Palestine. Vespasian had seen portents and dreams that
long beforehand indicated that he was destined to rule. As he was eating
dinner in the country, where most of his time was spent, a cow approached
him, knelt down, and put her head beneath his feet. Another time, when he
was taking food, a dog threw a human hand under the table. And a
conspicuous cypress tree, which had been uprooted and overthrown by a
violent wind, on the next day stood upright again by its own power and
continued to flourish. From a dream he learned that when Nero Caesar
should lose a tooth, he should be emperor: and this matter of the tooth
became a reality on the following day. Nero himself in his slumbers
thought he was bringing the chariot of Jupiter to Vespasian's house. These
occurrences, of course, needed interpretation. But in addition a Jew named
Josephus, who had previously been disliked by him and imprisoned, gave a
laugh and said: "You may imprison me now, but a year later when you become
emperor you will release me."

[Sidenote:--2--] Thus had Vespasian, like some others, been born for the
position. While he was as yet absent in Egypt Mucianus administered all
the details of government with the help of Domitian. Mucianus feeling that
he had himself given the sovereignty to Vespasian exulted greatly at these
facts above all,--that he was called "brother" by him, and that he had
authority to decide every question that he liked without the emperor's
express approval and could issue written orders by merely adding his
superior's name. For this purpose, too, he wore a finger ring that had
been sent him, which was intended to impress the imperial seal upon
documents requiring authorization. [Indeed, Domitian himself gave offices
and procuratorships to many persons, appointing prefect after prefect and
even consuls.] In fine, they behaved in every way so much like absolute
rulers that Vespasian once sent the following message to Domitian: "I
thank you, my child, for letting me hold office and that you have not yet
dethroned me."

Now Mucianus gathered into the public treasury from every possible quarter
vast sums of money, showing an entire readiness to relieve Vespasian of
the censure which such a proceeding caused. He was forever declaring that
money was the sinews of sovereignty; and in accordance with this belief he
was constantly urging Vespasian to obtain funds from every quarter, and
for his own part he continued from the outset to