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1. And now, when Vespasian had given answers to the
embassages, and had disposed of the places of power justly,
and according to every one's deserts, he came to
Antioch, and consulting which way he had best take, he
preferred to go for Rome, rather than to march to
Alexandria, because he saw that Alexandria was sure to him
already, but that the affairs at Rome were put into disorder by
Vitellius; so he sent Mucianus to Italy, and committed a
considerable army both of horsemen and footmen to him; yet was
Mucianus afraid of going by sea, because it was the
middle of winter, and so he led his army on foot through
Cappadocia and Phrygia.
2. In the mean time, Antonius Primus took the third of the
legions that were in Mysia, for he was president of that
province, and made haste, in order to fight Vitellius;
whereupon Vitellius sent away Cecinna, with a great army,
having a mighty confidence in him, because of his having beaten
Otho. This Cecinna marched out of Rome in great
haste, and found Antonius about Cremona in Gall, which city is
in the borders of Italy; but when he saw there that the enemy
were numerous and in good order, he durst not fight them; and as
he thought a retreat dangerous, so he began to think of betraying
his army to Antonius. Accordingly, he assembled the centurions
and tribunes that were under his command, and persuaded them to
go over to Antonius, and
this by diminishing the reputation of Vitellius, and by
exaggerating the power of Vespasian. He also told them that
with the one there was no more than the bare name of
dominion, but with the other was the power of it; and that it
was better for them to prevent necessity, and gain favor, and,
while they were likely to be overcome in battle, to avoid the
danger beforehand, and go over to Antonius willingly; that
Vespasian was able of himself to subdue what had not yet
submitted without their assistance, while Vitellius could not
preserve what he had already with it.
3. Cecinna said this, and much more to the same purpose, and
persuaded them to comply with him; and both he and his army
deserted; but still the very same night the soldiers repented of
what they had done, and a fear seized on them, lest perhaps
Vitellius who sent them should get the better; and drawing their
swords, they assaulted Cecinna, in order to kill him; and the
thing had been done by them, if the
tribunes had not fallen upon their knees, and besought them not
to do it; so the soldiers did not kill him, but put him in bonds,
as a traitor, and were about to send him to Vitellius. When
[Antonius] Primus heard of this, he raised up his men
immediately, and made them put on their armor, and led
them against those that had revolted; hereupon they put
themselves in order of battle, and made a resistance for a
while, but were soon beaten, and fled to Cremona; then did Primus
take his horsemen, and cut off their entrance into the city, and
encompassed and destroyed a great multitude of them before the
city, and fell into the city together with the rest, and gave
leave to his soldiers to plunder it. And here it was that many
strangers, who were merchants, as well as
many of the people of that country, perished, and among
them Vitellius's whole army, being thirty thousand and two
hundred, while Antonius lost no more of those that came
with him from Mysia than four thousand and five hundred: he
then loosed Cecinna, and sent him to Vespasian to tell him the
good news. So he came, and was received by him,
and covered the scandal of his treachery by the unexpected
honors he received from Vespasian.
4. And now, upon the news that Antonius was approaching,
Sabinus took courage at Rome, and assembled those cohorts of
soldiers that kept watch by night, and in the night time seized
upon the capitol; and, as the day came on, many men of character
came over to him, with Domitian, his brother's son, whose
encouragement was of very great weight for the compassing the
government. Now Vitellius was not much
concerned at this Primus, but was very angry with those that
had revolted with Sabinus; and thirsting, out of his own natural
barbarity, after noble blood, he sent out that part of the army
which came along with him to fight against the
capitol; and many bold actions were done on this side, and on
the side of those that held the temple. But at last, the soldiers
that came from Germany, being too numerous for
the others, got the hill into their possession, where Domitian,
with many other of the principal Romans, providentially
escaped, while the rest of the multitude were entirely cut to
pieces, and Sabinus himself was brought to Vitellius, and then
slain; the soldiers also plundered the temple of its ornaments,
and set it on fire. But now within a day's time came
Antonius, with his army, and were met by Vitellius and his
army; and having had a battle in three several places, the last
were all destroyed. Then did Vitellius come out of the palace, in
his cups, and satiated with an extravagant and luxurious meal, as
in the last extremity, and being drawn along through the
multitude, and abused with all sorts of torments, had his head
cut off in the midst of Rome, having retained the
government eight months and five days and had he lived
much longer, I cannot but think the empire would not have been
sufficient for his lust. Of the others that were slain, were
numbered above fifty thousand. This battle was fought on the
third day of the month Apelleus [Casleu]; on the next day
Mucianus came into the city with his army, and ordered Antonius
and his men to leave off killing; for they were still searching
the houses, and killed many of Vitellius's soldiers, and many of
the populace, as supposing them to be of his party, preventing by
their rage any accurate distinction between them and others. He
then produced Domitian, and
recommended him to the multitude, until his father should come
himself; so the people being now freed from their fears, made
acclamations of joy for Vespasian, as for their emperor, and kept
festival days for his confirmation, and for the destruction of
Vitellius.
5. And now, as Vespasian was come to Alexandria, this good news
came from Rome, and at the same time came embassies from all his
own habitable earth, to congratulate him upon his advancement;
and though this Alexandria was the greatest of all cities next to
Rome, it proved too narrow to contain the multitude that then
came to it. So upon this confirmation of Vespasian's entire
government, which was now settled, and upon the unexpected
deliverance of the public affairs of the Romans from ruin,
Vespasian turned his thoughts to what
remained unsubdued in Judea. However, he himself made
haste to go to Rome, as the winter was now almost over, and
soon set the affairs of Alexandria in order, but sent his son
Titus, with a select part of his army, to destroy Jerusalem. So
Titus marched on foot as far as Nicopolis, which is distant
twenty furlongs from Alexandria; there he put his army on board
some long ships, and sailed upon the river along the Mendesian
Nomus, as far as the city Tumuis; there he got out of the ships,
and walked on foot, and lodged all night at a small city called
Tanis. His second station was
Heracleopolis, and his third Pelusium; he then refreshed his
army at that place for two days, and on the third passed over the
mouths of the Nile at Pelusium; he then proceeded one station
over the desert, and pitched his camp at the temple of the Casian
Jupiter, and on the next day at Ostracine. This station had
no water, but the people of the country make use of water brought
from other places. After this he rested at Rhinocolura, and from
thence he went to Raphia, which was his fourth station. This city
is the beginning of Syria. For his fifth station he pitched his
camp at Gaza; after which he came to Ascalon, and thence to
Jamnia, and after that to Joppa, and from Joppa to Cesarea,
having taken a resolution to gather all his other forces together
at that place.
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