The Histories

In the eastern provinces, “world fortune was already planning the origins and causes of a new dynasty [the Flavians], which was, with varying lot, happy for the state or terrible, and for the emperors themselves prosperous or deadly” (61). Titus had set off from Judea to Rome during the reign of Galba to pay his respects but turned back once he learned about Galba’s death.

Tacitus goes into some detail about Vespasian, who he describes as “a born soldier” (63), often marching with his troops and taking great personal risks in battles. Other than in his greed, he was a model of Roman generalship. The nearby governor of Syria, Gaius Licinius Mucianus, was notably different. He was excessively generous, a talented speaker, and a good administrator. Tacitus says that if the two men were combined and their vices removed, they would have made an excellent emperor. However, neither liked the other. It was their shared admiration of Titus that brought them together.

The eastern legions saw the West being consumed by fighting and felt angry that they would not themselves gain any spoils. The generals, noticing the eagerness of their soldiers for combat, decided to wait to see if the civil war could form a lasting government before they acted.