Pannonia Moesia Dalmatia the Easte with their armies whole and vntouched Italie and Rome the queene of the world the Senate and people titles neuer darkened though sometimes ouershadowed wealth priuate and publicke and infinite masses of money which in ciuill dissensions is of greater force then the sworde the bodies of their souldiers were accustomed to Italie or to other hoat countreys the riuer of Po lay a Not at Bebriacum where the consultation was holden but he meaneth if they should as he wished retire with their power in Cispadanam and there stand vpon their defence before them as a defence their cities were safely manned walled by the holding out of Placentia it was cleere to be seene that none through distresse or despaire woulde yeelde to the enemy and therefore in his opinion he was to protract the warre That within fewe daies the fourteenth Legion would bee come a Legion of great reputation with the forces of Moesia then might he deliberate againe and if it were liked to hazarde the battell fight with more power and greater aduantage Marius Celsus approued the opinion of Paullinus and certaine which were sent to Annius Gallus who was hurte with a fall of his horse a few daies before to demaunde his aduise brought woorde that hee also was of the same iudgement But Otho was willing to bring it to a battell his brother Titianus and Proculus captaine of the Gard hastening vpon ignoraunce and lacke of skill protested that fortune and all the gods with the godhead of Otho fauoured the counsailes and woulde without question prosper the enterprise descending to this grosse kinde of flattery lest any shoulde dare to crosse their opinion After they had concluded to fight a new doubt arose whether it were better that the Emperour shoulde withdrawe himselfe or else be present in the fielde in person the selfesame men taking also herein a wrong course without any more opposition of Paullinus and Celsus lest they should seeme to hazard their Prince too venturously persuaded him to retire to Brixellum and so being exempt from the doubtful euentes of the field to reserue himselfe for the maine chance of the state That day was the beginning of ruine to Othoes side For with him a valiant companie of Praetorian cohorts of “ Spiculatores spearemen and horse departed away and the rest which remained behinde were quite out of harte as hauing no confidence in their Generals and Otho whom only the souldiers trusted because he trusted none els but the souldiers had not perfitely setled the Generals in their charges but left their autorities at large and vncertaine XIIII A skirmish betweene the Vitellianists and Macer with his fencers vpon the Po. ALL that was saide or done was caried by by to the Vitellian side fugitiues swarming as in ciuill warres and the spyes vpon desire to search out discouer other mens counsailes disclosing their own Caecina and Valens lay still quietly attending while the enemy should by his own rashnesse miscary meaning in liew of wisedome to vse the vātage of other mens folly And so beginning a bridge lest their soldiers should be made worse with too much idlenesse and ease as if they had ment to haue passed the Po and forced a bande of “ Gladiatores fencers encāped on the other side they commanded boats to be placed crosse the riuer with their heads vp the streame in equall and conuenient distances and ioined them strongly together with plancks casting anckers also to make the bridge steady firme but the cable ropes were not tied short but plaied at length that when the riuer should rise the whole frame likewise might rise without hurting Vpon the end of the bridge a tower was planted reaching to the vttermost boate that out of it they might with their engines and shot displace and driue away the enemies the Othonians also vpon the bancke had builded a tower and did hurle stones and fire In the middle of the riuer there was an iland into possession whereof the fencers sought to put themselues by boate but the Germans by swimming preuented them and when Macer saw a competent number of them arriued there embarking of his best fencers he putteth ouer to assaile them but neither were the fencers of the like courage in fight to the souldiers neither could they tottering out of their boats ayme so certaine a blow as the other steadily standing did from the lande and whenas through sundry steppings aside vpon feare the rowers and souldiers which stoode at defence were confusedly mingled together and put in disorder the German souldiers leaping couragiously into the shallow and hanging at the tailes of the boats either clambered vp to the hatches or by maine strēgth ouerturned the boats into the water All which things passing after this sort in the view a The one lay at Bebriacum and the other by all coniecture at Cremona twenty miles asūder of both the armies as they were matter of great ioy to the Vitellianists so to the contrary side they gaue occasion to
hate detest him who was author and cause of the losse And the skirmish was ended indeede by flight and the breaking away of the boats which remained but Macer was required to the slaughter when they had wounded him with a darte a farre of they ranne in with their swords drawn to dispatch him had not the Tribunes and Centurions come in to protect him A little afterwarde Vestricius Spurinna by Othoes commaundement leauing a small garrison at Placentia with his cohortes came to succour them and anone Otho sent Flauius Sabinus Consull elect to commaunde Macers companies the souldiers being glad at the change of captaines and the captaines by reason of so many mutinees vnwilling to enter into so dangerous a seruice XV. That it is nothing probable that in so corrupt an age the soldier would of their own accord haue surceased from ciuill warre and by common consent and aduise of the Senat deposing these two bad haue chosen a third good Prince IN some writers I finde it recorded that the armies either hauing in horrour the warre or loathing both Princes whose shames and dishonours were daily divulged more notoriously abroade consulted among themselues to surcease the contention and that either they by common consent should chuse a newe Prince or referre it ouer to the Senats appointment and that therefore the Generals of Othoes side a Plutarch p. 1523. attributeth it to Celsus not so probably namely Paullinus had counsailed to delay and protract hoping it would fall vpon him as beeing the most auncient Consulare a famous Commander and one that in the warres of Britanny had wonne great glory and name For my part although I could bee induced to grant that some fewe peraduenture secretely wished quietnesse in steede of discorde and for two most lewde and wicked one good and innocent Prince so I cannot be brought to beleeue that Paullinus beeing so wise a man woulde euer hope in a most corrupt age for such moderation in the common sorte that whenas for desire of warre they had troubled the peace of the state nowe for loue of peace they woulde abandon the warre or that armies in tongue and conditions so different coulde condescende to so great an agreement or that the Lieutenantes and Generals which for the most part were persons drowned in riot beggerly and guilty of most hainous crimes would euer haue suffered any Prince but one polluted with the like vices and of their owne creation and therefore wholly obnoxious to them That ancient desire of dominion and rule engraffed now long agoe in mens hartes grewe vp and shotte out with the greatnesse of the Empire For whilest our dominions were strayt an equality was easily maintained but after wee had subdued the world destroied all cities or kings which stoode in our light or might worke our annoiance whenas we had leisure to seeke after wealth voide of perill there arose first hoat contentions betweene the nobility and commons sometimes factious Tribunes caried it away sometimes the Consuls held a hard hand preuailed and in the city and Place of assembly some litle skirmishes commencements as it were of ciuill warres were attempted Anone after Caius Marius one of the meanest of the comminalty and Lucius Sulla the cruellest of all the nobility by force of armes ouerthrowing the free estate induced an absolute gouernement After whom Cneius Pompeius succeeded somewhat a Salustius apud Suetonium lib. de claris Grammaticis Pompeius oris probi animique inuerecundi secreter but nothing better and after that time neuer was other question debated by armes but who should bee soueraigne Prince of the state The Legions in Pharsalia and Philippi consisting of citizens were not so moderately minded much lesse may wee thinke the armies of Otho and Vitellius would of their owne accorde haue layed downe their weapons The gods were no lesse incensed against vs men were no lesse mad and furiously minded the same vices raigning amonst vs haue induced the like dissensions discords That the warres were decided and ended as it were ech at one stroke we are to attribute it to the cowardlinesse and faint-hartednesse of the Princes and not to the peaceablenesse of the armies But the recounting of the dispositions and manners of present auncient times hath caried me out of the way Now I returne to the order of the story XVI The great battell at Bebriacum wherein Othoes side was overthrowen WHen Otho was gone to Brixellum Titianus his brother caried the countenance and title of General Proculus captaine of the Garde the power and authority Paullinus and Celsus whenas no man employed their wisedome skill were captaines only for namesake and to be entitled to other mens faults the Tribunes and Centurions seeing the better contemned the worst sort in credit were doubtfull of the euent the souldier notwithding was full of courage and heart yet such as had rather construe then execute his Generals commaundementes It was resolued that the campe should remoue forward and sit downe in a place fower miles of from Bebriacum so without reason and skill that although it was spring time of the yeare and so many riuers about them yet were they distressed for water There it was disputed whether the battell were to bee giuen or not For Otho by letters required to hasten the matter the souldiers desired their Princes presence in fielde many were of opinion to sende for the companies which lay on the other side of the Po. Neither can it so easily be discerned what had beene best to haue done as that it was the worst which they did vndertaking to goe to the confluence of the riuers of Po and Olium full sixteene miles from that place a competent iourney for an army to marche and much too great for them which went to a battell directly against the aduise of Paullinus and Celsus who helde it vnsafe to hazard the souldier tired with the iourney and heauy laden with cariage against an enemy that woulde not faile beeing lightly appointed and hauing come scarce fower miles to charge vppon them either as they marched in disarray or else at their sitting downe as they dispersed themselues to fortifie the campe But Titianus and Proculus whenas they were ouercome by reason fled to autority by vertue of their office commanding the contrary and indeed there was come a a Great personages in those daies had vsually certaine African or Numidian horsemen to leade their traine or for other sodaine dispatches Seneca in epistolis Numidian horseman in post from Otho with a sharpe message in the which as one that coulde not abide delayes and impatient to linger in hope he checked the Generals for their slacknesse commanding them forthwith to put it to a field The same day as Caecina was busily occupied about making the bridge two Tribunes of Praetorian cohorts came thither demanding to speake with him and being vpon the point to giue audience make answere vnto
incited more often to rage then to relent The Vitellian army lodged fiue miles from Bebriacum the Generalles not daring that day to attempt the enemies campe and beside a voluntary yeelding was hoped for where albeit they coulde not entrench as men that went out lightly appointed and onely to fight yet their weapons in hande and the victory they lately obtained was a sufficient defence The day following those of Othoes men which had made shew of most courage repenting and yeelding the whole army with one accorde sent an Embassage to the Vitellianists The Vitellian Generals without any question graunted them peace onely the Embassadours were staied there for a season which bred a scruple in the minds of the other not knowing whether they had obtayned as yet or not their request but anone the Embassage returning the campe was set open Then both the conquered and conquerers breaking out into weeping with a wofull ioyfulnesse detested the misery of ciuill dissensions and meeting in the same tentes some comforted their brethren some their friendes which were wounded Hopes and rewardes were doubtfull and in expectation alone burials and mournings were certaine and sure before hand neither was there any so voide of mischaunce that had not to mourne for some bodies death The body of Orphidius the Lieutenant was sought out and buried with accustomed solemnity some few beside by their friends the rest of the common sort were left on the ground XVII Otho vnderstanding of the ouerthrow at Bebriacum killeth himselfe The souldiers about him when they could not induce Verginius to vndertake the place yeelde themselues to the Vitellianists IN the meane while Otho at Brixellum waited for the newes of the battell without all passion of feare and certainely resolued what he would doe And first an vncertaine report of ill tidings was muttered without head or aduow then they which fled out of the battell came and declared that all was certainely lost The souldiers ardent affection was such that they staied not for any comfort or encouragement from their Emperour but contrariwise they comforted him bidding him to be of good cheere that there was yet new forces remaining and that they would hazard all perils and suffer all extremities for his sake neither was it flattery but in vnfained good meaning vpon a certaine instinct and fury they mightily desired to goe to the fielde to set vp the side and recouer their losses againe They which stoode a farre off helde vp their handes and besought him the nearest embraced his knees especially Plotius Firmus captaine of the Garde who besought him often and instantly not to forsake his so well deseruing souldiers so louing and faithfull an army auerring that it was greater magnanimity to endure then to relinquish when fortune doth crosse that stout men and valiant euen against fortune do relye vpon hope whereas the cowardly dastardes are hastily drawen by feare to despaire As Otho seemed by his countenance to yeelde to these speeches or els to reiect them so were there diuersely showtinges for ioy or a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saieth Plu. p. 1526. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gronings for sorrow And not onely the Praetorians the most addicted and partiall souldiers to Otho but those also which were sent before out of Moesia affirmed that the army which was expected would alike obstinatly maintaine the quarrell and that the Legions already were come to Aquileia so that without all question a cruell and bloudy warre might haue beene renewed of doubtfull euent to the one side and to the other But Otho altogether aliene from any purpose of warre To hazard quoth he this vertue and valure of yours to needlesse dangers I account it too deare a price of my life The more hope you doe shew if I listed to liue the more commendation will bee of my death as being voluntary and not by constraint Fortune I haue had good experiēce the one of the other nothing the lesse for that my time hath beene short I tel you it is harder to moderate a mans selfe in felicity the which he looketh not long to enioy The ciuill warre beganne on Vitellius party and thence grew the first occasion to contend with armes for the Empire but to contend no oftener but once I for my part am purposed to giue the example And hereby let posterity iudge and esteeme of Otho Through my benefit Vitellius shall enioy his brother his wife and his children I seeke no reuenge I haue no neede of such comforts others haue kept longer the Empire but let it be said that none hath euer so valiantly left it Shal I suffer so much Roman bloud againe to be spilt and the common welth depriued of so worthy armies Let this minde accompany me to my graue and so surely it shal that you for your parts would haue died for my sake but tary you and liue and let not me be any longer a hinderance to your obtaining of pardon nor you to my determination and purpose To speake more of dying or to vse many words in that argument I take to proceede of a cowardely courage This take for a principall proofe of my resolutenesse that I complaine not of any For to blame gods or men is their property that gladly would liue After these words and the like in courteous language according to their age or degree he required the young men and desired the oulde to get them quickly away and goe to the winner lest by slacking the time they prouoked his further displeasure rebuking eftsoones the vnseasonable weepinges of those about him without any shewe of alteration in countenaunce or signe of feare in his speech Then hee commaunded those which departed to bee furnished of wagons and barges burned all bookes and letters containing any matter notably in fauour of himselfe or disfauour of Vitellius and distributed money sparingly and not as one that shoulde dye Then he called vnto him Saluius Cocceianus his brothers sonne being in the prime of his youth and seeing him sore afraide weeping he comforted him notwithstanding the case touched nearer himselfe commending his kindnesse and naturall affection and reprehending his timorousnesse What were it possible that Vitellius should be so hard hearted and cruelly minded as not to doe him that one pleasure whereas he had preserued for him his whole house without harme that at least by this hasty dispatch of himselfe he deserued that some curtesie should be shewed his kinred especially hauing forborne for the loue of his countrey to seeke his last and vttermost remedy not vppon extreme despaire but then whenas his army with instance demanded to bring it to a battell againe but he said for his part he had gotten renowne enough for himselfe and nobility for his posterity after the Iulian Claudian and Seruian families hauing first of al men brought into a house of no great continuance the honor of hauing an Emperor and therefore he willed him with good courage to liue
for both they of the prouince liked well of the souldiers company to whom they were enured with whom many of them were linked in affinitie kinred and the soldiers likewise loued the place of their setled campes as their owne homes being growen familiare with them by reason of their long seruice there Before the fifteenth of Iuly all Syria had receyued the same othe Moreouer Sohemus with his kingdome adioyned himselfe to the cause a man of good forces and Antiochus of wealth of long gathering and of all the subiect kings the richest Agrippa also vpon secrete aduertisements from his frendes departed a He came out of Iewry with Titus when he was sent by his father to Galba and when Titus vpon the message of Galbaâ—s death returned backe again from Corinth Agrippa notwithstanding saieth Iosephus li. 4. c. 29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vt apud novum principem locaret gratiam saieth our common Hegesippus lib. 4. c. 21. from Rome vnawares to Vitellius and sayled hastily home and likewise the queene Berenice with all her might furthered the side a queene in the flower of her beauty and youth and well beloued of the olde Vespasian also in respect of the great and rich gifts which she gaue All the prouinces which bordered on the sea as farre as Asia and Achaia and al the inlandes to Pontus Armenia receiued the oth but the Lieutenants thereof were without armies for as yet Cappadocia had no Legions assigned XXIIII The preparation of Vespasian and his side for the warre BERYTVS was elected for the place of their principal consultations Thither Mutianus with the Lieutenants Tribunes repayred the chiefest of the Centurions and soldiers certaine choise persons out of the Iewish army So many footmen horsemen together so great preparations of kings striuing to exceed one another made shewe of a Princes estate The first prouision for warre was to leuy more men and reuoke the olde souldiers which were discharged certaine strong cities were appointed out to make armour therein at Antioche gold and siluer was coyned and in all these seuerall workes great speede and diligence vsed by the meanes of good ouerseers Vespasian also woulde goe in his owne person and encourage them inciting the good by praise the slowe by example rather then correction more ready to conceale the vices of his friendes then the vertues many he rewarded with captaines and Procuratours places many he aduanced to be Senatours excellent men and of great vertue and which afterwardes attained to highest degrees although in some fortune supplied the want of good qualities As for donatiues to the souldier neither did Mutianus in his first oration make any mention but sparingly thereof nor Vespasian make any offer of greater in ciuill warre then others were wonted in peace a man notable and firme against these lauishings to souldiers and therefore hauing his army better in order Moreouer Embassadours were sent to the kings of Parthia and Armenia to conclude a surceance of armes lest whilest the Legions were intentiue vpon the ciuill warre those nations should assault the frontiers behinde It was agreed that Titus should prosecute the Iewish warre and Vespasian should put himselfe in possession of the a Claustra Aegypti Iosephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 4. c. 37. openeth this matter at large of the necessity of the countrey to the vittailing of Italie of the streÌ„gth on euery side and hardnesse of accesse either by land or by sea and especially of the daÌ„gerousnesse of the hauen at Alexandria a very particulare description neuerthelesse Vespasian after this consultation at Berytus according to Josephus c. 4 went to Antiochia before he went into Aegypt strength of Aegypt Against Vitellius it was thought sufficient to sende a part of the host and Mutianus to leade them and the name of Vespasian and the fauour of fate which findeth or maketh a way through all lets Then letters were writen to all the Lieutenants and armies and order giuen out to inuite the Praetorian souldiers which hated Vitellius vpon promise of restitution to their places Mutianus with an army not encombred with cariage bearing himselfe rather as the Emperours fellowe then as a seruant marched forward not very slowly lest he should seeme for feare to delay nor yet very hastily but gaue time for the fame of the action to grow knowing that his strength was not much and that men beleeue alwaies greater matters of thinges which are absent but there followed a great troupe the sixth Legion and thirteene thousande Vexillaries The fleete hee commaunded to passe out of Pontus and meete him at Byzantium beeing halfe in a minde to leaue Moesia and with his horsemen and footemen directly to goe to Dyrrhachium and withall with his shippes of warre to shut vp the sea toward Italie leauing Achaia and Asia behinde him in safety which vnlesse they were garded with sufficient power being without armies would lie open to Vitellius and that by that meanes Vitellius himselfe woulde stand in doubt what parte of Italie to protect if at one instant Brundusium and Tarentum and the coasts of Lucania and Calabria should be infested by enemy fleets Thus the a Having set forward Mutianus in his way here he returneth againe to talke of the preparation somewhat disorderly and peraduenture to draw in that saying of Mutianus Pecunias esse belli civilis nervoâ— prouinces were busily occupied in prouision of shippes men and armour but the greatest difficulty was to get money which Mutianus affirming to be the sinewes of ciuill warre respected not lawe or equity in iudgements but only what way to procure masses of money Crimes were daylie deuised against men of most wealth and they spoyled which maner of dealing beeing of it selfe greeuous and intollerable but in some sorte excusable by the necessity of the warre remayned also in peace afterward For Vespasian himselfe albeit at the beginning of his Empire hee was not so obstinately bent to obtaine vnreasonable matters yet vppon his continuall prosperitie and taught by ill masters hee tooke foorth a bad lesson and vsed it boldly With his owne purse also Mutianus furthered the warre conferring priuately that which he would in more ample measure repay himselfe out of the common The rest following his example in contributing of money fewe or none had the grace to receiue it againe with the like vantage XXV The armies in Moesia Pannonia and Dalmatia adhere to Vespasian THE affayres of Vespasian were in the meane season hastened forward by the Illyrian armies affection towarde the side The third Legion gaue example to the other two Legions of Moesia the seuenth surnamed Claudiana and the eighth being welwillers of Otho albeit they were not present at the battell but only come forward b Suet. Vesp c. 6 writeth that not the 3. LegioÌ„s but 2000 out of the 3. Legions caÌ„e forward to Aquileiat no doubt erroniously to Aquileia at which place misusing the messengers that
to resume their seruice againe and withall the whole youth of the prouince voluntarily gaue in their names to be souldiers for Vitellius had gouerned as Proconsull there with good integrity and liking Vespasian with as much infamie and hatred of the cuntrey and accordingly our allies presumed they would cary themselues in the Empire but the triall was otherwise And at the beginning Valerius Festus the Lieutenant furthered faithfully the endeuours of those of the prouince but anone he faultred in letters and edicts openly pretending Vitellius and with secrete messages intertayning Vespasian meaning to defende the one side or the other according as they should happen to prosper Some Centurions and souldiers were taken in Rhoetia and France with letters and edicts of Vespasian about them and being sent to Vitellius were slaine but more escaped passing vndiscouered by the secretnesse of frendes or by their owne shifting So the preparations of Vitellius were knowen abroade Vespasians purposes were for the most part vnknowen partly through the negligence of Vitellius and partly because the Pannonian Alpes were kept with garrison which stayed all messengers and at sea the Etesians blew a good wind to saile eastward and contrary from thence XXIX The setting forth of Caecina against the Jllyrian armies and the beginnings of his treason AT length Vitellius terrified with the breaking in of the enemies vpon the frontiers of Italie and feareful messages from euery quarter commandeth Caecina and Valens to make ready for the warre Caecina was sent before but Valens stayed behinde by reason of his weaknesse in body being lately recouered of a dangerous sicknesse Nowe the German army going out of the citty made a farre other shew then it did at the entry No quicknesse appeared in their bodies no courage in their mindes marching slowly and thinnely the armour decayed the horses vnlusty the souldier impatient of the sunne the dust and the weather and the more dull to sustaine trauell the apter to mutin And beside the qualities of Caecina wrought no small preiudice to the cause his ambitious and populare proceeding an old fault of his a sluggish and dull disposition lately sprung vp whether it were that too much fauour of fortune turned his edge caused him to degenerat to riotous life or that intending euen then treason in his minde he thought it good pollicy by that meanes to weaken the valure and force of the army Many haue beleeued that Caecinaes minde was shaken and altered first by a practise of a Brother to Vespasian and Prouost of Rome Flauius Sabinus Rubrius Gallus carying the message between them and promising that Vespasian should ratify all couenants made and agreed in case of reuolt and withall he was put in remembrance of the hatred and emulation betweene Valens and him and that seeing he had not like part in Vitellius he should doe wisely to purchase credit and might with the new Prince Caecina taking his leaue of Vitellius and dismissed from his presence with great honour sent part of his horsemen before to put themselues in Cremona Straight after the Vexillaries followed of the b Reade fifteenth one of the foure Legions of lowe Germany for the 14 was sent away into Britanny p. 90. as enemy to Vitellius cause fourteenth and of the sixteenth Legion then the fifth Legion and the eighteenth Legion and lastly the one and twentieth surnamed Rapax and the first called Italica with the Vexillaries of the three Brittish Legions and the choice of the Aides When Caecina was gone Fabius Valens wrote to the army which before belonged to his charge to stay for him in the way that so it was agreed betweene him and Caecina who being present and therefore of greater autority falsely alledged that vpon later aduise that purpose was changed to the end that resistance might be made with the whole forces vnited against the enemies comming So the Legions were commanded to make speede to Cremona and part to go to Hostilia Caecina himselfe turned out of the way to Rauenna vpon pretence to giue direction to the nauy and so to Padoua where secretly the treason was contriued betweene Lucilius Bassus and him For Lucilius Bassus after the captaineshippe of a wing being made Admirall of both the fleets at Rauenna and Misenum because he was not by and by created captaine of the Garde reuenged his vniust anger with wicked disloyalty neither can it be certainly knowen whether he drew Caecina into the action or the same vile minde induced them both as it happeneth often lewde persons to be of like conditions The histories written of this warre vnder Vespasian and his children haue deliuered false and flattering causes as that desire of peace and loue of the common wealth moued them thereto To me it seemeth beside the inconstant disposition of the men and the small account of their faith which once being falsed to Galba afterward they neuer respected that vpon emulation and enuy that others should goe before them in the Princes fauour they compassed the destruction of the Prince himselfe When Caecina had ouertaken the Legions hee sought by sundry suttle practises to weaken the good wils of the Centurions and of the soldiers which were obstinately bent for Vitellius Bassus attempting the like founde not the like opposition the nauy being easily induced to change their loialty vpon the memory of their late seruice for Otho THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF CORNELIVS TACITVS I. The consultation of the Flauian captaines at Petouio in Pannonia concerning the maner of proceeding in the warre Sextilius Felix sent into Noricum WITH better fortune and faith the Flauian captaines conducted their warlicke affayres assembling in councell at Petouio the standing campe of the thirteenth Legion There was it debated whether it were safer to stande vppon their defence and fortifie themselues by a It seemeth they were stopped before li. 2. p. 106 Deinde Pannonicae Alpes praesidijs insessae nūtios retinebant◠but perhaps it was but onely so farre as to stay the posts from passing that way not to garde it against an army of men stopping the passage of the Pannonian Alpes vntill their whole forces behinde were come forward or els were it more manfull and resolutely done to march on and fight for the winning of Italie They which perswaded to stay for more succour protract the warre amplifyed the same and force of the German Legions further that Vitellius had also brought with him the flower and strength of the armie of Britannie that their own Legions were both fewer in number lately beaten though they spake biggely yet the party ouercome retained the lesse courage But in the meane while if the Alpes were possessed Mutianus would shortly come on with the power of the East and Vespasian beside had at will sea and nauies and the goodwill of the prouinces sufficient furniture for a new warre if need were so by staying a litle this aduantage would grow that new forces
present to his great contentation but afterward turned to his ruine Antonius and Varus in passing tooke Aquileia and the countrey thereabouts and proceeding forward were at Opitergium and Altinum ioyfully receiued At Altinum a garrison was left against the fleete of Rauenna of the reuolt whereof they had not as yet receiued any intelligence and marching forward they adioyned Padoua and Este to the side Where aduertisement was giuen that three Vitellian cohortes and the Scribonian wing lay at Forum Alieni hauing there made a bridge ouer the riuer It was concluded to take the occasion and to set vpon them as they lay negligently and carelesly for that circumstance also was certified and so accordingly they came vpon them at the dawning of the day and surprized them being for the most part vnarmed They were willed before hande that after some slaughter at the beginning they shoulde seeke to induce the rest with feare to chaunge their allegeance and some there were which yeelded themselues at the first but the greater part fled ouer the riuer and breaking the bridge cut off the passage from the enemy pursuing This victorie beeing divulged and the first attempts of the Flauianists hauing succeeded so prosperously two Legions the seuenth surnamed Galbiana and the thirteenth called Gemina a And Titus Ampius Flauianus Lieutenant generall of Pannonia with Vedius Aquila Lieutenaunt thereof came to Padoua cheerefully and ful of courage There some fewe daies were spent in reposing the army and Minucius Iustus campe-master of the seuenth Legion was saued from the fury of the soldier and sent to Vespasian because his gouernement was straiter and more seuere then the nature of a ciuill warre would support At what time also Antonius supposing it a plausible action and for the credit of the side if Galbaes gouernment should seeme to be liked gaue commandement thorow out all the free townes that the images of Galba which vpon change of times and dissension in state had beene broken downe should be restored a new a thing very long and greatlie desired and therefore interpreted gloriously in the highest degree Then was it proposed and disputed what place were best to be chosen for seate as it were of the warre Verona seemed fittest the countrey about it being champion and commodious for horsemen wherein consisted their principall strength and beside to dispossesse Vitellius of a towne of such wealth and importance would both be commodious and bring reputation to the cause In the passage thitherward they tooke Vicenza a thing of it selfe not greatly materiall as being a towne of smal forces howbeit because Caecina was borne there it seemed a matter of consequence when men beganne to recount how that the Generall of the contrary part had lost his owne countrey and home but the getting of Verona was worth the paines taking For both the side was relieued with their wealth and the example was a good precedent to others and the army lying there opportunely in the way betweene Germanie and Vitellius powers did shut vp the Rhoetian and Iulian Alpes and cut of all hope of passage for the Germanes that way All which proceeding was either vnknowen to Vespasian or expressely forbidden by him his commandement was to march no further then Aquileia and there to expect Mutianus adding also a reason thereof that seing Aegypt the garners of the citty the reuenues and tributes of the richest prouinces were in his hands Vitellius army might through lacke of pay and vittaile be constrained to yeelde To the same purpose also Mutianus aduised them often by letters alleadging what a glory it would bee to obtaine a victorie without bloud and whereof no mourning ensued with such other pretenses whereas hee did it indeede vpon ambition and coueting to reserue the whole renowne of the warre for himselfe but by reason of the greate distances counsailes came after the factes Antonius hauing thus seated himselfe in Verona issued foorth on the sodaine and gaue the alarme to the enemy where trying their manhoode together in a light skirmish they departed on euen hand Anone Caecina encamped himselfe between Hostilia a village of the territorie of Verona and the marishes of the riuer Tartarus in a safe and defensible place his backe being garded with the riuer and the flanckes with marishes who if hee had meant trueth hauing all his masters power vnder his hande might with great facilitie either haue surprized two simple Legions the army of Moesia as yet being not ioyned or at least beaten them backe and forced them to flee and with shame forsake Italie But Caecina omitted traiterously all aduantages which at the first were offered spending the time in trifling delaies and rebuking them by epistles whome with like facility hee might haue repulsed with armes vntill by messengers passing betweene the bargaine was driuen and the couenantes for his treason agreed vpon In the meane time Aponius Saturninus came with the seuenth Legion surnamed Claudiana the Legion was gouerned by Vipsanius Messalla a Tribune a man nobly descended and of noble qualities himselfe the only vertuous man and without note that entred into that action To this army nothing comparable to his owne for as yet there were but three Legions Caecina sent letters blaming their rashnes that being once ouercome they durst put themselues againe into armes and withall he extolled the valure of the German army of Vitellius making small mention and in common termes only without any reprochfull worde against Vespasian at all in summe writing nothing that might either corrupt the enemie or terrifie him The captaines of the Flauian armie omitting to speake of their former misfortune returned answere concerning Vespasian in hawtie and glorious termes shewing themselues verie confident in their cause and secure of the euent reuiling Vitellius as enemies and bragging of the Moesian armie as being hitherto neuer ouerthrowen seeking * Praesumpsere parteis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moreouer to weaken the faith and winne the good will of the contrary side by putting the Centurions and Tribunes in hope of retaining their places and fauours which Vitellius had bestowed vpon them and exhorting Caecina himselfe in plaine termes to reuolt Both the letters were solemnely readde to the Flauian souldiers which thing increased not a little their courage and confidence seeing Caecina to write humbly as fearing to offende Vespasian and their Generalles contemptuously as it were insulting ouer Vitellius III. Amutinee of the Pannonian souldier against Flauianus their Generall and another of the Moesian against Saturninus likewise theirs SHORTLY afterward the third and eighth Legion came the one commanded by Dillius Aponianus the other by Numisius Lupus whereupon they beganne to make shew of their forces determined to cast vp a * Vallum militare in oppositiō to vallū rusticum or fossa agrestis militare trench about the towne of Verona By chance it fell to the Galbian Legion to worke in the foreparte of the trench toward the enemy some of
their owne horsemen appearing in sight a farre of caused a vaine feare as if it had beene the Vitellian power By by they laied hold on their weapons their bloud being stirred sought to discharge their choler and rage vpon Flauianus accusing him of treason without either proofe or probability but the man was before odious vnto them and therefore his death was now violently required They cried out against him that he was allied with Vitellius that he had bene a traitor a These particularities are not declared as in my opinion they ought to haue bene in the former story seeing here they are thought worthy the remēbrance to Otho intercepted their donatiue No answere would be heard albeit hee be sought them holding vp his handes in most humble maner lying for the most part prostrate vpon the ground with his garments rent weeping and sobbing pitifully which kinde of behauiour prouoked their rage the more as if this his ouergreat feare had certainly argued a guilty conscience Saturninus endeuouring to speake in his defence was still interrupted by the souldiers outcries and the rest likewise were reiected with noise and clamour onely to Antonius they were content to giue eare for hee was both eloquent skilfull to please a multitude and beside of most authority amongst them When the sedition waxed hoat and passed from wordes and ill speeches to weapons and blowes he commanded Flauianus to be laied in chaines The souldier perceiued the b So Vitellius saued Julius Burdo 1. Hist p. 45. and Otho Celsus p. 36. sleight breaking thorow those that garded the Tribunal they were at the point to haue slaine Flauianus but Antonius opposed himselfe with his sword drawn protesting that if they would not desist hee would either dye by their handes or by his owne and withal desired the assistance by name of al that he knew or were of note otherwise for their degrees and places in seruice Then turning himselfe to the * Conversus ad signa bellorū deos that is ad signa which the Roman soldiers adored as Gods enseignes and gods of warre hee besought them to send such fury such discorde into the mindes of their enemies rather till at length the sedition growing colde and the day being spent the soldiers slipped away ech to his lodging Flauianus departed away the same night and meeting with letters from Vespasian was deliuered from danger but the Legions as it were tainted with a contagious infection staied not there but banded themselues in like mutinous maner against Aponius Saturninus Lieutenant generall of the Moesian army vpon the comming abroad of certaine letters which hee was supposed to haue written to Vitellius and their fury was so much the more hard to appease because it began not as the former toward the euening when they were tired before with laboring but at the noone time of the day As in times past souldiers stroue to passe one another in modestie and vertue so then the contention was to excell in vnrulinesse and insolency the Moesian souldier being loth to vse lesse violence in seeking the death of Saturninus their Generall then the Pannonian were of Flauianus before the Moesian souldiers alleadged that they had helpt the Pannonians to prosecute their reuenge and the Pannonian souldier as if the sedition of others would acquit them were glad to see the like fault committed againe So agreeing together in this determination they went to the gardens where Saturninus lodged It was neither Antonius nor Aponianus nor Messalla that saued him out of their fury though they did what they coulde but the secretenesse of the place where hee was hid lying close in the furnaces of certaine baths which by chaunce were vnoccupied and so priuily hee conueied himselfe to Padoua putting away his sergeantes and liuing as a priuate person The Lieutenantes generall being thus remoued Antonius had the whole gouernement and direction of both the armies his companions the Lieutenantes of the Legions easily yeelding to him and the souldiers fancying him aboue others and some were of opinion that both the mutinees were raysed by his procurement to the ende that hee alone might enioy the whole benefite of the warre IIII. The reuolt of Lucilius Bassus the Admirall and of the fleete at Rauenna The treason of Caecina generall of the armie by lande OF Vitellius side also matters were no lesse disquiet the dissension being more dangerous as proceeding not of soldiers ielosies but of the treason of the Generals Lucilius Bassus Admiral of the nauy at Rauenna had wunne to the Flauian side the mindes of his soldiers being somewhat inclinable thereto of themselues because the most of them were of Dalmatia and Pannonia which cuntreyes held for Vespasian The time for accomplishing the treason was appointed in the night that whilest the rest knew nothing of the matter they only of the conspiracie might assemble themselues in the Principia Bassus either for shame or doubt what would be the issue kept himselfe within his house The captaines of the galleyes in the meane time with great tumult brake downe Vitellius images and some fewe which resisted being put to the sworde the rest of the multitude vpon desire of change was easily induced to fauour Vespasian Then Lucilius comming abroade auowed the whole fact as done by his autority and the nauy in his place made choise of Cornelius Fuscus for Admirall who came with speede thither and Bassus was conueyed by ship to Hadria as it were vnder honourable arrest and by Mennius Rufinus captaine of a wing being in garrison there put in bandes but soone after enlarged at the comming of Hormus Vespasians freedman who was also in this warre counted among the Generals of that side Now Caecina assoone as the reuolt of the nauy was published abroad assembled a This reuolt of Caecina is described in the like maner by Josephus libro quarto capite quadragesimo primo the chiefe of the Centurions some of the soldiers the rest being dispersed busied in their ordinary militare duties into the Principia purposely chusing the most secret corner of the campe There he greatly extolled the valure of Vespasian the strength of the side declaring also that the nauie was already reuolted the only support of Vitellius prouision that France and Spaine were turned against him that in the city there was nothing to be trusted vnto and generally aggrauating all to the worst against the person and state of Vitellius Whereupon some that were priuy to the plot beginning to sweare to Vespasian the rest amazed at the strangenesse of the matter followed the example immediately Vitellius images were broken downe messengers sēt to Antonius to declare what had passed But assoone as this reuolt was bruted thorow out the campe the soldiers comming into the Principia sawe Vespasians name set vp Vitellius images cast vnder foote they were mute at the first then all at once they brake out with
other courage or streÌ„gth auailed litle in the darke where the eie could not discerne a frende from an enemy On both sides was the same kind of armour weapons by many mutual questions ech knew others watchword the banners also were mingled together as it hapned a bande to take any from the enemy and cary them to and fro The seuenth Legion lately leuied by Galba was pressed most hardly six of her principal Centurions were slaine and some enseignes taken away the standerd it selfe was hardly defended by Attilius Verus the chiefe Centurion who with great slaughter of the enemy and his own death in the end notwithstanding saued his charge The Flauianists thus going to the worse Antonius reinforced strengthned the battel by sending for the Praetorian soldiers who assoone as they vndertooke the fight repulsed the enemy at the first and anone were repulsed themselues For the Vitellianists had brought their engins of warre which before were dispersed and discharged against bushes and trees without anie hurt to the enemy and placed them vpon the cawsey of the high way to haue an open passage and free scope to shoote out among the rest a a Balista saieth Vegâ—tius li. 4. c. 22 â—â—â—nibus nervinâ—â—â—hordisque tendiâ—â—â— quae quâ—â—â— proliâ—io â—a brachâ—â—â— thaâ—â—â—â— â—aniâ— spicula lâ—ngiùs â—â—nâ—â—ttiâ— si iuxta arteâ—â— mâ—chanicam tempâ—rour 〈◊〉 exâ—râ—â—taâ—◠〈…〉 â—ui mensurâ—m 〈◊〉 vâ—tecollegâ—â—nt 〈◊〉 peneâ—â—â— qâ—â—dâ—â—que pereâ—ssâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the fall of 〈◊〉 Balista drew with it a great part of the wall of the campe at Crâ—â—â—â—â— Balista of a woonderfull greatnesse belonging to the sixteenth Legion shooting out huge and mighty stones galled them sore and had made a farre greater hauocke amongst them had not two souldiers vndertaken an honourable exploite and taking vp targets among the deade bodies gone vnknowen and cut the cordes and waightes of the engine whereupon they were by and by cut in pieces and so their names are not knowen of the fact there is no question Nowe the battaile continued doubtfull and fortune indifferent to both sides till at farre in the night the moone rose and discoueted the armies though in deceitfull sort and more in fauour of the Flauian side because shee was at their backes by meanes whereof both the shadowes of the men and horses stretched along toward the enemies and so the arrowes and dartes of the Vitellianists being falsely bestowed vpon shadowes fel short of the bodies whereas contrarily by reason of the moone shining against them the Vitellian souldiers were easily hit vnawares with the blowes of the other discharging as it were out of couert Antonius assoone as he could discerne his owne company and be likewise discerned of them beganne to inflame them seuerally some with shame and rebuke others with praise and encouragementes all with hope and large promises demaunding of the Pannonian Legions for what purpose they had nowe resumed armes if to wipe away the blot of their late ignominie here was the fielde where they might reintegrate themselues in their honour againe Then turning to the Moesian souldiers he challenged them as authors and beginners of the warre adding that in vaine they haâ— dared the Vitellianists with wordes and threates if now they durst not abide their handes and lookes And after this and the like sort he spake to all whom hee met but most at large to those of the thirde Legion putting them in remembraunce both of their late and ancient victories how vnder the conduct of Marcus Antonius they had ouerthrowen the Parthians vnder Corbulo the Armenians and of late the Sarmatians then directing his speech to the Praetorians in great anger As for you disgraded souldiers quoth hee it you winne not here what other generall or what other campe shal receiue you Yonder loe there be your enseignes and weapons and present death if you leese for you haue spente already your shame Great crying and noise there was on euery side when as the third Legion as the maner in Syria is with a great showte saluted the sunne rising vpon which accident or by the Generals pollicy a generall rumour was spred thorow the host that Mutianus was come and the armies had met and saluted ech other Whereupon as supplied with newe forces they pressed forwarde and gaue a freshe onset the Vitellian ranckes growing now thinner as being without all direction and banding together or disbanding as their owne courage or feare did induce them When Antonius felt them weake in the shocke and yeelding vnder his hande with a company firmely compacted hee charged and disordered them The ranckes once loosed brake could not be reunited by reason of the cariages and engins which hindered the matter The conquerours hoatly pursuing the chace dispersed themselues along the high way The slaughter was the more famous because in the same it happened the sonne to kill his owne father the thing and the names of the persons I will set downe as Vipsanius Messalla hath reported it Iulius Mansuetus borne in Spaine and called to serue in the Legion surnamed Rapax left a sonne at home vnder yeares who growing afterward to mans state and being enrolled by Galba into the seuenth Legion by mere misfortune here met and encountred with his owne father and hauing wounded him deadly going about to rifle him came into knowledge of him was likewise knowen by him againe Whereupon embracing the corps which now was without sense or life with teares lamentable voice he be sought his fathers ghost not to impute this impiety vnto him nor abhorre and detest him as a parricide that it was the publicke act of the cause and what a small portion was one souldier of these ciuill warres And withall hee tooke vp the body made a pitte in the ground and perfourmed his last duety toward his father This was perceiued by them which were next and then by more also in the end the fame of this strange chance went thorow the whole army much complaining there was detestation of so cruell and wicked a warre and yet they continued nothing the lesse to kill and to spoile both kinsmen and frendes and euen their brethren also they talke what a wicked fact was committed and in the meane time commit it themselues Whenas they came to Cremona there appeared a new and no small piece of worke yet behinde For in the warre against Otho the German soldiers had cast their campe about the wals of Cremona about their campe raÌ„piers treÌ„ches which they had now lately augmeÌ„ted At the sight whereof the Flauianists were at a stop the Generals being doubtful what to appoint to begin the assault the army being tired with the trauaile both of the day the night were a difficult matter hauing no place of retiring at hand dangerous too to returne to BebriacuÌ„ were intolerable paine the way being so long besides all they had done would be lost and the victory made voide to sit downe intrench that
the insufficiencie of our captaines and seditiousnesse of our Legions forreine force assailing vs and our allyes betraying vs were reduced to those desperate termes that we stoode in danger of leesing the countrey but that warre together with the causes and particular euentes thereof for it continued long I a lib. 4. will hereafter declare The Dacians also stirred a nation neuer louing vs and as then our army being withdrawen out of Moesia not fearing vs neither When the first alterations and troubles beganne they held themselues quiet and looked but on but whenas they perceiued Italie to bee all in armes and betweene the sides euery where open hostility forcing the standing campes of the cohorts and wings they put themselues in possession of both the banckes of Danubius and were now at the point to baue razed the campes of the Legions had not Mutianus hauing knowledge before of the victory at Cremona opposed the sixt Legion against them lest two forreine powers should haue broken in at one time the Germans Dacians from two diuerse coastes As often heretofore so now specially fortune was fauourable to the Romans bringing Mutianus with the power of the East to arriue there at that instant and that in the meane time the matter was so dispatched at Cremona Mutianus departing away left Fonteius Agrippa who had beene one yeare Proconsull of Asia Lieutenant generall in Moesia assigning him sufficient forces out of the Vitellian Legions whom it was thought a point both of pollicy and peace to disperse abroad in the prouinces and keepe occupied in forreine warre Neither were other nations at quiet In Pontus a barbarous bondeman which sometime had beene Admirall of the kings nauie raised vp a sodaine warre in the countrey his name was Anicetus a freedman of the late king Polemo sometime of great credite and power and now since the kingdome was b In Neroes time reduced into a prouince displeased and greeued with the change Whereupon hauing associated vnto him in Vitellius name the nations that dwell vpon Pontus alluring the poore and neediest sort with hope of bootie and spoile he became in short time Commander of competent forces with which hee sodainely inuaded and brake into Trapezus a very ancient citty built by the Graecians in the vttermost borders of Pontus where a cohorte was slaine which in time past was in the seruice there of the king but being afterwarde made cittizens of Rome had taken enseignes and armour after our manner retaining the slouthfulnesse and dissolute life of the Greekes notwithstanding Hee burned also the nauy there doing his pleasure on that sea which as then was vngarded by reason that Mutianus had giuen order for the best of the galleyes and all the souldiers to meete him at Byzantium vpon occasion whereof the barbarous people also of the countrey ranged abroade and robbed without feare of checke or controlment building them boates on the sodaine which they call a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strabo lib. 11. Camerae of narrowe sides and broade bottoms wrought and ioyned togither without any brasse or iron and when the sea goeth high as the waues rise they raise also the sides of the vessell with boordes vntill they close and couer it aboue like a house and so the boates tumble vp and downe in the middle of the waues hauing a prow alike on both sides ready to rowe either way without any danger as it shall fall out for their purpose These things moued Vespasian to assigne vnto those parts some Vexillary soldiers out of the Legions and Virdius Geminus for captaine a man of good proofe in seruice who setting vpon the enemies being in disarray and dispersed in seeking of spoile draue them to their boates and then causing some galleyes to bee built in hast pursued and ouertooke Anicetus in the mouth of the riuer Cohibus being there vnder the protection of the king of the Sedochezi whom he had wunne by money gifts to vndertake his defence And indeede at first the king threatned to protect his suppliant with force of armes but whenas he saw himselfe put to the choise to accept either rewarde for yeelding him or warre in defending him as an vnconstant and disloyall barbarian vpon composition hee surrendred Anicetus to dye deliuered the fugitiues so an ende was made of that seruile warre Vespasian being ioyfull vpon the obtaining of this victorie all things succeeding vnto him aboue his own wish was certified soone after being in Aegypt of the battaile at Cremona which caused him to make the more hast to Alexandria that seeing Vitellius army was defeated and broken hee might presse also with hunger the citty of Rome standing altogether vpon forraine prouision For so likewise he made preparation to inuade Africke situate on the same coast both by sea and lande meaning to cut off the two storehouses of corne from the enemie and so procure famine whereof consequently dissension would growe X. Antonius Primus marcheth from Cremona to Fanum Fortunae his tarring with Mutianus WHILEST in these generall alterations thorowe out the whole world the state thus altered passed Antonius Primus leauing Cremona left also his former care of well carying himselfe supposing the warre to be at an end and no difficulty in that which remained or els peraduenture prosperity in a man of that disposition discouered the secrete and inwarde faultes of his minde as couetousnesse and pride and other vices that were suppressed before Italie he harried as a conquered countrey the Legions with all kinde of curtesie hee sought to assure to himselfe in summe by all speeches and deedes he made the way to his owne greatnesse And to giue the souldier the more his owne will and leaue him the bridle at large of his mere motion hee graunted vnto the Legions the choise of Centurions in their roomes that were slaine by which kinde of election the busiest and troublesomest fellowes were chosen and generally the souldier was not gouerned by the direction of his captaine but the captaine drawen by the violence of the souldier After these pointes tending to faction and corrupting of discipline hee conuerted himselfe to the pray nothing dreading Mutianus at hande which was a more hainous offence then to haue contemned Vespasian himselfe Neuerthelesse the army marched on without cariages because the winter was neare and the fieldes ouerflowen with the Po. The enseignes and standerds of the conquering Legions and the aged or impotent souldiers with many sound also were left at Verona It seemed sufficient now the warre was in so good a forwardnesse to take onelie the cohorts and wings and certaine chosen men out of the Legions vnto this companie the eleuenth Legion also adioyned themselues who at the first had made some delay but seeing the good successe of their fellowes were sory it was their ill happe to be absent with it there came also sixe thousande Dalmatians newly leuyed Poppaeus Siluanus was Lieutenant generall but the whole
round about the campe to see and view the strength of their victorious army and so dismissing them backe to their master All which at their returne Vitellius after secrete examination had commanded to be made away But aboue all other the a Suetonius Othone c. 10. Xiphilinus p. 205. and after him Zonaras reporteth this in the story of Otho in the former warre with some smal differēce of circumstances constancy and resolutenes of the Centurion Iulius Agrestis was most notable who after much speech tending to incite Vitellius to vertue in vaine at the length obtained that himselfe might be sent to view the forces of the enemie and see what had passed at Cremona For the performing whereof he sought no corners but addressed himselfe directly to Antonius and openly professing what charge he had from his Prince and what was his intent he required hee might bee permitted to take a perfect suruey of all things so some were sent with him which shewed him the place where the battaile was fought the ruines of Cremona the conquered Legions Agrestis went home againe and making relation whenas Vitellius would not beleeue his report but charged him with vntrueth and further that he was hired thereto Seeing then quoth Agrestis no meane proofe will serue and neither my life nor my death can now stande you in any other steede I will giue you an assurance which you may beleeue and so departing from him he sealed his sayings voluntarily with his bloud Some write that he was slaine by Vitellius commaundement but of his fidelity and constancy they report the same Now Vitellius beeing as it were awaked out of sleepe commaunded Iulius Priscus and Alphenus Varus with fourteene Praetorian cohorts and all the wings of the horsemen to keepe the streits of the Apennine after them followed a Legion of Seamen a power both for number and goodnesse of men and horses sufficient if another had bene Generall to make warre offensiue not onely to stande vppon their defence The rest of the cohorts were committed to Lucius Vitellius his brother to garde the citty withall Himselfe abating nothing of his wonted ryot and hasty through distrust hudled vp the election of officers wherein he declared Consuls for a Suetonius Vitellio c. 11. comitia in decem annos ordina vit seque perpetuum consulem many yeares to come Moreouer newe treaties and more gracious were concluded with our allyes and the right of Latium conferred vppon strangers To some hee released their tributes to others he granted immunities without all care of posterity mangling and mayming the Empire But the common sort accepted these fauours that seemed so great and the foolishest bought them with money which wise men accounted but voyde beeing such as could neither bee giuen nor taken with the safety of the state At the last through the instant request of his armie lying in Meuania with a great trayne of Senatours assumed partly vpon suite and most vpon feare he repayred to the campe irresolute of himselfe and obnoxious to vnfaithfull counsailes As he was speaking to his souldiers in publike assembly it fell out so many vnlucky birdes to flye ouer his head a monstrous matter that the day was ouercast as it were with a blacke cloude and another no lesse ominous and of euill presage that a bull which was appointed to be sacrificed brake away from the altars ouerturned the furniture of the ceremonie and was knocked downe farre of from the accustomed place But the greatest monster was Vitellius himselfe a Prince without skill in the profession of armes and deuoyde of direction and counsell demanding eftsoones of others in what order to march what diligence was requisite in making discoueries what meane was to be obserued in vrging or delaying the warre and vpon euery flying report apparently fearefull in countenance and trembling in gate and beside all this most commonly druncken At the length growing weary of the campe and vnderstanding of the reuolt of the nauy at Misenum hee returned to Rome euer fearing most the blowe that came last and carelesse in the meane time of the mayne chance For whereas it had bene a course most cleare in reason and euident in sight to haue passed the Apennine with his army which then was in hart and strength and so to haue assayled the enemies almost consumed with hunger and colde he on the other side fell to a Taking some with him to Rome but principally in that he sent away with his brother as appeareth anone six cohorts fiue hundreth horse into Campania out of this army dispersing his forces and so abandoned his best and faithfullest soldiers whom he left thereby to the enemies mercy and deliuered them as it were into their handes contrary to the opinion of the most expert Centurions who disliked greatly the disuniting and if their aduise had beene asked would haue tolde plainly their minde but Vitellius inwardest frendes hindered them from accesse the Princes eares being so framed that he accounted all sharpe that was wholesome liked of nothing but that which was presently pleasant and afterwards hurtfull But the nauy at Misenum so much the audaciousnesse euen of one single man in ciuill dissensions may work was brought to reuolt by the meanes of Claudius Fauentinus a Centurion ignominiously cassed by Galba who counterfayting letters from Vespasian with hope of reward induced them to change their allegeance The Admirall thereof was Claudius Apollinaris a man that neither constantly kept his fidelity nor stoutly maintained his treason and Apinius Tiro who had bene Pretor and was then by chance at Minturnae offred himselfe for a head to them which reuolted by whose meanes the colonies and free townes were drawen to the side the Puteolani shewing themselues most forward that way But Capua on the other side persisted firme to Vitellius whereupon there passed vnder coulour of the publicke cause much priuate choler betweene the two townes To the pacification of these troubles Vitellius chose out Claudius Iulianus who had lately bene Admirall of the nauie at Misenum and gouerned himselfe in that charge with great mildnesse as the meetest man to appease the souldiers mindes assigning vnto him a power of one cittie-cohort and the “ Gladiatores fencers which were vnder his charge Assoone as the campes approched the one to the other Iulianus without any great stay turned to Vespasians side and so iointly they tooke Tarracian a place of great strength in regarde of the walles and situation if the men within had bene faithfull and good Vpon knowledge whereof Vitellius leauing part of his forces at Narnia with the captaines of his Garde sent his brother Lucius Vitellius away with six cohorts and fiue hundreth horse to manage the warre of Campania Himselfe beeing greatly perplexed in minde was yet somewhat reuiued with the earnest goodwill of the soldiers and clamours of the towne people requiring armour and weapons whom being nought els but a cowardly companie whose
campes were surprized the cohorts defeated slaine not one Roman left in the whole Batauian ilande commanded Mummius Lupercus the Lieutenant who gouerned the standing campe of two Legions to goe foorth against the enimie Lupercus taking the Legionaries about him and the Vbians at hande with certaine horsemen of the Treueri not farre off led them out in haste taking also with him a wing of Batauians which being long since secretely corrupted notwithstanding made shewe of fidelitie to the ende that in the very instant of ioyning betraying the Romans they might slippe away with more dammage to the one and bee better welcome to the other Ciuilis placed rounde about him the enseignes of the late taken cohortes that his souldiers might bee encouraged in beholding the monument of their late glory and the enemy dismaied with the memory of their ouerthrow Moreouer he caused his mother and sisters together with the wiues young children of al his soldiers to stand at their backs for an encouragement to the victory or a shame if they happened to flee In the ioyning of the two armies the singing of their men and howling of their women farre exceeded and drowned the feeble showte of our Legions and cohortes and the Batauian wing fleeing to the enemy and straightway turning vpon vs bared the left flancke of our battell notwithstanding the Legionary souldiers as in a case of such danger yet retained their weapons in their handes and themselues in array The Aydes of the Vbians and Treueri ranne most shamefully away and brake euery where which chase the Germans pursued gaue by that meanes leysure to our Legions to retire themselues into their campe called Vetera Claudius Labeo captaine of the Batauian wing who had followed at home a contrary faction to Ciuilis lest that either his death should offend the cuntrey or his presence minister cause of dissension was quietly sent out of the way into Frisia VIII The eight Batauian cohorts which had serued the Romans so long in Britannie against Otho and elswhere sollicited by Ciuilis forsake Magontiacum make their way at Bonna by the sworde and so ioine to Ciuilis IN the meane season the messenger sent by Ciuilis to Magontiacum to sollicite the cohorts of Batauians Caninefates came thither and founde them in readinesse by Vitellius commandement to march toward Rome Vpon that message receiued forthwith they waxed prowde and intolerable crying out or els refusing to march for their donatiue for double wages for an augmentation of the number of their horsemen things indeede promised by Vitellius but demanded by them not in hope to obtaine but to picke an occasion of mutinee and Flaccus yeelding to diuerse of their demandes gayned nought els but that they more instantly craued those things which they knew hee could not but denie So setting Flaccus at naught they tooke vp their ensignes and marched towarde lowe Germanie to ioyne themselues with Ciuilis Hordeonius calling the Tribunes and Centurions also to councell debated the matter whether he should by maine strength seeke to enforce them which so contemptuously brake away anone partly of his owne cowardlie nature partly through the timorousnesse of the officers who trusted neither the faith of their Aides nor the force of their a At Magontiacum then with Hordeonius were abiding two Legions quartae duodevicesima aliâs ducetvicesim◠Legions being gathered in hast of men vnskilfull in seruice he resolued to keepe his soldiers within the trenches and let the Batauians passe Afterwarde repenting himselfe of that resolution they also blaming it which were chiefe autours thereof as if he ment to pursue them he wrote to Herennius Gallus gouernour of Bonna and Lieutenant of the first Legion which wintered there that he should stoppe the Batauians from passage promising that he with his whole power would not faile to be on their backes And so verily they might haue beene defeated and slaine if Hordeonius of the one side and Gallus of the other had brought forward their power and enclosed them in behinde and before but Flaccus changed his purpose againe and in other letters of later date willed Gallus not to staye their passage Whereupon suspicion arose that the Lieutenaunts of set purpose stirred vp and fostered these warres yea all the mischieffes which either had chanced alreadie or were feared hereafter were imputed not to the cowardlinesse of the souldier or strength of the enemie but onely to the fraude and falsehoode of the Leaders When the Batauians drew neare to the campe at Bonna they sent before certaine messengers to declare to Herennius Gallus the intention of the cohorts that their meaning was not to make warre with the Romans in whose behalfe they had so oft borne armes but forasmuch as they were wearied with along and fruitlesse seruice their desire was quietly to liue at home in their cuntrey And therefore if no man made opposition their passage should be harmelesse but if any hostility were offred they would make their way with the sworde Whilest the Lieutenant stoode deuided in minde what to doe his soldiers vrged him to put it to the fortune of a field There were in his campe three thousand a Whereas the ful and iust nūber of a Legion should bee 6000. or 5000. at the least Legionary soldiers and certaine tumultuary cohorts of Belgians and withal a number of pezants and followers of the campe braue men before the danger approche in the danger but cowards Out they issue at all the gates of the campe to enclose the Batauians whom they knew to be farre inferiour in number The Batauians mindfull of their olde order in seruice set themselues in array in pointed battels standing on euery side close together hauing their front their flanckes and their backe surely garded and so with great facility brake thorow our thinne companies The Belgians first gaue ground and then our Legionaries were beaten backe and ranne for feare toward the trenches and gates of the campe There the most slaughter was committed the fosses were filled vp with dead bodies and many dyed in the throng by tumbling one ouer another and running vpon their own weapons aswell as slaine by the enemie After this victory the Batauians went forward leauing Coleyn of the right hand attempted no act of hostility in the rest of their iourney but excusing the battaile at Bonna as a thing done by constraint and for their owne safety whenas they intreated for peace and it would not be granted IX Ciuilis colourably sweareth his men to Vespasian then with his Batauians and the assistance of certaine German nations he besiegeth Vetera giueth an assault and is repulsed CIVILIS vpon the comming of these olde cohorts had now vnder his conduict a full complete army neuerthelesse wauering in minde standing irresolute consideting the puissance of the Roman Empire he caused all his men to sweare to Vespasian and sent forth with embassadours to the two Legions which beeing
backe againe which erewhile in a maner was lost they held vp their handes to them in the campe that they should not neglect to vse the opportunity who beholding all things from the walles issued forth at all the gates and by chance Ciuilis being by the fall of his horse ouerthrowen of both sides was thought to be wounded or slaine which greatly dismayed his men and caused them to breake and contrarilie put courage in ours But Vocula pursued not the chace but entring Vetera onely augmented the rampiers and towers of the campe as against a newe siege being had in a ielosie by this kinde of colde dealing to desire the continuance of the warre and not without cause hauing so often marred the victorie for want of good following XV. Vocula vittaileth Vetera and returneth to Gelduba and thence to Nouesium where Hordenius in a mutinee is slaine Vocula with his power goeth to relieue Magontiacum besieged by the Germans The faithfulnesse of the Treueri to the Romans at the beginning of these troubles NOTHING distressed our souldiers so much as lacke of prouision and foode Whereupon the cariages of the Legions with a weake vnseruiceable company were sent to Nouesium that from thence by land they might furnish the armie with vittailes for the enemies were masters of the riuer The first conuoy passed peaceably without molestation Ciuilis being not yet recouered of his hurte but an one vnderstanding another company was sent to Nouesium and certaine cohorts assigned to conduct them marching as in time of great quiet carelesly not keeping themselues to their ensignes but casting their armour and weapons into the wagons and rouing about licentiously hee sent before to take vp the bridges and straites and then in good order charged vpon them The * pugnatum long◠agmine battaile was fought with troupes displayed out thinnely in length and continued doubtfull vntill the night tooke vp the quarrell The cohorts proceeded forward to Gelduba the campe standing there as it was garded by the soldiers which Vocula had left There was no question what perill there would be in the returne the forragers being but fewe and heauily loaden whereupon Vocula determining to goe out and relieue them increased his armie with a thousand men chosen out of the two Legions which were besieged at Vetera the first and fifteenth a stubborne and hedstrong souldier and hating his captaines More went then were commanded at their going openly murmuring that they would no longer endure famine nor be obnoxious to the secrete practises of the Lieutenants but those which remayned behinde complained that they by carying away so many men were forsaken and left as a pray to the enemie Whereupon a double mutinee grew the one part recalling Vocula seditiously and the other in like sort refusing to returne againe to the campe In the meane season Ciuilis besieged Vetera Vocula marcheth to Gelduba and leauing Gelduba which Ciuilis straight way tooke vp frō thence to Nouesium not farre from whence shortly after his horsemen skirmished with the enemy prosperously But prosperity aduersity inflamed alike the souldiers to seeke their captaines destruction and the Legions being augmented by that increase out of the fift and fifteenth Legion more insolently required their donatiue vnderstanding that money was sent from Vitellius Whereupon Hordeonius without further delay diuided the money amongst them in Vespasians name which was the principall thing that ministred matter fed the mutinee which followed For the souldiers hauing idle spending money gaue themselues to ryot and banquetting and assemblies by night and by that meanes renewed their former wrath and displeasure against Hordeonius whom they haled out of his chamber slew none of the Lieutenants or Tribunes daring to gainsay or withstand them being hardened by reason of the night season against all modestie and shame The like was intended against Vocula if hee had not in a bondmans attire escaped vnknowen in the darke Assoone as the heate of their fury was past they fell to consider the danger wherein they did stande sent by and by Centurions with letters to the cities of France desiring supply of money and men themselues when Ciuilis approched as the common sort without head is headlong feareful and sluggish rashly tooke vp their weapons soone laying thē downe ranne away Aduersity bred discorde those of the vpper armie disioyning their cause from the others Notwithstanding the images of Vitellius were set vp againe in the campe and in the citties of Belgium adioyning whenas Vitellius himselfe was now down Then the soldiers of the first Legion and the fourth eighteenth vpon repentance came in and submitted themselues vnto Vocula at whose handes receyuing againe the oath to Vespasian they were led forth to raise the siege at Magontiacum The army which besieged it consisting of Catti Vsipij and Matiaci was already departed away loaden with spoiles being by our men met with on the way scattered at vnawares was in part put to the sworde Moreouer the Treueri along their confines cast a trench with a * Loricam vallumque parapet and with great slaughter on ech side skirmished against the Germās vntil shortly after reuolting by that odious fact they defaced all their good seruice done heretofore to the Romans XVI The disposition of the common people of the Cittie at the beginning of the yeare The ordinarie Senate vpon the first day of January Mutianus supplanteth Antonius Primus IN the meane season Vespasianus second time Consull Titus in absence entered their office The yeare of the citty 823. the cittie being in great anguish diuersely perplexed besides the miseries which presently they felt vpon a false alarme of the reuolt of Africke the rebellion of Piso Proconsull there a man of milde and quiet disposition but because through the tēpestuousnes of the winter the shippes came not home the poore people which day by day were accustomed to buy bread and cared for nothing els of common affaires but corne feared that all the shippes of that coast were purposely stayed and the corne detained and fearing quickly beleeued it In which imaginary conceyt the Vitellianists also confirmed them who had not as yet wholly left of their former affections and humours Neither was the rumour displeasing vnto the winners as hoping to make their profit thereby whose insatiable lust and desires no forraine warre much lesse any ciuill victorie could euer fill or content The first of Ianuary the Senate was assembled by Iulius Frontinus the a To whom it belonged in the absence of the Consuls to assemble the Senate Citty-pretor and solemne thanks with praise concluded vpon to the Lieutenants and armies and kings which frended the cause The Pretorship also was taken from Tertius Iulianus because he had forsaken his Legion applying it selfe to Vespasiās side bestowed vpō Plotius b One of Mutians fauorits 3. Hist p. 133.2 Griphus Hormus was made a Gentleman of Rome
When they approched the woods vniting themselues they intrapped vnawares some of the foremost of our men which vnaduizedly followed not knowing the cuntrey and vnlesse Agricola had with his presence euerywhere assisted at neede setting about them of his brauest and most readie footemen as it were in forme of a toyle and commanding some of his horsemen to leaue their horses where the passages were narrow and others where the wood was thinne to enter on horsebacke no doubt wee had taken some blowe by our ouermuch boldnesse But after they sawe our men againe in strong array to follow the chace in good order they fled not in troupes as before and attending ech other but vtterly disbanded and single eschewing all companie towarde the desert and farre distant places The night and our fulnesse of bloud made an ende of the chace Of the enemies side a Tacitus seldome telleth the number and beside both he and Salust as Orosius witnesseth forbid it in history but professione pietatie he must be excused in transgressing his owne rule ten thousand were slaine three hundreth and forty of ours amongst whom was Aulus Atticus captaine of a cohort vpon a youthfull heate and through the fiercenesse of his horse being caryed into the middest of his enemies That night the winners for their partes solaced themselues with the victory and spoyle and the Britans being vtterly broken crying and howling men and women togither take and draw with them their hurt persons call the not hurt forsake their owne houses and in despite also set them on fire themselues chuse out holes for to lurke in straightwaies forsake them communicate some counsailes togither and then haue some glimring of hope sometimes at the sight of their dearelyest beloued they are mooued to pitty more often stirred to rage and certaine it is that some as by way of compassion and mercy slew their owne children wiues The day following discouered more plainly the greatnesse of the victory Euery where desolation and silence no stirring in the mountaines the houses fired and smoking farre of no man to meete with our spies who being sent abroade into all quarters founde by their footsteps the flight was vncertaine and that they were no where in companies togither Whereupon Agricola because the sommer was spent and the warre conueniently could not be diuided bringeth his army into the borders of the b Now called Anguse as some suppose Horrestians where receiuing hostages hee commanded the Admiral of the nauy to sayle about Britannie lending him soldiers strength for that purpose and the terrour of the Roman name was gone alreadie before Himselfe with easie and gentle iourneyes to terrifie the newe conquered nations with the very stay of his passage disposed his footemen horsemen in their wintering places and withall the nauy with prosperous winde and successe arriued at the port c Some read it Rhutupensis which is supposed to be Richborow neare Sandwich Trutulensis from whence it “ Or departed coasting along the nearest side of Britanny and so returned thither againe departed and coasting along the nearest side of Britannie returned thither againe This state of affaires in Britannie Agricola signified by letter without any amplifying termes to Domitian who after his maner with a cheereful countenance grieued hart receiued the newes being inwardly pricked to thinke that his late a Xiphilinus Domitiano 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The like Suetonius reporteth of Caius c. 47. conuersus hinc ad curam triumphi praeter captiuos transfugas barbaros Galliarū quoque proceris simum quemque vt ipse dicebat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ac nonnullos ex principibus legit ac seposuit ad pompam coegitque non tantùm rutilare ac submittere comam sed sermonē Germanicum addiscere nomina barbarica ferre coūterfaite triumph of Germanie wherein certaine slaues bought for money were attired and their haire dressed as captiues of that cuntrey was had in derision and iustly skorned abroade whereas now a true and great victory so many thousands of enemies being slaine was currant and famous in euery mans mouth that it were indeede a most perillous point if a priuate mans name should be exalted aboue the name of the Prince In vaine then had hee suppressed the study of Oratory and all other worthy politicke artes if hee should in militare glory be disseised by another for other matters might more easily be passed ouer but to bee a good commander of an army was to bee aboue priuate estate that being a vertue peculiar for a Prince With these and the like cares being tormented and musing much in his closet alone which was a token and signe of some cruelty intended he thought it yet best for the present to dissemble and put ouer his malice vntill the heate of his glorie and loue of his souldiers were somewhat abated for as yet Agricola remayned in charge Wherefore hee commanded that all the honours of triumphall ornaments * Illustris statuae honorem 1. Hist triumphalis statua image triumphall and what els vsually was conferred in liew of triumph should bee awarded vnto him in Senate in most ample and honourable tearmes and sending a successour caused withall a bruite to bee spred that the prouince of Syria which then lay voide by the death of Atilius Rufus the Lieutenant and was reserued for men of great qualitie was purposed vnto him And a common opinion went that Domitian sending one of his most secrete and trustie seruants to Agricola sent withall the patent of Syria with instruction that if hee were in Britannie it should bee deliuered and that the same man meeting Agricola as hee crossed the seas without speaking vnto him or deliuering his message returned againe to Domitian Whether this were true or fayned and surmized probably as correspondent to the Princes disposition I cannot affirme but in the meane season Agricola had deliuered to his successour the prouince in good and peaceable state And lest his arriuall at Rome should bee noted by reason of the multitudes of people which would goe out to see and to meete him cutting off that curtesie of his frendes hee entred the cittie by night and by night as hee was willed came to the Palace Where being admitted to the Princes presence and receiued with a short salutation and no speech hee sorted himselfe with the rest of the waiters Now to the ende hee might temper and qualifie with other good parts his militare renowne a vertue vnpleasant to men of no action hee gaue himselfe wholly to quietnesse and medling with nothing being in apparell moderate affable in speech accompanied vsually but by one or two of his frendes so that many which commonly iudge of great men by the outwarde apparence and pompe seeing and marking Agricola missed of that which by same they conceyued fewe aimed aright at the cause Often was hee in those dayes accused to Domitian in absence and in absence acquitted
fourth twentie and two beside to sounde the trumpet and strike the drumme c. The fift thirtie The sixt classis b Liuâ— l. 1. f. 10. P immunis militia 1 That iâ— Free from al seruice in warre and al paâ—â—ent of Tribute Dionysius lib 4 p. 165. although the same Dionys in the same page allâ—tâ—eth it by oversight one soldier in 193. true it is that the sixth clâ—ssis had one voice in 193. in comitâ—â—s centuriatis but it yeelded no man to the muster at al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that one course by this maner of mustering yeelded a hundreth ninetie two men to the warre vvhereof eighteene were horsemen fower artificers and fifers a hundreth and seuentie footemen and so about againe as the case required a greater or lesse armie in the same proportion Dionysius libro 4. pag. 164. and 165. With whom Liuy libro 1 agreeing in the rest differeth onely in the cense of the fift classis vvhich by him is but eleuen thousand asses and furthermore the artificers Liuy ioineth to the first classis and the fifers to the fift whereas Dionysius putteth them to the second and fourth The reason vvhy this last and poorest sort was excluded from seruice is vvell set downe by Iulius Exuperantius Populus Romanus sayeth hee per classes diuisus erat pro patrimonij facultate censebatur ex ijs omnes quibus res erat ad militiam ducebantur diligenter enim pro victoriâ laborabant qui praeter libertatem bona defendebant illi autem quibus nullae opes erant caput suum quod solùm possidebant censebantur belli tempore in moenibus residebant facilè enim poterant existere proditores quia egestas haud facilè habetur fine damno This kinde of mustering per classes instituted by Seruius vvas in later times as it may bee gathered by the d Tribus ad sacramentum vocatae Liuy Tacit. and others practise in the Roman stories and plaine vvordes of e lib. 6. p. 180. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Polybius altered in parte and reduced somewhat nearer to a matter of tribe as beeing a more popular order and more agreeable to the present gouernement yet so that to Legionary seruice none could bee mustered but such as vvere sessed at f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fower thousand asses at the least sayeth Polybius vvhich is indeede somewhat lesse then the cense of the fift classis limited by Dionysius and Liuy vvhether it vvere that Polybius had forgotten the summe or that the cense of the classis was abated for that both then and afterward regard vvas had of the classes in taking the muster it is cleare by the vvordes of Salust in Iugurthino Marius interea milites scribere non more maiorum neque ex classibus sed vti cuiusque lubido erat capite censos plerosque such as for lacke of vvealth vvere censed onelie by poll After which time the classes were as I take it in little consideration in the muster of Legions especially in the ciuil warres and in the Empire vtterly neglected the cense also being abolished Now the Legion Legionary being such as we haue described remaineth to speake of the Auxiliary soldiers Auxilia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were soldiers which being not citizens of Rome serued in the Roman campe The first Aydes to purpose which the Romans vsed were of the Albans in Tullus Hostilius tyme. Dionys l. 3. p. 119. And anone Alba the head and mother city of the Latins being razed they chalenged as conquerors that superiority ouer the Latin nation which the Albans before had enioyed In the tyme of Tarquinius Priscus the Latins serued in the Roman Armie as Aides g Dionys p. 143. 147. against the Hetrusci and against the g Dionys p. 143. 147. Sabins the Hetrusci and the Latins In the free state many hundreth yeares the Latins onely Hernici ministred Auxilia grauium armatorum for archers and funditores and leuia auxilia of other nations they did h Hiero apud LiuiuÌ„ li. 22. f. 145. A. not refuse sometime to admit After the third Punicke warre they admitted also i S. lust Juâ—urtia Auxilia ex socijs Italicis à populis regibusque And after that time wee finde sometimes k As in â—ulâ—es epistles Appian c. perchance â—â—tâ—er ex veteri formula and by an ordinary phrase of speech then otherwise mention but no great reckening made in the free state of Auxiliaries the reason as I take it was that the citty beeing communicated to the Latins and Italian allies in bello Marsico they serued no longer in quality of Auxilia being novv inuested vvith the right of Legionarie seruice Augustus and the Emperours fortifying the limits of the Empire with armies and furnishing the Legions onely in a maner of prouinciall Citizens established Auxilia againe supplied out of their allies and subiects abroad and generally out of all nations indifferently making acquainted the barbarous people and ancient enemies of the Roman Empire with their maner of seruice not without notable a Vide Tac 4 Hist in bello cum Germanâ—â— preiudice to the state In Tacitus vnder the first Emperours wee haue in the Roman campe Auxiliaries è Transrhenanis Gallis Britannis Numidis Lusitanis Batauis Thracibus c. and vnder the later Emperours no militar matter in the vvhole Empire passed thorow other then barbarous handes till at length the Romans as great reason was vvere forced to deliuer the Empire to them to whom they had deliuered their armes Theodosius saieth Zosimus 1 That is Made legâ—onaries the barbariaÌ„s bâ—rne beyond the Damnius l. 4. p. 755 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pag. 756. 2 That is There waâ— no ordâ—r bâ—rued in the armies â—or difference made of Roman and Barbarian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of Gratian pag. 760. 3 That is Hee receiued certain fugitiues of the Alaâ—i and bestowed them in his armies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 17. 18. Synesius likevvise a more indifferent person to the Christian Princes reprehendeth the too great facility of Theodosius in receiuing to mercy into his cuntrey kingdome and armies the barbarous nations reaping no other fruite of his clemency but scorne at their hands and thereupon hee taketh occasion to exhort Arcadius his sonne c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to encrease his Legions and vvith the Legions his courage making supply of his owne people and sending backe the Barbarians thither from whence they first came But to returne to our Auxiliary souldier Vegetius lib. 2. cap. 2. describing them vnder the Empire hath these wordes Auxiliares conducuntur ad praelium ex diuersis locis ex diuersis muneribus venientes Nec disciplinâ inter se nec notitiâ nec affectione consentiunt Necesse est autem tardiùs ad victoriam peruenire qui discrepant antequam dimicent Denique cum in expeditionibus