The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of JerusalemJosephus, Flavius
Religion
The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem
Josephus, Flavius
Jews -- History
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.
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