The lives of the first twelve Cæsars

561쪽

A. VITELLIUS S 7 death in a lingering manner, and then dragged by a bookinto the Tiber. XVIlI. He pericli d with his brother and son, in the fifty-s eventh year of his age, and veri sed the conjecture

of thos , who, froni the omen Mitch happened to him at Vienna, as has been related ab ove, foretoid that he wouldbe made prisoner by me Gaul. For lie was seired by Antonius Primus a generat of the adverse party, Whowas boria at T oulo use, anil, when a boy, had the nam eos Beccus, whicli signifies a cock's bili. Ab TER the extin Rion os the race of the Caesars, the possession of the imperiat power hec a me eXtrem ely PI CCa rious; and great influence in the arm7 was the meanSwhich now invariably led to the throne. The soldiers having arroga ted to thenaseives the right of nomination, they ei ther unanimo isty elected one and the same person, or different parties supporting the interesis of their respective favorites, there arose belween them a Contention,

which was usualty determined by an appeal to arnas, and sollowed by the assassination of the unsuccesssul competr-tor. Vitellius, by being a parassite os ali the emperorsfroni Tiberius to Nero inclusive, had risen to a high military rank, by whicli, with a spirit os enterprise, and large promis es to the soldi ery, it was not dii sculi to snatch there ins Uf govern ment, while they yet were fluctuating in the hands of Otho. His ambition prompted to the attempi, and his boldiaest was crowned with success. In theservice of the four preceding emperors, Vitellius had imbibed the principat vices of them ait: but what chiessyN n et distinguis ted

563쪽

T. FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS AUGUSTUS.

I. THE empire, which had now been a long time in a docti l and unlatiled condition, by the rebellion and violent death of three severat princes, was at tength reduced to a state of peace and securi ty by the Flavian family, a family obscure, indeed, and ignoble, but such asthat the public had no cause to regi et iis elevation ;1hough it is achnowledged that Domitian met with thejus f reward of his avarice and crueity. Titus Flavius Pe

tronius, a native of Reate, whether a Centurion Or an

Evocatus os Pompey's party in the civit war, is uncertain, sed out of the batile of Pharsalia and went home; where having at last obta ined his pardon and discli arge, hebecame a collector os money rai sed by public sales in theway of auction. His sen, sui nam ed Sabinus, was neVer en-gaged in the military service sthough some say he was a Centurion of the fit si rank, and others, that whilist he was lach, he was dis charged upon account of his bad state of health): this Sabinus, I say, was a collector of the Customos the fortieth penny in Asia. Aiad there were rema in-ing, at the time of the advancement of the family, severat statues, which had been erected to hi in by the cities of that province, widi this inscription, To the honest

Helvetii, and there died, leaving belli rad hi in his wise Vespasia Polla, and two sons by her; the et ter of whom, Sa-

564쪽

binus, came to be Praefect of the city, and the younger, Vespasian, to be em peror. Polla, descended os a good family at Nursia, had for her fallier Vespasius Pollio, strice made Tribune of the soldiers, and at las: Praesectos the camp ; and her brother was a Senator of Ρraetoriandigni ty. There is to this day abolit fix miles frona Nursia, in the road to Spoletium, a place upon the top of amo untain, Called Vespasiae ; where are severat monuments

of the Vespasii, a lassicient pro os of the splendor and antiquity of the family. I must not deny that sonae have

pretended to say, that Petronius's fallier was a native os Gallia Transpadana, whose employment was to hi remork-peopte that used to go yearly frona the colanti y of Umbria into that of the Sabines, to assist them in theirhusbandry: but that he setiled at last in the town of Reate, and there mari ted. But of this J have not been able todiscover the leasst proos, upon the strictes en quiry. II. Vespassian was born in the country of the Sabines, heyond 'leate, in a litile Country-seat Called Phalacrina, upon the fifth of the Caleniis of December, in the even-ing, in the Consulsit ip of Sulpicius Camerinus and C. Poppaeus Sabinus, sive years besere thh death of Ati gustus;

and was educated under the care of Tertulla, his grand-mother by the fallier 's fide, upon an estate belonging to the fami ly at Cosa. Aster his advancement to the empire, he used very much to frequent the place where he hadspent his infancy; and the villa was continued in the fame

condition, that he might see every thing about him jus ashe had been used to do. And he had si great a regard for

sions and festival days, he constantly drank out os a siluercu p whicli sae had been accus omed to use. Aster assum ing the manly habit, he had a long time an aversionsor

565쪽

T. FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS AUGUSTUS. 35 Ifor the Senatorian tunic, though his brother had obta inedit; nor could he be persuaded by any body but his mollier

ties and authoi ity, calling him now and thera by way ofabuse her brother's footman. He served in quality of a Tribune in Thrace. When made Quaestor, he got bylot the province of Crete and Cyrene. He was Candidate for the AEdilesii p, and soon aster for the Praetorship, not without a refusal in the former Case ; but at last, Withmuch dissicut ty, he came in si κth in the pol books. Butthe ossice of Praetor he cara ted upon me fit sit attempi, and came in with the fore most in number of votes. Beingincensed against the Senate, that he might gain by ali pos-fable means the good graces of Caius, he demanded of thelio use eκtraordinary games for his successe in Germany, and ad vited to add to the punishment of the Conspirator sagainst his life, the exposing of their Corpses imburi ed. He lihewise gavd him thantis in that august assembly fortite honor of heing admitted to his table. III. In the mean time he mari ted Flavia Domitilla, whta had formet ly been mill ress to Statilius Capella, a Roman knight of Sabrata in Africa, and of Latin condi

and brought by her fallier Flavius Liberalis, a native os

Ferentinum, and no more than a secretary to a Quaestor.

By her he had the folio ving child reia, Titus, Domitian,

566쪽

manuensis, and hept her even after he was emperor, at

most as is sine had been his viise IV. In the rei gn of Claudius, by the interest of Narcissus, he was serit lietaten an generat os a legion into Germany ; Wheiace being removed into Britain, he en-gaged the enem v in thirty severat batiles. He reducedunder the Roman subjection two very strong nations, andabove twenty great towns, with the Icte of Wight uponthe coast of Britalia, partly under the command of Aulus Plautius, and partly under that os Claudius himself. Forthis bellavio ur he received the triumphat ornamenis, and in a mort time after tWo pi tests' ossices, bessides the Coia' sulfhip, Which he held during the two last monilis of the year. The interval between that and his Proconsulmiphe spent in ease and retii ement, for sear of Agrippina, whobad stili a great sway with her son, and haled ali thestiends of Narcissus, who was then dea d. AsterWards hegot by tot the province of Africa, Which he governedwith great reputation, eXcepting that once, in an Uproar at Adrumetum, he was pelted with turnis s. Itis certa in that he returned theiace nothing richer ; sorhis credit was low, that he was obliged to morigage hi Whole .estate in land to his hi other, and was reduced tome necessi ty of trading in imules, for the support of his rank: for whicli re ason he was commonly called, the Mul eleer. V Ηe is laid likeWi se to hare been convicted of squeeZing out of a young man of semion two hundred thous and sesterces for procuring him the Latus Clavus, contrary to the Will of his fallier, and was severelyreprima ded sor it. In - his attendance upon Nero in Achaia, he would frequently withdraw opt of the theatre, Whil si he was singing, and, when he was present, take ait ep ; Whicli gave so great offence, that he was not only

dismissi d

567쪽

Υ. FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS AUGUSTU s. 553disinissed sto in the couri, but debarred the liberty of sa luting that emperor in public. Upon this he reti red to a smallsequestered town, where he continued untii a province, With an arm y, was offered him, as he lay siculi ing there inconstant f ear of his life . A strong opinion had now a long time prevalled through ali the Eust, that a mans rom Judaea moti id at that time be master of the worid. This, a S the event flaowed, was a prophecy of the rise os a Roman emperor ; but the Jews, applying it to them selves, hi oke out into a rebellion, slew their governor, rota ted the Consular lieuienant of Syria, who wnS AMVancing to his assistance, and took an ease, the standardos one of his legions. As the suppressing of this rebellionappea red to require a stronger fol Ce, and an active generat, lach as might be sa sely trusted in an aifair of so mucii importance, he was Chosen in pneserent e to ali Others, hoth as a person of known activi ty, and , b v reas in of the obscuritu of his birili and name, one not to be in the least dreade l. Two legions there fore, eight squadrons os hos se, and ten battalions of foot, heing added to the former troops

in Judaea, and tali ing with him his ei dest son as his lieu

tenant, as soon as he arrived in the province, he turned

in the Attack of a casile, he had his linee huri bu the strolaeos a si ove, and received severat atroxus in his ilites i. V. Aster Nero and Galba, wliiisl Otho and Vitellii ix mere contending for the fovere ignty, he enterta inod hopes of obtaining the empire, with the prospect of whicli heliad long be re flattered himself, from the folio ingomens. Upon an estate belonging to the Flavian fami lyin the ne ighbourhood of Rome, there was an old Oah, sacred

568쪽

sacred to Mars, Whicli, at the three severat deliveries of Vespasia, put OUt each time a new branch ; evident intimations of the future fortune of each child. The sit stwas but a siender one, Whicli qui chly withered away ;and accordingly the giri that was horn did not live out at welvem onth. The second was strong and tali, whicli portended great good- fortune ; but the third was like atree. His fallier Sabinus, enCoui aged by these Omens, and likewise by s me observations of the Haruspices, tolli his mollier, that nae had got a grand n who would beemperor of Rome at whicli stae laughed hearti ly, and wondercit, iste Did, that her son 1hould doat ali eady,

.hilst she continued stili sensibie.' ' Asterwariis in his AEdiles hip, when C. Caesar, being in a rage at hi in fornot tali ing care to have the streeta kept clean, ordered thebosom of his gown to bo si uissed with diri, sonae at that time Construe i it into a sigia, that the governinent, be ingtram pled under foot and desci ted in some civit commotion, would sali under his protes tota, and as it were into his Iap. Once as he was at dinner, a strange dog brougiit aman's hand out of the street, and la id it under the table. . And as he was at supper another time, an Ox at plough, throwing the yohe offitis necli, brohe in to the roona, andas ter he had frightened a way ali the attendanis, on a Rid-

rose again fresher and stlonger than be fore. He dream tin Achaia, that the good fortune of himself and fami lysto uid begin when Nero had a tooth drawn ; and it hap- pcnod that the Jay after, a surgeon Coming out of theatra uan Os the hoci se here the emperor then lived, showed

569쪽

T. FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS AUGUSTU s. ssshim a tosth which he had just then extracted froni Nero. In Jhidaea Dpon his consulting the oracle of Carmel, the an-swer was io encolaraging as to assure hi in os succese in any thing he projected, however great or important it mighthe. Atid Xhen Josephus, one of the prisoners of quali ty, was put in chains, he Confidently assii meli, that he thouldhe released in a very shori time by the sanae Vespasian, but he would be em peror fit st. Some pres ages likewi

ry Jupiter's holy chariot out of the sacred apariment where it stood, to Vespasian 's house, and conducto it the iace into the Circus. Not long after, as Galba was going to the eleC-tion in which he was made a second time Consul, a s fatueos Julius Caesar turned towards the East. Arad in the fiet los Bedriacum, be re the batile began, two ea gles eragagedin the sight of the army; and one of them being beaten, athird came fro in thoe East, and drove away the ConqUCror. VI. He made however no attempt upon the fovereigia ty, though his friends were very ready to support him, and e vela pressed hi in to the enterprise, uniit he wa S en- coui aged to it by the accidental favor of so me persons un-known to him and at a distance. Two thous and mera, di a via

out of three legions in the Moesian army, had been sent tothe assistance of Otho. Whilli they were upon theirmarch, news came that he had been deseat ed, and put anend to his own life ; notwith standing whicli they continued their march as far as Aquileia, pretending that theygave no credit to the report. There, tempted by the opportunity whicli the di sorder of the times astor led them, they ravaged and pliandered the country at discretion ;untii at length, searing to be Called to an account Upon

570쪽

choosing and setting up an emperor. For they were noways inferior, V they se id, to the army that made Galba emperor, nor the Praetorian troops, which had put up Otho, nor those of Germany, which had done the fame by Vitellius. V The nam es of ali the Consular lieuienanis, theres ore, being offered to consideration, and one rejectingone, aud another another for various reasons, at last fomeos the third legion, whicii a litile hesore Nero 's death hadbeen removed o ut of Syria into Moesia, extolled Veiapasian in high ternas ; and ali the rest assent ing, his name was immediately inscribed in their banners.

troops being brought to submit to Vitellius for a litile time. But the incident be ing noi sed aboad, Tiberius Alexander, go vernor of Egypt, sirst obliged the legionsnnder his command to sis ear obedience to Vespasian astheir emperor, Upon ille Caleniis of July, which was observed ever after as the da y of his accession to the empire;

and upon the fifth of the Ides of thu sanae monili, the at myin Judaea, v here he then was, took likewi se the oath to hisgovern ment. What contributed greatly to forward ille assair, was a Copy Os a letter, whether real or Countersei Which was circula ted, se id to be written by Otho to Vespasian, recommending to him in the most urgent ternas the reverage of his cause, and entrea ting him to reli eve the Common wealth ; as also a rumor which was spreadabroad, that Vitellius, after his success agia in si Otho, proposcit to Change the winter-quarters of ille legions, and remove those in Germany to a more secure and easy scr- vice in the East. Besides, among 1 the go vernors of ille

provinces, Licinius Mucianus dropping the grvdge whicli, si om a spirit os emulation, he had hi therio evidently borquii ima