Tacitus: The Histories, Volumes I and II | Page 8

Caius Cornelius Tacitus
being conducted by Flavius
Vespasianus--appointed by Nero--with three legions.[26] He had no
ill-will against Galba, and nothing to hope from his fall. Indeed he had
sent his son Titus to carry his compliments and offer allegiance, an
incident we must reserve for its proper place.[27] It was only after
Vespasian's rise that Roman society came to believe in the mysterious
movings of Providence, and supposed that portents and oracles had
predestined the throne for him and his family.
Of Egypt and its garrison, ever since the days of the sainted 11
Augustus, the knights of Rome have been uncrowned kings.[28] The
province being difficult to reach, rich in crops, torn and tossed by
fanaticism and sedition, ignorant of law, unused to bureaucratic
government, it seemed wiser to keep it in the control of the
Household.[29] The governor at that date was Tiberius Alexander,
himself a native of Egypt.[30] Africa and its legions, now that Clodius
Macer had been executed,[31] were ready to put up with any ruler after
their experience of a petty master. The two Mauretanias, Raetia,
Noricum, Thrace, and the other provinces governed by procurators had
their sympathies determined by the neighbourhood of troops, and
always caught their likes or dislikes from the strongest army. The
ungarrisoned provinces, and chief amongst these Italy, were destined to
be the prize of war, and lay at the mercy of any master. Such was the
state of the Roman world when Servius Galba, consul for the second
time, and Titus Vinius his colleague, inaugurated the year which was to
be their last, and almost the last for the commonwealth of Rome.
FOOTNOTES:
[19] He wrote a history of his own time, which was one of Tacitus'
chief authorities.
[20] See note 17.
[21] Verginius' successor.

[22] Since Capito's death, chap. 7.
[23] He died in A.D. 54. In the censorship and in two of his consulships
he had been Claudius' colleague.
[24] For the war with Vindex.
[25] See note 164. The fourth legion is III Gallica, afterwards moved
into Moesia.
[26] See note 163.
[27] ii. 1.
[28] Cp. _Ann._, ii. 59. 'Amongst other secret principles of his imperial
policy, Augustus had put Egypt in a position by itself, forbidding all
senators and knights of the highest class to enter that country without
his permission. For Egypt holds the key, as it were, both of sea and
land' (tr. Ramsay). Cp. iii. 8.
[29] i.e. to govern it by the emperor's private agents. The province was
regarded as part of the emperor's estate (patrimonium). This post was
the highest in the imperial service.
[30] A member of a Jewish family settled in Alexandria and thus
entitled to Roman citizenship. He was a nephew of the historian Philo;
had been Procurator of Judaea and chief of Corbulo's staff in Armenia.
[31] See chap. 7.
THE GERMAN REVOLT AND THE ADOPTION OF PISO
A few days after the first of January a dispatch arrived from 12 Belgica,
in which Pompeius Propinquus,[32] the imperial agent, announced that
the legions of Upper Germany had broken their oath of allegiance and
were clamouring for a new emperor, but that by way of tempering their
treason they referred the final choice to the Senate and People of Rome.
Galba had already been deliberating and seeking advice as to the
adoption of a successor, and this occurrence hastened his plans. During

all these months this question formed the current subject of gossip
throughout the country; Galba was far spent in years and the general
propensity for such a topic knew no check. Few people showed sound
judgement or any spirit of patriotism. Many were influenced by foolish
hopes and spread self-interested rumours pointing to some friend or
patron, thereby also gratifying their hatred for Titus Vinius,[33] whose
unpopularity waxed daily with his power. Galba's affability only served
to strengthen the gaping ambition of his newly powerful friends, for his
weakness and credulity halved the risk and doubled the reward of
treason.
The real power of the throne was divided between the consul, Titus 13
Vinius, and Cornelius Laco, the prefect of the Guards; and an influence
as great was enjoyed by Icelus, one of Galba's freedmen, who had been
given the gold ring[34] and was now greeted by the name of Marcianus.
These three ordinarily disagreed, and followed each his own interest in
smaller matters: on the question of the succession they fell into two
camps. Vinius was for Marcus Otho. Laco and Icelus were agreed not
so much on any one as on any other. Galba was aware of the friendship
between Otho and Vinius. Otho was a bachelor and Vinius had an
unmarried daughter: so gossip, never reticent, pointed to them as father
and son-in-law. Galba, one may suppose, felt some concern for his
country, too. Why
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