1The first news brought to Vitellius was the revolt of the Third Legion, in a letter sent by Aponius Saturninus before he too joined Vespasian's party; 1but neither had Aponius written out everything in full, panicking as he was at the sudden event, and his flattering friends interpreted it more gently: it was the mutiny of one legion; the other armies stood firm in their loyalty. 1In this fashion Vitellius too spoke to the soldiers, attacking the praetorians recently discharged, by whom, he insisted, false rumours were being spread, and declaring that there was no fear of civil war, while Vespasian's name was suppressed and soldiers roamed the city to curb the talk of the people.
1That was the chief nourishment of rumour.