109　AD
  HISTORIES
  by　P。　Cornelius　Tacitus
  translated　by　Alfred　John　Church　and　William　Jackson　Brodribb
  BOOK　I；　January　…　March；　A。D。　69
  I　BEGIN　my　work　with　the　time　when　Servius　Galba　was　consul　for
  the　second　time　with　Titus　Vinius　for　his　colleague。　Of　the　former
  period；　the　820　years　dating　from　the　founding　of　the　city；　many
  authors　have　treated；　and　while　they　had　to　record　the　transactions　of
  the　Roman　people；　they　wrote　with　equal　eloquence　and　freedom。　After
  the　conflict　at　Actium；　and　when　it　became　essential　to　peace；　that
  all　power　should　be　centered　in　one　man；　these　great　intellects　passed
  away。　Then　too　the　truthfulness　of　history　was　impaired　in　many
  ways；　at　first；　through　men's　ignorance　of　public　affairs；　which
  were　now　wholly　strange　to　them；　then；　through　their　passion　for
  flattery；　or；　on　the　other　hand；　their　hatred　of　their　masters。　And　so
  between　the　enmity　of　the　one　and　the　servility　of　the　other；
  neither　had　any　regard　for　posterity。　But　while　we　instinctively
  shrink　from　a　writer's　adulation；　we　lend　a　ready　ear　to　detraction
  and　spite；　because　flattery　involves　the　shameful　imputation　of
  servility；　whereas　malignity　wears　the　false　appearance　of　honesty。
  I　myself　knew　nothing　of　Galba；　of　Otho；　or　of　Vitellius；　either
  from　benefits　or　from　injuries。　I　would　not　deny　that　my　elevation　was
  begun　by　Vespasian；　augmented　by　Titus；　and　still　further　advanced
  by　Domitian；　but　those　who　profess　inviolable　truthfulness　must
  speak　of　all　without　partiality　and　without　hatred。　I　have　reserved　as
  an　employment　for　my　old　age；　should　my　life　be　long　enough；　a　subject
  at　once　more　fruitful　and　less　anxious　in　the　reign　of　the　Divine
  Nerva　and　the　empire　of　Trajan；　enjoying　the　rare　happiness　of
  times；　when　we　may　think　what　we　please；　and　express　what　we　think。
  I　am　entering　on　the　history　of　a　period　rich　in　disasters；
  frightful　in　its　wars；　torn　by　civil　strife；　and　even　in　peace　full　of
  horrors。　Four　emperors　perished　by　the　sword。　There　were　three　civil
  wars；　there　were　more　with　foreign　enemies；　there　were　often　wars　that
  had　both　characters　at　once。　There　was　success　in　the　East；　and
  disaster　in　the　West。　There　were　disturbances　in　Illyricum；　Gaul
  wavered　in　its　allegiance；　Britain　was　thoroughly　subdued　and
  immediately　abandoned；　the　tribes　of　the　Suevi　and　the　Sarmatae　rose
  in　concert　against　us；　the　Dacians　had　the　glory　of　inflicting　as　well
  as　suffering　defeat；　the　armies　of　Parthia　were　all　but　set　in
  motion　by　the　cheat　of　a　counterfeit　Nero。　Now　too　Italy　was
  prostrated　by　disasters　either　entirely　novel；　or　that　recurred　only
  after　a　long　succession　of　ages；　cities　in　Campania's　richest　plains
  were　swallowed　up　and　overwhelmed；　Rome　was　wasted　by
  conflagrations；　its　oldest　temples　consumed；　and　the　Capitol　itself
  fired　by　the　hands　of　citizens。　Sacred　rites　were　profaned；　there
  was　profligacy　in　the　highest　ranks；　the　sea　was　crowded　with
  exiles；　and　its　rocks　polluted　with　bloody　deeds。　In　the　capital　there
  were　yet　worse　horrors。　Nobility；　wealth；　the　refusal　or　the
  acceptance　of　office；　were　grounds　for　accusation；　and　virtue
  ensured　destruction。　The　rewards　of　the　informers　were　no　less
  odious　than　their　crimes；　for　while　some　seized　on　consulships　and
  priestly　offices；　as　their　share　of　the　spoil；　others　on
  procuratorships；　and　posts　of　more　confidential　authority；　they　robbed
  and　ruined　in　every　direction　amid　universal　hatred　and　terror。　Slaves
  were　bribed　to　turn　against　their　masters；　and　freedmen　to　betray
  their　patrons；　and　those　who　had　not　an　enemy　were　destroyed　by
  friends。
  Yet　the　age　was　not　so　barren　in　noble　qualities；　as　not　also　to
  exhibit　examples　of　virtue。　Mothers　accompanied　the　flight　of　their
  sons；　wives　followed　their　husbands　into　exile；　there　were　brave
  kinsmen　and　faithful　sons　in　law；　there　were　slaves　whose　fidelity
  defied　even　torture；　there　were　illustrious　men　driven　to　the　last
  necessity；　and　enduring　it　with　fortitude；　there　were　closing　scenes
  that　equalled　the　famous　deaths　of　antiquity。　Besides　the　manifold
  vicissitudes　of　human　affairs；　there　were　prodigies　in　heaven　and
  earth；　the　warning　voices　of　the　thunder；　and　other　intimations　of　the
  future；　auspicious　or　gloomy；　doubtful　or　not　to　be　mistaken。　Never
  surely　did　more　terrible　calamities　of　the　Roman　People；　or　evidence
  more　conclusive；　prove　that　the　Gods　take　no　thought　for　our
  happiness；　but　only　for　our　punishment。
  I　think　it　proper；　however；　before　I　commence　my　purposed　work；　to
  pass　under　review　the　condition　of　the　capital；　the　temper　of　the
  armies；　the　attitude　of　the　provinces；　and　the　elements　of　weakness
  and　strength　which　existed　throughout　the　whole　empire；　that　so　we　may
  become　acquainted；　not　only　with　the　vicissitudes　and　the　issues　of
  events；　which　are　often　matters　of　chance；　but　also　with　their
  relations　and　their　causes。　Welcome　as　the　death　of　Nero　had　been　in
  the　first　burst　of　joy；　yet　it　had　not　only　roused　various　emotions　in
  Rome；　among　the　Senators；　the　people；　or　the　soldiery　of　the
  capital；　it　had　also　excited　all　the　legions　and　their　generals；　for
  now　had　been　divulged　that　secret　of　the　empire；　that　emperors　could
  be　made　elsewhere　than　at　Rome。　The　Senators　enjoyed　the　first
  exercise　of　freedom　with　the　less　restraint；　because　the　Emperor　was
  new　to　power；　and　absent　from　the　capital。　The　leading　men　of　the
  Equestrian　order　sympathised　most　closely　with　the　joy　of　the
  Senators。　The　respectable　portion　of　the　people；　which　was　connected
  with　the　great　families；　as　well　as　the　dependants　and　freedmen　of
  condemned　and　banished　persons；　were　high　in　hope。　The　degraded
  populace；　frequenters　of　the　arena　and　the　theatre；　the　most　worthless
  of　the　slaves；　and　those　who　having　wasted　their　property　were
  supported　by　the　infamous　excesses　of　Nero；　caught　eagerly　in　their
  dejection　at　every　rumour。
  The　soldiery　of　the　capital；　who　were　imbued　with　the　spirit　of　an
  old　allegiance　to　the　Caesars；　and　who　had　been　led　to　desert　Nero
  by　intrigues　and　influences　from　without　rather　than　by　their　own
  feelings；　were　inclined　for　change；　when　they　found　that　the
  donative　promised　in　Galba's　name　was　withheld；　and　reflected　that　for
  great　services　and　great　rewards　there　was　not　the　same　room　in
  peace　as　in　war；　and　that　the　favour　of　an　emperor　created　by　the
  legions　must　be　already　preoccupied。　They　were　further　excited　by
  the　treason　of　Nymphidius　Sabinus；　their　prefect；　who　himself　aimed　at
  the　throne。　Nymphidius　indeed　perished　in　the　attempt；　but；　though　the
  head　of　the　mutiny　was　thus　removed；　there　yet　remained　in　many　of　the
  soldiers　the　consciousness　of　guilt。　There　were　even　men　who　talked　in
  angry　terms　of　the　feebleness　and　avarice　of　Galba。　The　strictness
  once　so　commended；　and　celebrated　in　the　praises　of　the　army；　was
  galling　to　troops　who　rebelled　against　the　old　discipline；　and　who　had
  been　accustomed　by　fourteen　years'　service　under　Nero　to　love　the
  vices　of　their　emperors；　as　much　as　they　had　once　respected　their
  virtues。　To　all　this　was　added　Galba's　own　expression；　〃I　choose　my
  soldiers；　I　do　not　buy　them；〃　noble　words　for　the　commonwealth；　but
  fraught　with　peril　for　himself。　His　other　acts　were　not　after　this
  pattern。
  Titus　Vinius　and　Cornelius　Laco；　one　the　most　worthless；　the　other
  the　most　spiritless　of　mankind；　were　ruining　the　weak　old　Emperor；　who
  had　to　bear　the　odium　of　such　crimes　and　the　scorn　felt　for　such
  cowardice。　Galba's　progress　had　been　slow　and　blood…stained。　Cingonius
  Varro；　consul　elect；　and　Petronius　Turpilianus；　a　man　of　consular
  rank；　were　put　to　death；　the　former　as　an　accomplice　of　Nymphidius；
  the　latter　as　one　of　Nero's　generals。　Both　had　perished　without
  hearing　or　defence；　like　innocent　men。　His　entry　into　the　capital；
  made　after　the　slaughter　of　thousands　of　unarmed　soldiers；　was　most
  ill…omened；　and　was　terrible　even　to　the　executioners。　As　he　brought
  into　the　city　his　Spanish　legion；　while　that　which　Nero　had　levied
  from　the　fleet　still　remained；　Rome　was　full　of　strange　troops。
  There　were　also　many　detachments　from　Germany；　Britain；　and　Illyria；
  selected　by　Nero；　and　sent　on　by　him　to　the　Caspian　passes；　for
  service　in　the　expedition　which　he　was　preparing　against　the　Albani；
  but　afterwards　recalled　to　crush　the　insurrection　of　Vindex。　Here
  there　were　vast　materials　for　a　revolution；　without　indeed　a　decided
  bias　towards　any　one　man；　but　ready　to　a　daring　hand。
  In　this　conjuncture　it　happened　that　tidings　of　the　deaths　of
  Fonteius　C