n 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 [24] 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 es