ware of Marms and Gaiba or Pompey and Caesar had involved? Accordingly some suspect that this design was one reason why Celeus and Paulinus advised delay, and the adherents of Otho wished for immediate action. Αιτίαι δὲ πλείονες ἄλλαι ὑπ ̓ ἄλλων λέγονται προδήλως δὲ οἱ στρατηγικοὶ προσαγορευόμενοι καὶ τάξιν ἔχοντες δορυφόρων, τότε μᾶλλον ἀληθινῆς γενόμενοι στρατείας καὶ τὰς ἐν 'Ρώμῃ διατριβὰς καὶ διαίτας ἀπολέμους καὶ πανηγυρικὰς ποθοῦντες, οὐκ 5 ἦσαν καθεκτοὶ σπεύδοντες ἐπὶ τὴν μάχην, ὡς εὐθὺς ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς ἀναρπασόμενοι τοὺς ἐναντίους. Δοκεί δὲ μηδὲ αὐτὸς Όθων ἐξαναφέρειν ἔτι πρὸς τὴν ἀδηλότητα μηδὲ ὑπομένειν ἀηθείᾳ καὶ μαλακότητι τοὺς περὶ τῶν δεινῶν λογισμούς, ἐκπονούμενος δὲ το ταῖς φροντίσι σπεύδειν ἐγκαλυψάμενος, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ κρημνοῦ, μεθεῖναι τὰ πράγματα πρὸς τὸ συντυχόν. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν διηγεῖτο Σεκοῦνδος ὁ ῥήτωρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν γενόμενος τοῦ Ὄθωνος· ἑτέρων δὲ ἦν ἀκούειν, ὅτι τοῖς στρατεύμασιν ἀμφοτέροις παρί- 15 σταντο ὁρμαὶ πολλαί, ὡς εἰς ταὐτὸ συνελθεῖν· καὶ μάλιστα μὲν αὐτοὺς ὁμοφρονήσαντας ἐκ τῶν παρόντων ἡγεμονικῶν ἑλέσθαι τὸν ἄριστον, εἰ δὲ μή, τὴν σύγκλητον ὁμοῦ καθίσαντας ἐφεῖναι τὴν αἵρεσιν ἐκείνῃ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. Καὶ οὐκ ἀπεικός έστι μηδετέρου 20 τότε τῶν προσαγορευομένων αὐτοκρατόρων εὐδο κιμοῦντος ἐπιπίπτειν τοιούτους διαλογισμοὺς τοῖς 10. τοὺς ... λογισμούς, coni. Sint.; τοῖς ... ἐκλογισμοίς, Bod. i.a. vulg.—19. καθίσταντας, Steph.; καθίσαντας, Bod.22. τοῖς add. Sint. γνησίοις καὶ διαπόνοις καὶ σωφρονοῦσι τῶν στρατιω τῶν, ὡς ἔχθιστον εἴη καὶ δεινόν, ἃ πάλαι διὰ Σύλλαν 25 καὶ Μάριον, εἶτα Καίσαρα καὶ Πομπήϊον ᾠκτείροντο ὁρῶντες ἀλλήλους καὶ πάσχοντες οἱ πολῖται, ταῦτα νῦν ὑπομένειν ἢ Ουϊτελλίῳ λαιμαργίας καὶ οἰνοφλυγίας ἡ τρυφῆς καὶ ἀκολασίας Οθωνι τὴν ἡγεμονίαν χορήγημα προθεμένους· Ταῦτ ̓ οὖν ὑπονοοῦσι τούς 30 τε περὶ τὸν Κέλσον αἰσθανομένους ἐμβαλεῖν διατριβήν, ἐλπίζοντας ἄνευ μάχης καὶ πόνων κριθήσεσθαι τὰ πράγματα, καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Οθωνα φοβουμένους ἐπιταχῦναι τὴν μάχην. CHAPTER Χ. Otho himself returned to Brixellum, thereby making a double mistake, for he withdrew from the combatants the restraint and emulation which his presence would have caused, and also took with him as a body-guard some of the most serviceable of the troops. About this time some fighting took place on the Po, where Caecina was constructing a bridge, which the Othonians tried to prevent. Finding other means useless, they sent some fireships down the stream against it, on which the Vitellians ignominiously leaped into the river. Some German cohorts, however, defeated with some loss the Othonian gladiators on an island in the middle of the river. Αὐτὸς δὲ πάλιν εἰς Βρίξιλλον ἀνεχώρησε, καὶ τοῦτο προσεξαμαρτών, οὐχ ὅτι μόνον τὴν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ παρόντος αἰδῶ καὶ φιλοτιμίαν ἀφεῖλε 30. ἐμβαλεῖν, coni. Reisk.; ἐμβάλλειν, Bod. i.a. τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐρρωμενεστάτους καὶ προθυμοτάτους δι ̓ αὐτὸν ἱππεῖς καὶ πεζοὺς ἀπαγαγὼν φυλακὴν τοῦ σώματος ώσπερεὶ στόμωμα τῆς δυνάμεως ἀπέκοψε. Συνέβη δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις καὶ περὶ τὸν Ηριδανὸν ἀγῶνα γενέσθαι, τοῦ μὲν Κεκίνα ζευγνύντος τὴν διάβασιν, τῶν δὲ Οθωνος εἰργόντων καὶ προσμαχομένων. Ὡς δὲ οὐδὲν ἐπέ- το ραινον, ἐνθεμένων εἰς τὰ πλοῖα δᾷδα θείου καὶ πίττης ἀνάπλεων διὰ τοῦ πόρου πνεῦμα προσπεσὸν ἄφνω τὴν παρεσκευασμένην ὕλην ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐξερρίπιξε. Καπνοῦ δὲ πρῶτον, εἶτα λαμπρᾶς φλογὸς ἐκπεσούσης, ταραττόμενοι καὶ ἀποπηδῶντες 13 εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν τάς τε ναῦς ἀνέτρεπον καὶ τὰ σώματα τοῖς πολεμίοις μετὰ γέλωτος παρείχον. Οἱ δὲ Γερμανοὶ τοῖς Όθωνος μονομάχοις περὶ νησίδα τοῦ ποταμοῦ προσμίξαντες ἐκράτησαν καὶ διέφθειραν αὐτῶν οὐκ ὀλίγους. 2 CHAPTER XI. Meanwhile Proculus led out the Othonians, who were eager to fight, about 50 stades from the camp, and chose a position with so little skill that in spite of the numerous streams in the neighbourhood they suffered from want of water. Next day he wished to lead them against the enemy along a march of a 100 stades. Paulinus opposed this, pointing out the fatigue and confusion which it involved; but a Numidian horseman from Otho arrived urging an immediate advance. Accordingly they 6. στόμωμα, coni. Doehner; τι σῶμα, Bod. H. i.a. vulg. 11. πλοῖα, coni. Sol. ; όπλα, Bod. H. i.a. vulg. began the march, and Caecina, when he heard the news, hastened from the river and found the watch-word already issued by Valens. While the legions took up their position some cavalry were sent out to skirmish. Γενομένων δὲ τούτων καὶ τῶν ἐν Βητριακῷ στρατιωτῶν τοῦ ̓Οθωνος ἐκφερομένων μετ ̓ ὀργῆς ἐπὶ τὴν μάχην προήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Πρόκλος ἐκ τοῦ Βητριακοῦ, καὶ κατεστρατοπέδευσεν ἀπὸ πεντήκοντα 5 σταδίων οὕτως ἀπείρως καὶ καταγελάστως, ὥστε, τῆς μὲν ὥρας ἐαρινῆς οὔσης, τῶν δὲ κύκλῳ πεδίων πολλὰ νάματα καὶ ποταμοὺς ἀεννάους εχόντων, ὕδατος σπάνει πιέζεσθαι. Τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ βουλόμενον προάγειν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ὁδὸν οὐκ ἐλάτε 10 τονα σταδίων ἑκατὸν οἱ περὶ τὸν Παυλῖνον οὐκ εἴων, ἀλλ ̓ ᾤοντο δεῖν περιμένειν καὶ μὴ προπονεῖν ἑαυτούς, μηδὲ εὐθὺς ἐκ πορείας μάχην τίθεσθαι πρὸς ἄνδρας ἁπλισμένους καὶ παρατεταγμένους καθ ̓ ἡσυχίαν, ἐν ὅσῳ χρόνῳ προΐασιν αὐτοὶ τοσαύτην ὁδὸν ἀναμε15 μιγμένων υποζυγίων καὶ ἀκολούθων. Οὔσης δὲ περὶ τούτων ἀντιλογίας ἐν τοῖς στρατηγοῖς ἦλθε παρ' Οθωνος ἱππεὺς τῶν καλουμένων Νομάδων γράμματα κομίζων κελεύοντα μὴ μένειν μηδὲ διατρίβειν, ἀλλ ̓ ἄγειν εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν 20 οὖν ἄραντες ἐχώρουν, ὁ δὲ Κεκίνας πυθόμενος τὴν ἔφοδον αὐτῶν ἐθορυβήθη, καὶ κατὰ σπουδὴν ἀπολιπὼν τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὸν ποταμὸν ἧκεν εἰς τὸ στρατό πεδον. Ωπλισμένων δὲ ἤδη τῶν πολλῶν, καὶ τὸ σύνθημα παραλαμβανόντων παρὰ τοῦ Ουάλεντος, 25 ἐν ὅσῳ τὴν τάξιν διελάγχανε τὰ τάγματα, τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν ἱππέων προεξέπεμψαν. CHAPTER XI. An impression was somehow conveyed to the van of Otho's army that the Vitellian generals would desert to them, and accordingly they saluted the advancing troops as comrades. The latter, however, replied in no friendly manner, and the result was disappointment and mutual suspicion among the Othonians. But, besides this, nothing on their side was done with regularity and order; the baggage mixed with the combatants caused confusion, and the numerous dykes and ditches divided their lines and involved isolated attacks on the enemy. Two legions, however, the Rapax on the Vitellian side, and the Adiutrix on Otho's, fought obstinately and in regular order. The Othonians were brave soldiers, but hitherto untried; their opponents, experienced, but past their prime. The former captured the Vitellians' eagle, but in their turn lost their legate and a number of ensigns. The gladiators of Otho, who had a reputation for skill in close fighting, were opposed by some Batavian troops under Alfenus l'arus, who drove most of them to the river, where they were intercepted and cut to pieces by some troops posted there. The praetorians behaved with the greatest cowardice, not awaiting the enemy's onset, and throwing the others into confusion. Some of the Othonians, however, succeeded in forcing their way through the enemy to the camp. Ἐμπίπτει δὲ τοῖς προτεταγμένοις τῶν Οθωνος ἐκ δή τινος αἰτίας δόξα καὶ λόγος, ὡς μεταβαλουμένων τῶν Οὐτελλίου στρατηγῶν πρὸς αὐτούς. Ὡς οὖν ἐγγὺς ἦσαν, ἠσπάσαντο φιλίως συστρατιώτας προσαγορεύσαντες. Ἐκείνων δὲ τὴν προσαγόρευσιν οὐκ εὐμενῶς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ θυμοῦ καὶ φωνῆς πολεμικῆς ἀμειψαμένων, τοῖς μὲν ἀσπασαμένοις ἀθυμία, τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ὑπόνοια κατὰ τῶν ἀσπασαμένων ὡς προδιδόντων παρέστη. Καὶ τοῦτο |