I.
Eiusdem anni principio (eiusdem anni principio: i.e. 70 A.D.) Caesar Titus, perdomandae Iudaeae delectus a patre (perdomandae Iudaeae delectus a patre: Vespasian had already subdued the country with the exception of Jerusalem for which a long and arduous siege was thought necessary. Cf. Book 2, ch.4. The dat. gerundive perdomandae Iudaeae expresses purpose, a use made current by Livy and popular after him, but rarely found in classical writers, who preferred ad + acc.; cf. A.G. 505, a.) et privatis utriusque rebus (privatis utriusque rebus: abl. abs.: ‘the state of both being that of private citizens’. ) militia clarus, maiore tum vi famaque agebat, (maiore … vi famaque agebat: maiore is comparative absolute, without second teem of comparison, with the force here of ‘cosiderable’, ‘ample’, ‘growing’.) certantibus provinciarum et exercituum studiis. Atque ipse, ut super fortunam crederetur, (ut super fortunam crederetur: that is, he did not want to be seen as owing his reputation to his being the emperor’s son.) decorum se promptumque in armis ostendebat, comitate et adloquiis officia provocans (comitate et adloquiis officia provocans: ‘calling forth devotion for the service by his friendliness and approachability’) ac plerumque in opere, in agmine gregario militi mixtus, incorrupto ducis honore. (incorrupto ducis honore: abl. abs.: ‘the dignity of command being unimpaired’) Tres eum in Iudaea legiones, quinta et decima et quinta decima, vetus Vespasiani miles, excepere. Addidit e Syria duodecimam et adductos Alexandria duoetvicensimanos tertianosque; comitabantur viginti sociae cohortes, octo equitum alae, simul Agrippa Sohaemusque reges et auxilia regis Antiochi validaque (Agrippa Sohaemusque reges … regis Antiochi: all three previously mentioned in Book 2, ch. 81: Herod Agrippa Minor was son of Herod Agrippa Maior and great-grandson of Herod the Great and brother of Berenice. He was prince of Chalcis in Syria and ruled over the territory east of the Jordan. Sohaemus was prince of Emessa, modern Homs in Syria, and king of Sophene, a small territory between Armenia and Cappadocia. Antiochus was king of Commagene between Cilicia and Armenia, SW of Sophene.) et solito inter accolas odio infensa Iudaeis Arabum manus, multi quos urbe atque Italia sua quemque spes acciverat occupandi principem adhuc vacuum. (spes … occupandi principem adhuc vacuum: ‘the hope of securing a hold in the heart of a prince yet unengaged’; example of genitive gerund after a noun (spes) and having a direct object (principem), the latter construction being possible only with gen. gerund and abl. gerund without prep.) His cum copiis finis hostium ingressus composito agmine, cuncta explorans paratusque decernere, (cuncta explorans paratusque decernere: ‘sending out patrols at all times to gather intelligence, ready for action’. According to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (approx. 37-100 A.D.) Titus’ forces were about 60,000 strong.) haud procul Hierosolymis castra facit.