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Turncoat Generals – Commanders From History Who Switched Sides

Khalid Elhassan April 3, 2025 17 min

Turncoat - Benedict Arnold — Benedict Arnold. Smithsonian Magazine

17. From Rebel Commander to Prophet

When he was brought before Vespasian, Josephus claimed that he had a gift for prophecy and that he could see into the future. He told the Roman general that he had a vision in which he saw Vespasian as emperor. Vespasian, who was already contemplating a revolt, liked Josephus’ prophecy. So he spared his life and kept him as a prisoner. In 69 AD, after the ouster and suicide of Emperor Nero, three Roman generals followed in quick succession as Roman emperors. Vespasian decided that he should be the fourth. He led a successful revolt that put him on the throne, and recalling Josephus’ prophecy, ordered him freed.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.