This victory delighted Vespasian: everything
was succeeding beyond his hopes: and to crown
all the news of the battle of Cremona now reached
him in Egypt. He hurried forward all the faster
towards Alexandria with the object of bringing starvation[126]
upon Vitellius’ defeated troops and the inhabitants
of Rome, who were already feeling the pinch of diminished
imports. For he was at the same time making preparations
for an invasion of the adjacent province of Africa[127]
by land and sea. By cutting off their corn supply
he hoped to reduce the enemy to famine and disunion.
[114] The marines (see ii.
67, i. 6).
[115] X Gemina, VI Victrix.
[116] They occupied a large
district of the north of England,
from
the Trent to the Tyne.
[117] As a matter of fact
his triumph took place in 44.
Caratacus
was brought to Rome in 51. Perhaps Tacitus regards
this
in itself as a ‘triumph’, or else he makes
a venial
mistake.
[118] The rebellion on the
Rhine is described in Books IV and V.
[119] In Roumania.
[120] Ferrata. Cp. ii.
83.
[121] This little kingdom
west of Trebizond was left to Rome
by
Polemo II, A.D. 63. Nero made it a Roman province
under the
name
of Pontus Polemoniacus.
[122] Trebizond.
[123] Mucianus had ’ordered
the fleet to move from Pontus to
Byzantium’
(ii. 83). This leads some editors to change the
text,
and others to suppose that a few ships were left behind.
[124] Literally, arched boats.
Tacitus describes somewhat
similar
craft in Germania, 44.
[125] The Khopi, which flows
from the Caucasus into the Euxine.
[126] Cp. chap. 8.
[127] Africa came next to
Egypt in importance as a Roman
granary
(cp. i. 73).
ANTONIUS’ ADVANCE FROM CREMONA
Thus[128] a world-wide convulsion marked the passing
of the 49 imperial power into new hands.
Meanwhile, after Cremona, the behaviour of Antonius
Primus was not so blameless as before. He had
settled the war, he felt; the rest would be plain
sailing. Or, perhaps, in such a nature as his
success only brought to light his greed and arrogance
and all his other dormant vices. While harrying
Italy like a conquered country, he courted the goodwill
of his troops and used every word and every action
to pave his way to power. He allowed his men to
appoint centurions themselves in place of those who
had fallen, and thus gave them a taste for insubordination;
for their choice fell on the most turbulent spirits.
The generals no longer commanded the men, but were
dragged at the heels of their caprices. This revolutionary
system, utterly fatal to good discipline, was exploited
by Antonius for his own profit.[129] Of Mucianus’
approach he had no fears, and thus made a mistake
even more fatal than despising Vespasian.[130]
