CAESAREA, SYRIA 3 JULIUS 69 AD
The question that had vexed Vespasian"s high command most was how to make the announcement to the legions. The soldiers had to be told, as did the Roman citizens in Judea, Syria, and Aegypt. They also had to reach out to the Balkan legions that had backed Otho, but never reached him. This move had to seem justified, not an act of hubris on Vespasian"s part. Of all the men hailed as Caesar Imperator this year, his lineage was the most inglorious.
The legates and governors did not know that since January the talk around campfires and in barracks had been all about when the general would make his move. It was past time the Judean legions took their rightful place on the world stage, and if it meant war with the German legions, they were unafraid. “We"ll eat th
