whatsoever.

BOOK III.

Containing The Interval Of About One Year.

From Vespasian's Coming To Subdue The Jews To The Taking Of
Gamala.

CHAPTER 1.

Vespasian Is Sent Into Syria By Nero In Order To Make War
With The Jews.

1. When Nero was informed of the Romans' ill success in Judea, a
concealed consternation and terror, as is usual in such cases, fell upon
him; although he openly looked very big, and was very angry, and
said that what had happened was rather owing to the negligence of the
commander, than to any valor of the enemy: and as he thought it fit
for him, who bare the burden of the whole empire, to despise such
misfortunes, he now pretended so to do, and to have a soul superior to
all such sad accidents whatsoever. Yet did the disturbance that was in
his soul plainly appear by the solicitude he was in [how to recover his
affairs again].

2. And as he was deliberating to whom he should commit
the care of the East, now it was in so great a commotion, and who might
be best able to punish the Jews for their rebellion, and might prevent
the same distemper from seizing upon the neighboring nations also,--he
found no one but Vespasian equal to the task, and able to undergo
the great burden of so mighty a war, seeing he was growing an old man
already in the camp, and from his youth had been exercised in warlike
exploits: he was also a man that had long ago pacified the west, and
made it subject to the Romans, when it had been put into disorder by the
Germans; he had also recovered to them Britain by his arms, which had
been little known before [1] whereby he procured to his father Claudius
to have a triumph bestowed on him without any sweat or labor of his own.

3. So Nero esteemed these circumstances as favorable omens, and saw that
Vespasian's age gave him sure experience, and great skill, and that
he had his sons as hostages for his fidelity to himself, and that the
flourishing age they were in would make them fit instruments under
their father's prudence. Perhaps also there was some interposition
of Providence, which was paving the way for Vespasian's being himself
emperor afterwards. Upon the whole, he sent this man to take upon him
the command of the armies that were in Syria; but this not without great
encomiums and flattering compellations, such as necessity required, and
such as might mollify him into complaisance. So Vespasian sent his son
Titus from Achaia, whe