Hist. 1.10.1Oriēns adhūc immōtus.The East was as yet unmoved. Hist. 1.10.1Syriam et quattuor legiōnēs obtinēbat Licinius Mūciānus, vir secundīs adversīsque iūxtā fāmōsus.Syria and four legions were held by Licinius Mucianus, a man equally notorious in good fortune and bad. Hist. 1.10.1Īnsignīs amīcitiās iuvenis ambitiōsē coluerat;As a young man he had ambitiously cultivated distinguished friendships; Hist. 1.10.1mox attrītīs opibus, lūbricō statū, suspectā etiam Claudiī īrācundiā, in sēcrētum Asiae sēpositus tam prope ab exule fuit quam posteā ā prīncipe.later, his resources worn away, his position precarious, and even Claudius' anger suspected, he was set aside in a remote corner of Asia, and was as near to being an exile as he was afterwards to being emperor. Hist. 1.10.1Luxuriā industriā, cōmitāte adrogantiā, malīs bonīsque artibus mīxtus: nimiae voluptātēs, cum vacāret;A mixture of luxury and energy, courtesy and arrogance, bad qualities and good: excessive pleasures when he had leisure; Hist. 1.10.1quotiēns expedierat, magnae virtūtēs: palam laudārēs, sēcrēta male audiēbant: sed apud subiectōs, apud proximōs, apud collēgās variīs inlecebrīs potēns, et cui expedītius fuerit trādere imperium quam obtinēre.whenever he took the field, great virtues: in public you would praise him, his private life had a bad name: but with subordinates, with intimates, with colleagues he was powerful through various charms, and a man for whom it was easier to hand over the empire than to hold it.
Hist. 1.10.1Bellum Iūdaicum Flāvius Vespasiānus (ducem eum Nerō dēlēgerat) tribus legiōnibus administrābat.The Jewish war was being conducted by Flavius Vespasian (Nero had chosen him as general) with three legions. Hist. 1.10.1Nec Vespasiānō adversus Galbam vōtum aut animus: quippe Titum fīlium ad venerātiōnem cultumque eius mīserat, ut suō locō memorābimus.Nor had Vespasian any wish or intention against Galba: for he had sent his son Titus to pay him respect and homage, as we shall relate in its place. Hist. 1.10.1Occulta fātī et ostentīs ac respōnsīs dēstinātum Vespasiānō līberīsque eius imperium post fortūnam crēdidimus.That by the secret workings of fate, and by portents and oracles, the empire was destined for Vespasian and his sons, we believed only after his success.