Meanwhile　a　slave　belonging　to　Verginius　Capito　deserted　to　L。
  Vitellius；　and　having　engaged；　on　being　furnished　with　a　force；　to　put
  him　in　possession　of　the　unoccupied　citadel；　proceeded　at　a　late
  hour　of　the　night　to　place　some　light…armed　cohorts　on　the　summit　of　a
  range　of　hills　which　commanded　the　enemy's　position。　From　this　place
  the　troops　descended　to　what　was　more　a　massacre　than　a　conflict。　Many
  whom　they　slew　were　unarmed　or　in　the　act　of　arming　themselves；　some
  were　just　awaking　from　sleep；　amid　the　confusion　of　darkness　and
  panic；　the　braying　of　trumpets；　and　the　shouts　of　the　foe。　A　few　of
  the　gladiators　resisted；　and　fell　not　altogether　unavenged。　The　rest
  made　a　rush　for　the　ships；　where　everything　was　involved　in　a
  general　panic；　the　troops　being　mingled　with　country　people；　whom
  the　Vitellianists　slaughtered　indiscriminately。　Six　Liburnian　ships
  with　Apollinaris；　prefect　of　the　fleet；　escaped　in　the　first
  confusion。　The　rest　were　either　seized　upon　the　beach；　or　were　swamped
  by　the　weight　of　the　crowds　that　rushed　on　board。　Julianus　was　brought
  before　L。　Vitellius；　and；　after　being　ignominiously　scourged；　was
  put　to　death　in　his　presence。　Some　persons　accused　Triaria；　the　wife
  of　L。　Vitellius；　of　having　armed　herself　with　a　soldier's　sword；　and
  of　having　behaved　with　arrogance　and　cruelty　amid　the　horrors　and
  massacres　of　the　storm　of　Tarracina。　Lucius　himself　sent　to　his
  brother　a　laurelled　dispatch　with　an　account　of　his　success；　and　asked
  whether　he　wished　him　at　once　to　return　to　Rome；　or　to　complete　the
  subjugation　of　Campania。　This　circumstance　was　advantageous　to　the
  State　as　well　as　to　the　cause　of　Vespasian。　Had　the　army　fresh　from
  victory；　and　with　all　the　pride　of　success　added　to　its　natural
  obstinacy；　marched　upon　Rome；　a　conflict　of　no　slight　magnitude；　and
  involving　the　destruction　of　the　capital；　must　have　ensued。　Lucius
  Vitellius；　infamous　as　he　was；　had　yet　some　energy；　but　it　was　not
  through　his　virtues；　as　is　the　case　with　the　good；　but　through　his
  vices；　that　he；　like　the　worst　of　villains；　was　formidable。
  While　these　successes　were　being　achieved　on　the　side　of
  Vitellius；　the　army　of　Vespasian　had　left　Narnia；　and　was　passing
  the　holiday　of　the　Saturnalia　in　idleness　at　Ocriculum。　The　reason
  alleged　for　so　injurious　a　delay　was　that　they　might　wait　for
  Mucianus。　Some　persons　indeed　there　were　who　assailed　Antonius　with
  insinuations；　that　he　lingered　with　treacherous　intent；　after
  receiving　private　letters　from　Vitellius；　which　conveyed　to　him　the
  offer　of　the　consulship　and　of　the　Emperor's　daughter　in　marriage　with
  a　vast　dowry；　as　the　price　of　treason。　Others　asserted　that　this　was
  all　a　fiction；　invented　to　please　Mucianus。　Some　again　alleged　that
  the　policy　agreed　upon　by　all　the　generals　was　to　threaten　rather　than
  actually　to　attack　the　capital；　as　Vitellius'　strongest　cohorts　had
  revolted　from　him；　and　it　seemed　likely　that；　deprived　of　all　support；
  he　would　abdicate　the　throne；　but　that　the　whole　plan　was　ruined　by
  the　impatience　and　subsequent　cowardice　of　Sabinus；　who；　after
  rashly　taking　up　arms；　had　not　been　able　to　defend　against　three
  cohorts　the　great　stronghold　of　the　Capitol；　which　might　have　defied
  even　the　mightiest　armies。　One　cannot；　however；　easily　fix　upon　one
  man　the　blame　which　belongs　to　all。　Mucianus　did　in　fact　delay　the
  conquerors　by　ambiguously…worded　dispatches；　Antonius；　by　a　perverse
  acquiescence；　or　by　an　attempt　to　throw　the　odium　upon　another；　laid
  himself　open　to　blame；　the　other　generals；　by　imagining　that　the　war
  was　over；　contrived　a　distinction　for　its　closing　scene。　Even　Petilius
  Cerialis；　though　he　had　been　sent　on　with　a　thousand　cavalry　by
  crossroads　through　the　Sabine　district　so　as　to　enter　Rome　by　the
  Via　Salaria；　had　not　been　sufficiently　prompt　in　his　movements；　when
  the　report　of　the　siege　of　the　Capitol　put　all　alike　on　the　alert。
  Antonius　marched　by　the　Via　Flaminia；　and　arrived　at　Saxa　Rubra；
  when　the　night　was　far　spent；　too　late　to　give　any　help。　There　he
  received　nothing　but　gloomy　intelligence；　that　Sabinus　was　dead；
  that　the　Capitol　had　been　burnt　to　the　ground；　that　Rome　was　in
  consternation；　and　also　that　the　populace　and　the　slaves　were　arming
  themselves　for　Vitellius。　And　Petilius　Cerialis　had　been　defeated　in　a
  cavalry　skirmish。　While　he　was　hurrying　on　without　caution；　as　against
  a　vanquished　enemy；　the　Vitellianists；　who　had　disposed　some
  infantry　among　their　cavalry；　met　him。　The　conflict　took　place　not　far
  from　the　city　among　buildings；　gardens；　and　winding　lanes；　which
  were　well　known　to　the　Vitellianists；　but　disconcerting　to　their
  opponents；　to　whom　they　were　strange。　Nor　indeed　were　all　the
  cavalry　one　in　heart；　for　there　were　with　them　some　who　had　lately
  capitulated　at　Narnia；　and　who　were　anxiously　watching　the　fortunes　of
  the　rival　parties。　Tullius　Flavianus；　commanding　a　squadron；　was　taken
  prisoner；　the　rest　fled　in　disgraceful　confusion；　but　the　victors
  did　not　continue　the　pursuit　beyond　Fidenae。
  By　this　success　the　zeal　of　the　people　was　increased。　The　mob　of　the
  city　armed　itself。　Some　few　had　military　shields；　the　greater　part
  seized　such　arms　as　came　to　hand；　and　loudly　demanded　the　signal　of
  battle。　Vitellius　expressed　his　thanks　to　them；　and　bade　them　sally
  forth　to　defend　the　capital。　Then　the　Senate　was　called　together；
  and　envoys　were　selected　to　meet　the　armies　and　urge　them　in　the
  name　of　the　Commonwealth　to　union　and　peace。　The　reception　of　these
  envoys　was　not　everywhere　the　same。　Those　who　fell　in　with　Petilius
  Cerialis　were　exposed　to　extreme　peril；　for　the　troops　disdained　all
  offers　of　peace。　The　praetor　Arulenus　Rusticus　was　wounded。　This
  deed　seemed　all　the　more　atrocious；　when；　over　and　above　the　insult
  offered　to　the　dignity　of　the　envoy　and　praetor；　men　considered　the
  private　worth　of　the　man。　His　companions　were　dispersed；　and　the
  lictor　that　stood　next　to　him；　venturing　to　push　aside　the　crowd；
  was　killed。　Had　they　not　been　protected　by　an　escort　provided　by　the
  general；　the　dignity　of　the　ambassador；　respected　even　by　foreign
  nations；　would　have　been　profaned　with　fatal　violence　by　the　madness
  of　Roman　citizens　before　the　very　walls　of　their　Country。　The　envoys
  who　met　Antonious　were　more　favourably　received；　not　because　the
  troops　were　of　quieter　temper；　but　because　the　general　had　more
  authority。
  One　Musonius　Rufus；　a　man　of　equestrian　rank；　strongly　attached　to
  the　pursuit　of　philosophy　and　to　the　tenets　of　the　Stoics；　had
  joined　the　envoys。　He　mingled　with　the　troops；　and；　enlarging　on　the
  blessings　of　peace　and　the　perils　of　war；　began　to　admonish　the
  armed　crowd。　Many　thought　it　ridiculous；　more　thought　it　tiresome；
  some　were　ready　to　throw　him　down　and　trample　him　under　foot；　had　he
  not　yielded　to　the　warnings　of　the　more　orderly　and　the　threats　of
  others；　and　ceased　to　display　his　ill…timed　wisdom。　The　Vestal　virgins
  also　presented　themselves　with　a　letter　from　Vitellius　to　Antonius。　He
  asked　for　one　day　of　truce　before　the　final　struggle；　and　said；　that
  if　they　would　permit　some　delay　to　intervene；　everything　might　be　more
  easily　arranged。　The　sacred　virgins　were　sent　back　with　honour；　but
  the　answer　returned　to　Vitellius　was；　that　all　ordinary　intercourse　of
  war　had　been　broken　off　by　the　murder　of　Sabinus　and　the　conflagration
  of　the　Capitol。
  Antonius；　however；　summoned　the　legions　to　an　assembly；　and
  endeavoured　to　calm　them；　proposing　that　they　should　encamp　near　the
  Mulvian　bridge；　and　enter　the　capital　on　the　following　day。　His　reason
  for　delay　was　the　fear　that　the　soldiers；　once　exasperated　by
  conflict；　would　respect　neither　the　people　nor　the　Senate；　nor　even
  the　shrines　and　temples　of　the　Gods。　They；　however；　looked　with
  dislike　on　all　procrastination　as　inimical　to　victory。　At　the　same
  time　the　colours　that　glittered　among　the　hills；　though　followed　by　an
  unwarlike　population；　presented　the　appearance　of　a　hostile　array。
  They　advanced　in　three　divisions；　one　column　straight　from　where
  they　had　halted　along　the　Via　Flaminia；　another　along　the　bank　of
  the　Tiber；　a　third　moved　on　the　Colline　Gate　by　the　Via　Salaria。　The
  mob　was　routed　by　a　charge　of　the　cavalry。　Then　the　Vitellianist
  troops；　themselves　also　drawn　up　in　three　columns　of　defence；　met
  the　foe。　Numerous　engagements　with　various　issue　took　place　before　the
  walls；　but　they　generally　ended　in　favour　of　the　Flavianists；　who
  had　the　advantage　of　more　skilful　generalship。　Only　that　division
  suffered　which　had　wound　its　way　along　narrow　and　slippery　roads　to
  the　left　quarter　of　the　city　as　far　as　the　gardens　of　Sallust。　The
  Vitellianists；　taking　their　stand　on　the　garden