XXV. There is a legend that the news of the battle on the river Sagra in
Italy against the natives was carried the same day into Peloponnesus,
and that of the battle of Mykale against the Medes was so carried to
Plataea. The victory of the Romans over the Latins under the exiled
Tarquins was reported at Rome a little after it took place, by two men,
tall and fair, who came from the army. These men they conjectured to
have been the Dioskuri (Castor and Pollux). The first man who fell in
with them as they stood in the forum, near the fountain, found them
washing their horses, which were covered with sweat. He marvelled much
at their tale of the victory; and then they are said to have smiled
serenely and stroked his beard, which instantly changed from black to
yellow, thus causing his story to be believed, besides winning for him
the soubriquet of Ahenobarbus, which means 'brazen beard.' But that
which happened in our own time will make all these credible. When
Antonius rebelled against Domitian, and a great war in Germany was
expected, Rome was greatly disturbed till suddenly there arose among the
people a rumour of victory, and a story ran through Rome that Antonius
himself was killed, and that the army under him had been utterly
exterminated. And this report was so clear and forcible, that many of
the magistrates offered sacrifice for the victory. When the originator
of it was sought for, as he could not be found, but the story when
traced from one man to another was lost in the vast crowd as if in the
sea, and appeared to have no solid foundation, all belief in it died
away: but when Domitian set out with his forces to the war, he was met
on the way by messengers with despatches describing the victory.
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