No More Learning

[378] i. e. the Eleventh to Dalmatia, the Seventh to Pannonia.

[379] Literally, enjoy dinner-parties beginning at an early
hour, i. e. before two o'clock. This was considered 'fast'.

[380] The word here used by Tacitus, _pervigilia_, properly
denotes all-night religious festivals. But--like Irish
wakes--such festivals tended to deteriorate, and the word
acquired a sinister sense.

[381] See i. 6 and 8.

[382] Because they had seized one of Verginius' slaves, as
described in the last chapter.

[383] The revolt of Civilis described in Book IV. His force
included Roman legionaries as well as Batavians, Gauls, and
Germans.

[384] The word 'rex' had still an 'unroman' sound.
[385] Cremona was sacked and burnt in the following October
(cp. iii. 32 f. ).

[386] Literally, the tribunes of the legions and the prefects
of the auxiliaries.

[387] A friend told Plutarch that he had seen on this
battle-field a pile of corpses so high that they reached the
pediment of an ancient temple which stood there.

[388] Suetonius attributes to him the remark, 'A dead enemy
smells good, a dead Roman better. '

[389] Their names are given i. 77.

[390] Dio tells us that he and his father were murdered by
Nero's slave Helios. He was probably related to M. Licinius
Crassus Frugi, who was convicted of treason against Nero (see
note 79), and to Piso, Galba's adopted successor.


THE REVOLT OF VESPASIAN

When once his couriers brought news from Syria and Judaea that the 73
East had sworn allegiance to him, Vitellius' vanity and indolence
reached a pitch which is almost incredible. For already, though the
rumours were still vague and unreliable, Vespasian's name was in
everybody's mouth, and the mention of him often roused Vitellius to
alarm. Still, he and his army seemed to reck of no rival: they at once
broke out into the unbridled cruelty, debauchery and oppression of
some outlandish court.

Vespasian, on the other hand, was meditating war and reckoning all 74
his forces both distant and near at hand.