[301] Philostr. v. 27.
[302] Tacitus relates, that when Vespasian was going to the Serapeum, ut super rebus imperii consuleret, Basilides, an Egyptian, who was at the time eighty miles distant, suddenly appeared to him; from his name the emperor drew an omen that the god sanctioned his assumption of the Imperial power.—Hist. iv. 82. This sufficiently agrees in substance with the narrative of Philostratus to give the latter some probability. It was on this occasion that the famous cures are said to have been wrought.
[303] As Egypt supplied Rome with corn, Vespasian by taking possession of that country almost secured to himself the Empire.—Tacit. Hist. ii. 82, iii. 8. Philostratus insinuates that he was already in possession of supreme power, and came to Egypt for the sanction of Apollonius. Την μἑν αρχἡν κεκτημἑνος διαλεξὁμενος δε τω ανδρἱ. v. 27.
[304] Philostr. v. 31.
[305] Brucker, vol. ii. p. 566, etc.
[306] Philostr. v. 37, he makes Euphrates say to Vespasian, Φιλοσοφἱαν ω βασιλεὑ, τησ μἑς κατἁ φὑσιν ἑχαινες και ασπἁζουν την δἑ θεοκλυτευ φἁσκουσαν παιραιτου καταψευδὁμενοι γαρ του θεἱου πολλα και ανοἡτα ἡμας επαἱρουσι. See Brucker; and Apollon. Epist. 8.
[307] Ibid. vi. 1, etc.
[308] Philostr. vi. 29, etc.
[309] Ibid. vii. 1, etc., see Brucker, vol. ii. p. 128.
[310] Ibid. viii. 5, 6, etc. On account of his foretelling the pestilence he was honoured as a god by the Ephesians, vii. 21. Hence this prediction appeared in the indictment.