Hist. 2.7.1Antequam Titus adventāret sacrāmentum Othōnis accēperat uterque exercitus, praecipitibus, ut adsolet, nūntiīs et tardā mōle cīvīlis bellī, quod longā concordiā quiētus Oriēns tunc prīmum parābat.Before Titus arrived, both armies had taken the oath to Otho, for news, as usually happens, travelled fast, while a civil war is a slow and heavy mass, and the East, quiet after long harmony, was then preparing one for the first time. Hist. 2.7.1Namque ōlim validissima inter sē cīvium arma in Ītaliā Galliāve vīribus Occidentis coepta;For in the past the most powerful armed conflicts of citizens among themselves had begun in Italy or Gaul with the strength of the West; Hist. 2.7.1et Pompeiō, Cassiō, Brūtō, Antōniō, quōs omnīs trāns mare secūtum est cīvīle bellum, haud prosperī exitūs fuerant;and for Pompey, Cassius, Brutus and Antony, all of whom civil war had followed across the sea, the outcome had not been fortunate; Hist. 2.7.1audītīque saepius in Syriā Iūdaeāque Caesarēs quam īnspectī.and in Syria and Judaea the Caesars had been heard of more often than seen. Hist. 2.7.1Nūlla sēditiō legiōnum, tantum adversus Parthōs minae, variō ēventū;There had been no mutiny of the legions, only threats against the Parthians, with varying result; Hist. 2.7.1et proximō cīvīlī bellō turbātīs aliīs inconcussa ibi pāx, Dein fidēs ergā Galbam.and in the last civil war, while others were in turmoil, peace there was unshaken, and after that loyalty towards Galba.
Hist. 2.7.1Mox, ut Othōnem ac Vitellium scelestīs armīs rēs Rōmānās raptum īre vulgātum est, nē penes cēterōs imperiī praemia, penes ipsōs tantum servitiī necessitās esset, fremere mīles et vīrīs suās circumspicere.Soon, when it was spread abroad that Otho and Vitellius were going to seize the Roman state with criminal arms, the soldiers began to murmur and to look round at their own strength, lest the rewards of empire should rest with others and with themselves only the necessity of servitude. Hist. 2.7.1Septem legiōnēs statim et cum ingentibus auxiliīs Syria Iūdaeaque;There were seven legions at hand at once, and Syria and Judaea with huge auxiliary forces; Hist. 2.7.1inde continua Aegyptus duaeque legiōnēs, hinc Cappadocia Pontusque et quicquid castrōrum Armeniīs praetenditur.next to them, adjoining, Egypt and two legions; on the other side Cappadocia and Pontus and all the camps stretched out to face the Armenians. Hist. 2.7.1Asia et cēterae prōvinciae nec virōrum inopēs et pecūniā opulentae.Asia and the other provinces were not short of men and were rich in money. Hist. 2.7.1Quantum īnsulārum marī cingitur, et parandō interim bellō secundum tūtumque ipsum mare.All the islands girt by the sea were theirs, and the sea itself was favourable and safe for preparing war meanwhile.