登陆注册
5197200000006

第6章 A.D.14, 15(6)

This was the state of affairs at Rome when a mutiny broke out in the legions of Pannonia, which could be traced to no fresh cause except the change of emperors and the prospect it held out of license in tumult and of profit from a civil war.In the summer camp three legions were quartered, under the command of Junius Blaesus, who on hearing of the death of Augustus and the accession of Tiberius, had allowed his men a rest from military duties, either for mourning or rejoicing.This was the beginning of demoralization among the troops, of quarreling, of listening to the talk of every pestilent fellow, in short, of craving for luxury and idleness and loathing discipline and toil.In the camp was one Percennius, who had once been a leader of one of the theatrical factions, then became a common soldier, had a saucy tongue, and had learnt from his applause of actors how to stir up a crowd.By working on ignorant minds, which doubted as to what would be the terms of military service after Augustus, this man gradually influenced them in conversations at night or at nightfall, and when the better men had dispersed, he gathered round him all the worst spirits.

At last, when there were others ready to be abettors of a mutiny, he asked, in the tone of a demagogue, why, like slaves, they submitted to a few centurions and still fewer tribunes."When," he said, "will you dare to demand relief, if you do not go with your prayers or arms to a new and yet tottering throne? We have blundered enough by our tameness for so many years, in having to endure thirty or forty campaigns till we grow old, most of us with bodies maimed by wounds.

Even dismissal is not the end of our service, but, quartered under a legion's standard we toil through the same hardships under another title.If a soldier survives so many risks, he is still dragged into remote regions where, under the name of lands, he receives soaking swamps or mountainous wastes.Assuredly, military service itself is burdensome and unprofitable; ten as a day is the value set on life and limb; out of this, clothing, arms, tents, as well as the mercy of centurions and exemptions from duty have to be purchased.But indeed of floggings and wounds, of hard winters, wearisome summers, of terrible war, or barren peace, there is no end.Our only relief can come from military life being entered on under fixed conditions, from receiving each the pay of a denarius, and from the sixteenth year terminating our service.We must be retained no longer under a standard, but in the same camp a compensation in money must be paid us.Do the praetorian cohorts, which have just got their two denarii per man, and which after sixteen years are restored to their homes, encounter more perils? We do not disparage the guards of the capital; still, here amid barbarous tribes we have to face the enemy from our tents."The throng applauded from various motives, some pointing with indignation to the marks of the lash, others to their grey locks, and most of them to their threadbare garments and naked limbs.At, last, in their fury they went so far as to propose to combine the three legions into one.Driven from their purpose by the jealousy with which every one sought the chief honour for his own legion, they turned to other thoughts, and set up in one spot the three eagles, with the ensigns of the cohorts.At the same time they piled up turf and raised a mound, that they might have a more conspicuous meeting-place.Amid the bustle Blaesus came up.He upbraided them and held back man after man with the exclamation, "Better imbrue your hands in my blood: it will be less guilt to slay your commander than it is to be in revolt from the emperor.Either living I will uphold the loyalty of the legions, or Pierced to the heart I will hasten on your repentance."None the less however was the mound piled up, and it was quite breast high when, at last overcome by his persistency, they gave up their purpose.Blaesus, with the consummate tact of an orator, said, "It is not through mutiny and tumult that the desires of the army ought to be communicated to Caesar, nor did our soldiers of old ever ask so novel a boon of ancient commanders, nor have you yourselves asked it of the Divine Augustus.It is far from opportune that the emperor's cares, now in their first beginning, should be aggravated.

If, however, you are bent upon attempting in peace what even after your victory in the civil wars you did not demand, why, contrary to the habit of obedience, contrary to the law of discipline, do you meditate violence? Decide on sending envoys, and give them instructions in your presence."It was carried by acclamation that the son of Blaesus, one of the tribunes, should undertake the mission, and demand for the soldiers release from service after sixteen years.He was to have the rest of their message when the first part had been successful.After the young man departure there was comparative quiet, but there was an arrogant tone among the soldiers, to whom the fact that their commander's son was pleading their common cause clearly showed that they had wrested by compulsion what they had failed to obtain by good behaviour.

Meanwhile the companies which previous to the mutiny had been sent to Nauportus to make roads and bridges and for other purposes, when they heard of the tumult in the camp, tore up the standards, and having plundered the neighbouring villages and Nauportus itself, which was like a town, assailed the centurions who restrained them with jeers and insults, last of all, with blows.Their chief rage was against Aufidienus Rufus, the camp-prefect, whom they dragged from a waggon, loaded with baggage, and drove on at the head of the column, asking him in ridicule whether he liked to bear such huge burdens and such long marches.Rufus, who had long been a common soldier, then a centurion, and subsequently camp-prefect, tried to revive the old severe discipline, inured as he was to work and toil, and all the sterner because he had endured.

同类推荐
  • 八阵总述

    八阵总述

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 东海若解

    东海若解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 孤忠后录

    孤忠后录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上济度章赦

    太上济度章赦

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洞玄灵宝自然九天生神章经注

    洞玄灵宝自然九天生神章经注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 生死金

    生死金

    不知何时,网络上出现了一家神秘的网站——生死金,网站上声称只要有人先支付100万元,然后在网站上写上一个人的名字和具体信息,就可以在24小时的时间里帮你杀了他。由于要先支付100万元,所以大部分人都认为这不过是一场恶作剧或是一个骗局。富二代景伦在大学的宿舍里闲来无事,在女友金玲玲的怂恿下,真的支付了100万元,写上了一个女友死敌邱蓉的名字。让人意想不到的是邱蓉这个名字赫然出现在了网站首页,而名字后出现了24小时的倒计时,倒计时后写着个“生”字,和一个加号,规则是如果有人再加注100万元,那么这个人就将被豁免死刑。一场金钱和生命的交易就此拉开了序幕,名字被写在生死金网站上的人是否还有生还的可能?生死金幕后之人到底是谁?真相让所有人骇人难解!
  • 绣像红灯记

    绣像红灯记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 妃本倾城之王爷你好坏

    妃本倾城之王爷你好坏

    画面一:北上烨宸摸着她的头轻笑:“小傻瓜!”谁知她暴跳道:“我伏曦3岁识字,4岁练武,5岁学医,14岁修炼秘法,天生就有法术,你竟敢说我是傻瓜?!!”“好好好,你是天才!”他赶紧道。画面二:伏曦满脸怨气的蹲在一旁,埋头不理他。“小曦,如果你再不理我,我就去找凌蕊霄!”他的语气充满了调趣。谁知伏曦突然站起来抱住他,威胁:“你敢!”“为夫不敢!”他举起手投降。画面三:伏曦高兴的抱住他。谁知他竟然问伏曦:“为夫怎么样?”伏曦双手点赞:“王爷你好坏!”
  • 天后前妻:总裁爱妻有道

    天后前妻:总裁爱妻有道

    他爱她宠她,却在她事业的上升期,亲手把她推进地狱。神秘的男人像一道曙光照进她阴暗的世界,打着解救的名义却对她变相施压,她苦苦挣扎,最终……
  • 盗中奇局

    盗中奇局

    自上次破了苏青鸢死亡之谜后,雪衣圣门在江湖名声大震,于是各路江湖人物纷纷登门拜访洛阳城紫云巷,并且指命道姓非要见门主白慕衣不可,一开始白大门主还颇为得意,把自己当日推理的全过程,不厌其烦地和来访者一一道来。这种日子过上个三四天,确实很过瘾的。但是,江湖何其广大,三川五岳的来客很快让白大门主快崩溃了。强悍若苏如大总管者,最后也败在这些坚韧的来客面前,若非尚雪琦机灵,联合岳秋许把所有人都变成了麻子脸,对外放出消息说雪衣圣门里天花泛滥,见谁就传染谁,才稍微遏制了那些疯狂的来客们。
  • 员工招聘与选拔实务

    员工招聘与选拔实务

    作为企业的人力资源经理,一方面要确保招聘有能力、适合企业文化并能协助实现团队或企业的目标和员工,另一方面要将合适的人配置到合适的岗位上,这对整个企业的发展和实现组织或个个效能最大化都是十分关键的。所以,员工的招聘与选拔对于企业人力资源结构的合理形式、人力资源管理及人力资源开发具有至关重要的作用。而人力资源经理在进行招聘选拔时,往往会面临以下问题:如何准确地描述某个职位究竟需要什么素质的人才?内部选拔与外部招聘哪种方式更好?如何对被选拔或被招聘的人进行素质评价?采用什么评价工具更恰当?如何在选拔和面试过程中把握提问的方式与技巧?如何在招聘面试中运用技巧?……
  • 初恋是一种朦胧的喜悦

    初恋是一种朦胧的喜悦

    初恋是一种朦胧的喜悦
  • 洪荒之不灭邪帝

    洪荒之不灭邪帝

    看破生死,我却唯独不能没有你,洪荒众人,尔等皆说我是邪恶的化身,那我便以邪入道,称霸世界,成就帝位,让尔等付出代价,一青年怒吼道,之后哈哈一笑,形神俱灭,重生在一个少年林云身上,之后记忆苏醒,走上强者巅峰,这是一个强者为尊的世界,等级分为:武徒,武士,武师,武王,武尊,武宗,武圣,武帝,且看少年凌晨,一步步走向巅峰,成就帝位
  • 凌云道传

    凌云道传

    时人不识凌云木,直待凌云始道高!小镇少年林亮穿梭世间,为了心中的梦想,为了追寻一切的真相而不断前行。且看平凡少年如何逆境重生,霸凌大陆!
  • 默多克家族全传

    默多克家族全传

    1952年,默多克继承了父亲的小报《新闻报》,短短的三四十年将其发展为跨越欧、美、亚、澳几大洲,涉足广播、影视、报业诸领域的传播媒介帝国。在他的麾下,既有久负盛名的英国《泰晤士报》,也有美国电影界的巨无霸——20世纪福克斯公司。80年代初,默多克的国际新闻集团年营业额达到12亿澳元,他本人也成为新闻界翘楚。默多克报业集团的投资极为广泛,除报业出版外,还延伸到电视台、电影公司、唱片公司、图书公司、足球俱乐部、航空公司、石油钻探等非传统领域。着眼于长远、敢于冒风险、善于撬动资本杠杆是默多克扩张的法宝,将为读者展示默多克的传奇经历和经营奇才。