Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 2.djvu/228

 GALLIA TRAXS. tliat there was a diminution of taxation, we atider- atand what he means. The troops on the Rhine soon chose a new emperor. Galba had appointed Vltellius to command in the Lower Gennania, in phu» of Fonteios Capito, whom his officers murdered. Vitellins was more contemptible than Galba, but he had art enough to gain the affection of his men, and he was sainted emperor in the Roman colony of Agrippina (^Cologntl) in January, a. d. 69. Thus Rome got an emperw from the banks of the Rhine, just after receiving one from Spain. In fact, it had now two at the same time. Galba was murdered at Rome, before the end of the month in which Vitellius was proclaimed; and another emperor, Otho, had reigned and died before Vitellius crossed the Alps into Italj. The eastern part of Gallia suffered ter- rihlj from the march of Vitellius* troops towards the Alps. Thej went in two divisions under his gene> rals Valens and Caeuina; the lazy emperor followed slowly after. As he was passing through Gallia, Marie, a Boian, one of the meaner sort (Tacitus is almost ashamed to mention so low a fellow, Biei. iL 61), assumed the title of ** Vindicator of the Galliae and God." He got about eight thousand men toge- ther, and was gaining ground in the nearesit cantons of the Aedui, when this honoured state and the ele- gant youths who had been brought up at Augusto- dunum, with the help of a few cohorts from Vitellius, dispersed the fanatical rout. Marie was thrown t«) wild beasts, and because be was not torn, the stolid nbble con^dered him invulnerable ; but Vitellius, who was present, broke the charm by ordering the man to be put to death. The story is significant of the popular ignorance; but a parallel may be found even in our own days. Vitellius had another rival almost before half the year was over. Venpasian was proclaimed emperor at Aleacandiia on the first of July, a. D. 69; and not quite twelve months passed from the time when Vitellins was proclaimed at Cologne to his ignomi- nious death at Rome. One of the men who mainly helped to place Vespa>ian on the imperial throne, was a native of Tolosa in the Narbonensis, Antonius Primus. During the contest between the partisans of Vi- tellius fluiid Vespasian an insurrection broke out in Gallia, the most formidable since the time when Caesar reduced this country to obedience. It began in the swamps of Holland. Claudius Civilis, of a powerful Batavian fismily, had served in the Roman armies from his youth, iod had the rank of a Roman citizen. Both he and his brother Paulus had fallen under the suspkion of Fonteius Gapito, the governor of the Lower Germania. Paulus was put to death by the order of Capito, and Chiudins was given up to Nero, who pat him in prison. Galba set him at liberty, and sent him back to the Germaniae. Civilis pretended to take the side of Vespasian when the news reached the Rhine of the east having declared for him, bat his real object was to esiablish the in- dependence of his country, and to get power himself. In a short time he drove the Roman troops out of the Insula Batavorum, and besieged two legions in Castra Vetera [Castra] near the Rhine. (Tac Hist. iv. 22.) The success of Civilis brought him aid from the Germaniae and the Galliae ; and deli- rerance from Roman oppression was now talked of. The Batavi themselves paid no ^^tributum" or taxes to the Romans; and an inscription preserves the record of their being honoured with the title of brothers (fratrea), as the Aodoi of okl had been. Bat PALLIA TRANS. 969 Civilis affected to take up arms against their common tyrants, and the Galli were invited to assist in ex- pelling .them. When the news of the death of Vi- tellius reached the Galliae and the Germaniae (Tac Hiat, iv. 54), the war against the Romans was car- ried on by Civilis with new vigour. He did not affect any longer to be on the side of Vespasian. He was fighting against the power of Rome. The burning of the Roman capitol in the contest between the partisans of Vitellius and Vespasian, seemed to the Galli an omen of the end of the Roman eniphne. The Druids declared that this confiagmtion was a sign of the wrath of heaven, and that the dominion of the world was given to the Transalpine nations. The Druids were not wrong: they only mistook the time. The Roman camp on the Rhine was full of discord. Hordeonius Flaocus, an old and feeble commander, a partisan of Vespasian, was murdered by his own men. (Tac. Hist. iv. 36.) Upon this messages passed between Civilis and Classicus, a Tre^'ir, who com^ manded a body of cavahy of the Treviri. Classicna was of royal descent, and he boasted rather of his ancestors' hostility to Rome than of their alliance. Two other men joined them ; Julius Tutor, a Trevir, and Julius Sabinus, a IJngon. Tutor was set over a part of the hanks of the Rhine by Vitelliiv. Sabinus, a vain man, was puffed up by a false con- ceit of a Roman descent; he gave it out that one of his female ancest<Mr8 had an adulterous connection with Caesar during the Gallic War. These men met at Cologne to concert their plans, but in secret; for most of the Ubii were still disinclined to revolt. Indeed, it was only a part of Gallia, the north and some parts of the east, that was ready for insur- rection; and chiefly the Treviri and the Lingones, The Seqnani refused to join any leagne against Rome. The conspirators made an attempt to cor- rupt the legions, which were now under the command of Vocula, who was murdered by a deserter from the first legion. (Tac Bist. iv. 59.) Classicus entered the Roman camp, having assumed the insignia of the Roman empire, as Tacitus expresses it, kiid the Roman soldiere took the military oath in defence of the empire of the Galliae. Tutor compelled the people of Cologne and the soldiere on the Upper Rhine to take the same oath. Civilis was still em- ployed on the blockade of the Roman troops at Ve- tera. Famine at last compelled the soldiere lo yield; bat before the surrender was accepted, they were re- quired to swear fidelity to the Gallic empire. Civilis cat off his long light hair, which he had let grow, porsnant to a vow made, after the fashion of his country, when he began the war against the Romans. (Tac. Hist. iv. 61.) But he neither took the oath to the Gallic empire, nor allowed any Batavian ; he trusted to the power of the Germans, and he had ambitioos views of dominion. There was among the Brocteri at this time a virgin, named Veleda, who had great authority, for the Gennans thought that most women had the gift of divination; and Veleda had proved her claim to tliis distinction. She bad foretold the success of the Gennans and the destruc- tion of the Roman legions. Civilis and Classicus, elated by theur success, de- liberated whether they should give up Cologne to their mm to plunder. (Tac. Hist. iv. 63.) The Transrhenane people hated this strong walled place, and a deputation from the Tenctheri brought their wishes to the municipal body of Cologne, The speech which Tacitns puts in the mouth of these Germans ia valoablo, becanse it gives us some in-