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[656]
And now, as Vespasian was come to Alexandria, this good news came
from Rome, and at the same time came embassies from all his own habitable
earth, to congratulate him upon his advancement; and though this Alexandria
was the greatest of all cities next to Rome, it proved too narrow to contain
the multitude that then came to it. So upon this confirmation of Vespasian's
entire government, which was now settled, and upon the unexpected deliverance
of the public affairs of the Romans from ruin, Vespasian turned his thoughts
to what remained unsubdued in Judea. However, he himself made haste to
go to Rome, as the winter was now almost over, and soon set the affairs
of Alexandria in order, but sent his son Titus, with a select part of his
army, to destroy Jerusalem. So Titus marched on foot as far as Nicopolis,
which is distant twenty furlongs from Alexandria; there he put his army
on board some long ships, and sailed upon the river along the Mendesian
Nomus, as far as the city Tumuis; there he got out of the ships, and walked
on foot, and lodged all night at a small city called Tanis. His second
station was Heracleopolis, and his third Pelusium; he then refreshed his
army at that place for two days, and on the third passed over the mouths
of the Nile at Pelusium; he then proceeded one station over the desert,
and pitched his camp at the temple of the Casian Jupiter, 1
and on the next day at Ostracine. This station had no water, but the people
of the country make use of water brought from other places. After this
he rested at Rhinocolura, and from thence he went to Raphia, which was
his fourth station. This city is the beginning of Syria. For his fifth
station he pitched his camp at Gaza; after which he came to Ascalon, and
thence to Jamnia, and after that to Joppa, and from Joppa to Cesarea, having
taken a resolution to gather all his other forces together at that place.
1 There are coins of this Casian Jupiter still extant.
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