THE WARS OF THE JEWS
OR
THE HISTORY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
Book IV: Chapter 11
THAT UPON THE CONQUEST AND
SLAUGHTER OF VITELLIUS VESPASIAN HASTENED HIS JOURNEY
TO ROME; BUT TITUS HIS SON RETURNED TO JERUSALEM.
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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