Tacitus: The Histories, Volumes I and IITacitus, Cornelius
History
Tacitus: The Histories, Volumes I and II
Tacitus, Cornelius
Rome -- History -- Civil War, 68-69; Rome -- History -- Flavians, 69-96
When the two other legions arrived, the Third[41] commanded by 10
Dillius Aponianus, and the Eighth by Numisius Lupus, Antonius decided
to entrench Verona and make a demonstration in force. It so happened
that the Galbian legion, who had been told off to work in the trenches
facing the enemy, catching sight of some of their allies' cavalry in
the distance, took them for the enemy, and fell into a groundless
panic. Suspecting treachery, they seized their arms and visited their
fury on Tampius Flavianus.[42] They could prove no charge against him,
but he had long been unpopular, and a blind impulse made them clamour
for his head. He was Vitellius' kinsman, they howled; he had betrayed
Otho; he had embezzled their donative. They would listen to no
defence, although he implored them with outstretched hands, grovelling
for the most part flat upon the ground, his clothes all torn, his face
and chest shaken with sobs. This only served to inflame the soldiers'
anger. His very excess of terror seemed to prove his guilt.
Aponius[43] tried to address them, but his voice was drowned in their
shouts. The others, too, were contemptuously howled down. They would
give no one a hearing except Antonius, who had the power of authority
as well as the arts of eloquence necessary to quiet a mob. When the
riot grew worse, and they began to pass from insulting speeches to
murderous violence, he gave orders that Flavianus should be put in
chains. Feeling that this was a farce,[44] the soldiers broke through
the guards round the general's quarters, prepared to resort to
extremities. Whereupon Antonius, drawing his sword, bared his breast
and vowed that he would die either by their hands or his own. Whenever
he saw a soldier whom he knew or could recognize by his decorations,
he called on him by name to come to the rescue. At last he turned
towards the standards and the gods of war,[45] and prayed incessantly
that they would rather inspire the enemy's army with this mad spirit
of mutiny. At last the riot died away and at nightfall they all
dispersed to their tents. Flavianus left that same night, and on his
way met letters from Vespasian, which delivered him from danger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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