THE WARS OF THE JEWS
OR
THE HISTORY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
Book IV: Chapter 10
HOW THE SOLDIERS, BOTH IN JUDEA AND
EGYPT, PROCLAIMED VESPASIAN EMPEROR; AND HOW VESPASIAN
RELEASED JOSEPHUS FROM HIS BONDS.
1. NOW about this very time it was that heavy
calamities came about Rome on all sides; for Vitellius
was come from Germany with his soldiery, and drew
along with him a great multitude of other men besides.
And when the spaces allotted for soldiers could not
contain them, he made all Rome itself his camp, and
filled all the houses with his armed men; which men,
when they saw the riches of Rome with those eyes which
had never seen such riches before, and found
themselves shone round about on all sides with silver
and gold, they had much ado to contain their covetous
desires, and were ready to betake themselves to
plunder, and to the slaughter of such as should stand
in their way. And this was the state of affairs in
Italy at that time.
2. But when Vespasian had overthrown all the places
that were near to Jerusalem, he returned to Cesarea,
and heard of the troubles that were at Rome, and that
Vitellius was emperor. This produced indignation in
him, although he well knew how to be governed as well
as to govern, and could not, with any satisfaction,
own him for his lord who acted so madly, and seized
upon the government as if it were absolutely destitute
of a governor. And as this sorrow of his was violent,
he was not able to support the torments he was under,
nor to apply himself further in other wars, when his
native country was laid waste; but then, as much as
his passion excited him to avenge his country, so much
was he restrained by the consideration of his distance
therefrom; because fortune might prevent him, and do a
world of mischief before he could himself sail over
the sea to Italy, especially as it was still the
winter season; so he restrained his anger, how
vehement soever it was at this time.
3. But now his commanders and soldiers met in
several companies, and consulted openly about changing
the public affairs; - and, out of their indignation,
cried out, how "at Rome there are soldiers that live
delicately, and when they have not ventured so much as
to hear the fame of war, they ordain whom they please
for our governors, and in hopes of gain make them
emperors; while you, who have gone through so many
labors, and are grown into years under your helmets,
give leave to others to use such a power, when yet you
have among yourselves one more worthy to rule than any
whom they have set up. Now what juster opportunity
shall they ever have of requiting their generals, if
they do not make use of this that is now before them?
while there is so much juster reasons for Vespasian's
being emperor than for Vitellius; as they are
themselves more deserving than those that made the
other emperors; for that they have undergone as great
wars as have the troops that come from Germany; nor
are they inferior in war to those that have brought
that tyrant to Rome, nor have they undergone smaller
labors than they; for that neither will the Roman
senate, nor people, bear such a lascivious emperor as
Vitellius, if he be compared with their chaste
Vespasian; nor will they endure a most barbarous
tyrant, instead of a good governor, nor choose one
that hath no child to preside over them, instead
of him that is a father; because the advancement of
men's own children to dignities is certainly the
greatest security kings can have for themselves.
Whether, therefore, we estimate the capacity of
governing from the skill of a person in years, we
ought to have Vespasian, - or whether from the
strength of a young man, we ought to have Titus; for
by this means we shall have the advantage of both
their ages, for that they will afford strength to
those that shall be made emperors, they having already
three legions, besides other auxiliaries from the
neighboring kings, and will have further all the
armies in the east to support them, as also those in
Europe, so they as they are out of the distance and
dread of Vitellius, besides such auxiliaries as they
may have in Italy itself; that is, Vespasian's
brother, and his other son [Domitian]; the one of whom
will bring in a great many of those young men that are
of dignity, while the other is intrusted with the
government of the city, which office of his will be no
small means of Vespasian's obtaining the government.
Upon the whole, the case may be such, that if we
ourselves make further delays, the senate may choose
an emperor, whom the soldiers, who are the saviors of
the empire, will have in contempt."
4. These were the discourses the soldiers had in
their several companies; after which they got together
in a great body, and, encouraging one another, they
declared Vespasian emperor,
and exhorted him
to save the government, which was now in danger. Now
Vespasian's concern had been for a considerable time
about the public, yet did he not intend to set up for
governor himself, though his actions showed him to
deserve it, while he preferred that safety which is in
a private life before the dangers in a state of such
dignity; but when he refused the empire, the
commanders insisted the more earnestly upon his
acceptance; and the soldiers came about him, with
their drawn swords in their hands, and threatened to
kill him, unless he would now live according to his
dignity. And when he had shown his reluctance a great
while, and had endeavored to thrust away this dominion
from him, he at length, being not able to persuade
them, yielded to their solicitations that would salute
him emperor.
5. So upon the exhortations of Mucianus, and the
other commanders, that he would accept of the empire,
and upon that of the rest of the army, who cried out
that they were willing to be led against all his
opposers, he was in the first place intent upon
gaining the dominion over Alexandria, as knowing that
Egypt was of the greatest consequence, in order to
obtain the entire government, because of its supplying
of corn [to Rome]; which corn, if he could be master
of, he hoped to dethrone Vitellius, supposing he
should aim to keep the empire by force (for he would
not be able to support himself, if the multitude at
Rome should once be in want of food); and because he
was desirous to join the two legions that were at
Alexandria to the other legions that were with him. He
also considered with himself, that he should then have
that country for a defense to himself against the
uncertainty of fortune; for Egypt is hard to be
entered by land, and hath no good havens by sea. It
hath on the west the dry deserts of Libya; and on the
south Siene, that divides it from Ethiopia, as well as
the cataracts of the Nile, that cannot be sailed over;
and on the east the Red Sea extended as far as Coptus;
and it is fortified on the north by the land that
reaches to Syria, together with that called the
Egyptian Sea, having no havens in it for ships. And
thus is Egypt walled about on every side. Its length
between Pelusium and Siene is two thousand furlongs,
and the passage by sea from Plinthine to Pelusium is
three thousand six hundred furlongs. Its river Nile is
navigable as far as the city called Elephantine, the
forenamed cataracts hindering ships from going any
farther, The haven also of Alexandria is not entered
by the mariners without difficulty, even in times of
peace; for the passage inward is narrow, and full of
rocks that lie under the water, which oblige the
mariners to turn from a straight direction: its left
side is blocked up by works made by men's hands on
both sides; on its right side lies the island called
Pharus, which is situated just before the entrance,
and supports a very great tower, that affords the
sight of a fire to such as sail within three hundred
furlongs of it, that ships may cast anchor a great way
off in the night time, by reason of the difficulty of
sailing nearer. About this island are built very great
piers, the handiwork of men, against which, when the
sea dashes itself, and its waves are broken against
those boundaries, the navigation becomes very
troublesome, and the entrance through so narrow a
passage is rendered dangerous; yet is the haven
itself, when you are got into it, a very safe one, and
of thirty furlongs in largeness; into which is brought
what the country wants in order to its happiness, as
also what abundance the country affords more than it
wants itself is hence distributed into all the
habitable earth.
6. Justly, therefore, did Vespasian desire to
obtain that government, in order to corroborate his
attempts upon the whole empire; so he immediately sent
to Tiberius Alexander, who was then governor of Egypt
and of Alexandria, and informed him what the army had
put upon him, and how he, being forced to accept of
the burden of the government, was desirous to have him
for his confederate and supporter. Now as soon as ever
Alexander had read this letter, he readily obliged the
legions and the multitude to take the oath of fidelity
to Vespasian, both which willingly complied with him,
as already acquainted with the courage of the man,
from that his conduct in their neighborhood.
Accordingly Vespasian, looking upon himself as already
intrusted with the government, got all things ready
for his journey [to Rome]. Now fame carried this news
abroad more suddenly than one could have thought, that
he was emperor over the east, upon which every city
kept festivals, and celebrated sacrifices and
oblations for such good news; the legions also that
were in Mysia and Pannonia, who had been in commotion
a little before, on account of this insolent attempt
of Vitellius, were very glad to take the oath of
fidelity to Vespasian, upon his coming to the empire.
Vespasian then removed from Cesarea to Berytus, where
many embassages came to him from Syria, and many from
other provinces, bringing with them from every city
crowns, and the congratulations of the people.
Mucianus came also, who was the president of the
province, and told him with what alacrity the people
[received the news of his advancement], and how the
people of every city had taken the oath of fidelity to
him.
7. So Vespasian's good fortune succeeded to his
wishes every where, and the public affairs were, for
the greatest part, already in his hands; upon which he
considered that he had not arrived at the government
without Divine Providence, but that a righteous kind
of fate had brought the empire under his power; for as
he called to mind the other signals, which had been a
great many every where, that foretold he should obtain
the government, so did he remember what Josephus had
said to him when he ventured to foretell his coming to
the empire while Nero was alive; so he was much
concerned that this man was still in bonds with him.
He then called for Mucianus, together with his other
commanders and friends, and, in the first place, he
informed them what a valiant man Josephus had been,
and what great hardships he had made him undergo in
the siege of Jotapata. After that he related those
predictions of his which he had then suspected as
fictions, suggested out of the fear he was in, but
which had by time been demonstrated to be Divine. "It
is a shameful thing (said he) that this man, who hath
foretold my coming to the empire beforehand, and been
the minister of a Divine message to me, should still
be retained in the condition of a captive or
prisoner." So he called for Josephus, and commanded
that he should be set at liberty; whereupon the
commanders promised themselves glorious things, froth
this requital Vespasian made to a stranger. Titus was
then present with his father, and said, "O father, it
is but just that the scandal [of a prisoner] should be
taken off Josephus, together with his iron chain. For
if we do not barely loose his bonds, but cut them to
pieces, he will be like a man that had never been
bound at all." For that is the usual method as to such
as have been bound without a cause. This advice was
agreed to by Vespasian also; so there came a man in,
and cut the chain to pieces; while Josephus received
this testimony of his integrity for a reward, and was
moreover esteemed a person of credit as to futurities
also.
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