1The first concern of the war was to hold levies and recall veterans; 1strong cities are assigned to run workshops of arms; 1at Antioch gold and silver are coined, and all these things were being hastened, each in its own place, by suitable agents. 1Vespasian himself went about, encouraged, spurred on the good by praise, the slack by example, more often than he punished them, concealing the faults of his friends rather than their virtues. 1Many he honoured with prefectures and procuratorships, a great number with the rank of the senatorial order, outstanding men who soon reached the highest positions; 1for some, fortune took the place of merit. 1Neither had Mucianus in his first address held out a donative to the soldiers except a moderate one, nor did Vespasian offer more in a civil war than others had in peace, admirably firm against largesse to the soldiers, and with a better army for that reason.
1Envoys were sent to the Parthian and the Armenian king, and provision was made that the rear should not be left exposed when the legions turned to civil war. 1It was decided that Titus should press on with Judaea and that Vespasian should hold the gateways of Egypt: against Vitellius a part of the forces seemed sufficient, with Mucianus as general and the name of Vespasian, and nothing being too hard for the fates. 1Letters were written to all the armies and legates, with instructions that they should entice the praetorians hostile to Vitellius with the reward of regaining their service.