From the Archives of the Seleucia Times :

a.d. III Idus Jul. DCCCXXII

SPECIAL EDITION FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS ACCLAIMED EMPEROR IN ANTIOCH EASTERN PROVINCES TAKE LEAD IN SURPRISE COUP IN THIS ISSUE ‘IMPERATOR’: New Era Opens? T. Flavius Vespasian Acclaimed Emperor (Main Story) Editorial Comment Excerpts of Provincial Address by G. Licianus Mucianus Some Political Notes, by Senator Antonius Philadelphus (page II) A Savior out of the East? Editorial Recent events in Egypt, Judaea and now Syria may appeal to the taste of the army and administrative officials of Rome’s eastern provinces -- their enthusiasm for General Flavius knows no bounds -- a few citizens may be forgiven for greeting the news with reserve, perhaps even with scepticism. Not that our region need expect sudden hardship from imminent war. Romans have been at war with each other for months without our shores suffering devastation. The evils of the latest civil war have been felt mostly in Italy. What does worry some people however is the direction Rome’s leadership is going in. Already this year, a.u.c. DCCCXXII, we have had four emperors: Galba (died Ianuarius), Otho (died Aprilis), Augustus Germanicus just barely settled in Rome, and now Flavius Vespasianus in Caesarea. Such a far cry from the tranquillity the East has enjoyed since Divus Augustus defeated M. Antonius and his Egyptian consort at Actium a hundred years past. The current political upheaval, with emperors succeeding each other more rapidly than the four seasons, brings back painful memories of the demise of the old Seleucid monarchy with its succession of weakling kings, palace intrigues and shifting alliances. But even that sorry dynasty never saw four princes in the space of seven months. Thankfully, there is a new factor in today’s situation: Flavius Vespasianus. In the two years he has been in the East, he has restored stability to the rebellius province of Judaea, except for one last pocket of resistance. Stability was what the Seleucids lacked. It is what Rome needs most today. Will Flavius be able to bring back stability and save the Roman Empire? That is what remains to be seen. In a sudden unexpected move on a.d. VI Idus Iulias (Roman calendar) in late afternoon, His Excellency G. Licinius Mucianus, Legate to Syria, led an enthusiastic floor of Roman legions in swearing fidelity to T. Flavius Vespasianus, Commander of the Roman army in Judaea whose own troops had acclaimed him Imperator seven days earlier in Caesarea Maritima. News of Flavius’ acclamation and acceptance of the title arrived in Antioch three days ago by special courier. A few hours later, His Excellency Licianus assembled the legionaries billeted in Antioch in the Great Square of the city’s Island district to lead them in the oath of allegiance. Following that private ceremony, city residents were invited by town criers to gather in a theatre early the next morning when His Excellency would pronounce a Provincial Addres (see excerpts this page). Later, a tribune of the Legio VI Ferrata was dispatched to the Roman garrison at the old Seleucid fortress in Seleucia’s Upper City. The ceremony of swearing fidelity to Flavius took place there at the third hour. In the port, Roman authorities lit a bonfire atop the Tower of Aphrodite to celebrate the event. According to witnesses, the atmosphere in both places was one of jubilation. Seleucia Pieria is fifth in a growing list of places that have acclaimed the new Roman emperor. The first acclamation took place on the Kalends of Iulius when His Excellency Tiberius Julius Alexander, Praefectus of Egypt, suddenly administered a new oath of allegiance to his legions based in Nicopolis outside Alexandria. Alexandria itself acclaimed Flavius the same day. The Judaean legions in Caesarea Maritima then acclaimed their General. Their example has now been followed by Antioch and Seleucia Pieria. G. Licinius Mucianus Addresses The Province On a.d. VI Idus Jul. the three Roman legions of Syria* acclaimed Titus Flavius Vespasianus ‘Imperator.’ The following day, the Legate to Syria delivered a Provincial Address to thousands of Antiochenes gathered in one of the city’s theatres. HIs eloquent speech to the people -- in fluent Greek -- stunned the audience. Though applause may not have been unanimous, the Legate was satisfied with the show of popular support to the cause of the new emperor. Excerpts of the Legate’s Address are reprinted here. *IV Scythica, VI Ferrata, XII Fulminata (ed.’s note) “It has been nearly three months, citizens of Antioch, since Emperor Salvius Otho departed this world, falling upon his own sword at the break of a new day. As tragic as his fate appears to us today, his motives then were nothing less than laudable. I quote: ‘Am I the man to allow the flower of Rome in all these famous armies to be mown down and lost to the country? You must stay and go on with your life. It is not in dark despair, but with my army clamouring for battle, that I determine to save my country from the last calamities. Never forget that Otho was your uncle, yet keep your remembrance within bounds. I complain of no one.’ “Such was his judgment, worthy citizens! To spare his people unwanted and undeserved pain. Not war, but peace. Not fratricide, but unanimity. Would that his protective paternal spirit have passed to his successor! Alas, his fatherly spirit disdained the heart of Augustus Germanicus, once Governor of Germania Inferior. (...) “What those innocent country folk, Romans and Latins alike, experienced at the hands of Germanicus’ victorious army was a calamity worse than war itself. It was Germanicus who started the civil war; then he and his men, en route to Rome, revisited it on defenceless farmers. Towns plundered, houses sacked or burned to the ground, crops torn up, animals slaughtered, young maids ravished: Italy was spared no horror. For two long months they marched while heaven and earth became unconsenting witnesses to their insatiable savagery. (...) “Now when I hear you say: ‘Our hearts break at hearing the plight of the Italians, but let us give thanks to Almighty Zeus for protecting us from their woeful fate,’ then I shake my head in wonder. Foolish discourse! What unseen demons have beguiled you, faultless citizens, into thinking that you will not share the fate of those Italians? I tell you now: your doom has been ordained! “‘Why? When? By whom?’ you cry. The Emperor’s minions have seen the good life with which we are blessed daily here in Antioch. The rich blue sea, our towering forest-covered mountains, cool refreshing water in abundance, our monuments -- temples, libraries, porticoes, gardens, markets -- they saw, and they coveted. ‘Why should these lazy bumpkins enjoy such a life and not we?’ they whined to themselves. So now hear this: the Emperor has sealed your fate! His plan is to remove our legions, these men that we have all learned to know and love as brethren, these legions that have fought against murderous Parthians to protect us and who call Antioch their home, their Rome; he would uproot them, send them to the icy barren snows of Germania, and then let loose his brutal butchers on unsuspecting Antioch... on you! (...) “But merciful Zeus has raised up a shield: Titus Flavius Vespasianus! In him has noble Otho’s caring spirit made his new abode. To him have our own, with three more battle-proven legions* promised unswerving fealty, devotion, trust. For him would they risk life and home, for the protector of our lives, our homes. Flavius Vespasianus, our godsend! No power-hungry, self-indulgent incarnation of vainglory, but a humble, honest, hard-working Roman, a paragon of our fathers’ virtues. Many of you have already shown him your generous nature by donating aid to his gallant son Vespasianus Junior, to his envoys, to his indefatigable army. (...) “Noble citizens of Antioch, be not afraid! Salvation is our destiny as long as Flavius we do acclaim! Imperator!All hail Flavius Vespasianus, our heaven-sent new emperor! (...)” *In Judaea: V Macedonica, X Fretensis, XV Apollinaris (ed.’s note)

GENESIS OF AN ACCLAMATION Some Political Notes by our Special Correspondent in Antioch The recent acclamation of T. Flavius Vespasianus as Imperator has brought out a variety of reactions among Antiochenes, from surprise, elation and rejoicing to shock, trepidation and fear. For a number of Antioch’s senators however, the handwriting was on the wall, as one member of that assembly, Antonius Philadelphus, explained to us in a private interview. Yet apparently, the more obvious the signs, the easier they were to ignore. “I’m surprised that so many people were surprised,” noted the senator. “Ever since we were aware that the Rhenus legionaries had proclaimed their legate Imperator and were reaping copious rewards for themselves, our own legions have been grumbling about unfair treatment.” In a further display of dissatisfaction, the delegates sent by Augustus Germanicus to administer the oath of allegiance to him were shown only lukewarm hospitality. Asked to elaborate on the “handwriting on the wall,” the senator made two observations. The first concerned the virtually public prediction by a certain Josephus, a Jewish noble captured by Gen. Flavius early in the Jewish War. The prisoner foretold that the General would attain the highest spheres of power. A second prediction by a priest at the Jewish shrine on Mount Carmel some months later lent credence to that prophecy. Afterwards, “the army spoke of nothing but their Commander’s glorious destiny,” says the senator. Secondly, there was the unusual number of meetings between the General’s son, legate of the Legio XV Apollinaris, and H. E. Licinius, the Legate to Syria, which meetings were crowned by a rendezvous of the Syrian Legate, Gen. Flavius and several senior army officers on Mount Carmel last Maius. All these meetings could only have been so many discussions preparing the way for the General’s bid for supreme power in Rome, according to some magistrates. Senator Antonius Philadelphus advises caution, however. “Nothing is simpler than jumping to conclusions,” he points out, “and hindsight is too often mistaken for wisdom. It is a fact that Gen. Flavius was first proclaimed in Egypt. Hence the Praefectus of Egypt* plays an essential role in the General’s rise to power. But how? He was never seen either here or in Judaea. That would make him somewhat of an outsider. On the other hand, H. E. Licinius and Gen. Flavius or his son have been talking for months with no noticeable results. This may have irked the Praefectus. We therefore cannot leave out the possibility that this lack of concrete action incited Alexander to take matters into his own hands. Ready or not, willingly or not, Gen. Flavius would be acclaimed emperor. It is possible that Gen. Flavius was not prepared for what happened.” The senator admits that his arguments do not convince many of his colleagues. According to their interpretation of events, everything was planned ahead: the timing, the lead taken by Egypt, everything to the last detail. “Planned by Gen.Flavius himself, they believe,” says the senator. “But if it were true that we are in the presence of a calculated coup concocted in perfect secrecy, then I fear we may be in for an era of unprecedented tyranny.” The debate goes on. *Tiberius Julius Alexander (ed.’s note)