When the Roman Emperor Vespasian couldn't keep up. The meaning of Vespasian, Titus Flavius in the biographies of monarchs. Bronze plaque with the text Lex de imperio of Vespasian

In Antioch, Vespasian took command of the army and pulled in auxiliary troops from everywhere. He began his campaign in 67, realizing that he faced a grueling and dangerous undertaking. The Jews did not risk fighting the legions in the open field, but took refuge behind the walls of the cities and defended themselves with extreme tenacity. First of all, from Ptolemais the Romans invaded Galilee and, after a heavy siege, took Iotapata, a large and well-fortified city on the coast. Its entire population was subjected to total extermination. Jaffa was captured immediately, and Tiberias surrendered without a fight. The inhabitants of Tarichea tried to resist, but their city was taken at the first attack. Vespasian initially promised the prisoners life and freedom, but then changed his mind. He sent all the newly arrived Jews to Tiberias, about a thousand were executed and up to forty thousand more were sold into slavery (Flavius: “The Jewish War”; 3; 2, 7, 9, 10). Gamala, located nearby, defended itself with desperate tenacity. Having finally captured the city, the Romans killed even the infants in it. After this, all of Galilee recognized Roman rule (Flavius: “The Jewish War”; 4; 1, 6).

This campaign brought Vespasian great fame and popularity in the army. Indeed, in the very first battles he showed exceptional courage, so that during the siege of Iotapata he himself was wounded in the knee by a stone, and several arrows pierced his shield (Suetonius: “Vespasian”; 4). On the march, Vespasian usually walked ahead of the army himself, knew how to choose a place for a camp, day and night he thought about victory over his enemies, and if necessary, he struck them down with a mighty hand, ate whatever he had to, in clothes and habits he was almost no different from an ordinary soldier - in a word , if not for greed, he could have been considered a Roman commander of ancient times (Tacitus: “History”; 2; 5).

Vespasian consistently recognized all three and at each coup led his legions to swear allegiance to the new princeps. Although he knew how to obey as well as command, the news of the outrages of the Vitellians in Rome infuriated him. He despised Vitellius from the bottom of his heart and considered him unworthy of the throne. Imbued with the most painful thoughts, he felt the burden of his position as a conqueror of foreign lands, while his own fatherland was perishing. But no matter how his anger prompted him to take revenge, the thought of his distance from Rome, as well as the power of the German legions on which Vitellius relied, held him back. Meanwhile, military leaders and soldiers at their comradely meetings openly discussed a change in government, and the demand to proclaim Vespasian emperor was louder and louder (Flavius: “The Jewish War”; 4; 8-10).

The first to swear allegiance to Vespasian were the Alexandrian legions on July 1, 69. As soon as the news of this reached Judea, the soldiers who ran to Vespasian’s tent joyfully greeted him as emperor. Immediately at the meeting he was awarded the titles of Caesar, Augustus and all other titles due to a princeps. Vespasian himself, in these new and unusual circumstances, remained the same as before - without the slightest importance, without any arrogance. He addressed the army with a few words, simple and stern as a soldier. In response, loud cries of jubilation and devotion were heard from all sides. a joyful upsurge also gripped the legions stationed in Syria. Their commander, Licinius Mutian, immediately swore allegiance to Vespasian. Even before the Ides of July, all of Syria took the oath. Sochem, with his kingdom and the considerable military forces under his authority, as well as Antiochus, the largest of the local kings subordinate to Rome, joined the uprising. All the coastal provinces, right up to the borders of Asia and Achaea, and all the inland ones, right up to Pontus and Armenia, swore allegiance to the new emperor.

Vespasian began preparing for war by recruiting recruits and drafting veterans into the army; the most prosperous cities were instructed to create workshops for the production of weapons; gold and silver coins began to be minted in Antioch. These measures were hastily carried out on the ground by special proxies. Vespasian appeared everywhere, encouraged everyone, praised honest and active people, taught the confused and weak by his own example, only occasionally resorting to punishment. He distributed the positions of prefects and procurators and appointed new members of the Senate, most of them outstanding people, who soon occupied a high position in the state. As for the monetary gift to the soldiers, at the very first meeting it was announced that it would be very moderate, and Vespasian promised the troops for participation in the civil war no more than others paid them for service in peacetime: he was an implacable opponent of senseless generosity towards to the soldiers, and therefore his army was always better than that of others. Legates were sent to the Parthians and to Armenia, and measures were taken to ensure that after the legions left for the civil war, the borders would not be unprotected. Titus, the son of Vespasian, remained in Judea, he himself decided to go to Egypt - it was decided that only part of the troops and such a commander as Mutian, as well as the glory surrounding the name of Vespasian, would be enough to defeat Vitellius (Tacitus: “History”; 2; 79-82).

So Mucianus marched to Italy, and Vespasian sailed to Egypt. He considered it a matter of paramount importance to secure this province for himself, since, firstly, he thus took control of the supply of grain to Rome, and secondly, he left himself room for retreat in case of defeat. Titus was entrusted with the end of the Jewish War (Flavius: “Jewish War”; 4; 10).

Vespasian spent the end of winter and the entire spring of 70 in Alexandria. Meanwhile, Mucian took Rome. Vitellius was killed, the Senate, all provinces and legions swore allegiance to Vespasian.

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Returning to Italy in the summer of 70, Vespasian first of all restored order in the army, since the soldiers had reached complete debauchery: some were proud of victory, others were embittered by dishonor. Vespasian dismissed and punished many of Vitellius’ soldiers, but he also did not allow the victors anything beyond their due, and did not even pay them legal rewards right away. He did not miss a single opportunity to restore order. One young man came to thank him for his high appointment, fragrant with aromas - he turned away contemptuously and gloomily said to him: “It would be better if you stank of garlic!” - and took away the appointment order.

After the last civil war, the capital was disfigured by fires and ruins. The Capitoline Hill, where the oldest temples of Rome were located, burned to the ground. Vespasian allowed anyone to occupy and develop empty plots if the owners did not do so. Having begun to rebuild the Capitol, he was the first to begin clearing away the rubble with his own hands and carrying it out on his own back. The upper classes were thinned by endless executions and fell into decline from long-standing neglect. In order to cleanse and replenish them, in 73-74, as a censor, he inspected the Senate and the equestrians, removed the unfit and included the most worthy of the Italians and provincials in the lists.

After Titus took Jerusalem and ended the Jewish War, a triumph was celebrated in 71. During the reign of Vespasian, Achaia, Lycia, Rhodes, Byzantium, Samoe again lost their freedom, and mountainous Cilicia and Commagena, previously under the rule of the kings, were turned into provinces.

“Serves me right, an old man: like a fool I wanted triumph, as if my ancestors deserved it or I myself could dream of it!” He accepted the tribunal power and the name of the father of the fatherland only many years later, although during his reign he was consul eight times and censor once. He was the first of the princeps to remove the guards at the doors of his palace, and he stopped searching those who greeted him in the morning during the internecine war. While in power, he always got up early, even before light, and read letters and reports from all the officials, then let his friends in and received greetings, while he himself dressed and put on his shoes. Having finished with his current affairs, he took a walk and rested with one of the concubines: after the death of Tsenida, he had many of them. From the bedroom he went to the bathhouse, and then to the table: at this time, they say, he was at his softest and kindest, and the family tried to take advantage of this if they had any requests. At dinner, as always and everywhere, he was good-natured and often made jokes: he was a great mocker, but too prone to buffoonery and vulgarity, even reaching the point of obscenity. However, some of his jokes were very witty. They say that one woman swore that she was dying of love for him, and achieved his attention: he spent the night with her and gave her 400,000 sesterces, and when asked by the manager under what heading to enter this money, he said: “For extreme love for Vespasian "

The liberties of friends, the barbs of lawyers, the obstinacy of philosophers bothered him little. He never remembered the insults and enmity and did not take revenge for them. Suspicion or fear never pushed him to commit violence. It never turned out that an innocent person was executed - unless in his absence, without his knowledge, or even against his will. No death pleased him, and even over a well-deserved execution he sometimes complained and cried. The only thing he was rightly reproached for was love of money. Not only did he collect the arrears forgiven by Galba, impose new heavy taxes, increase and sometimes even double the tribute from the provinces, he openly engaged in such matters that even a private person would be ashamed of. He bought things only to sell them later at a profit; he did not hesitate to sell positions to applicants and exonerations to defendants, innocent and guilty indiscriminately. He even taxed the toilets, and when Titus reproached his father for this, he took a coin from the first profit, brought it to his nose and asked if it stank. “No,” answered Titus. “But this is money from ms>chi,” said Vespasian. However, many think that he was greedy not by nature, but because of the extreme poverty of the state and imperial treasury: he himself admitted this when, at the very beginning of his reign, he declared that he needed forty billion sesterces for the state to get on its feet ( Suetonius: “Vespasian”; 8-9, 12-16, 21-24). In fact, under Vespasian in Rome the restoration of the Capito, the Temple of Peace, the monuments of Claudius, the Forum and much more was begun and completed; Construction of the Colosseum began. Throughout Italy, cities were renovated, roads were firmly fortified, and mountains on the Flaminieva were razed to create a less steep pass. All this was accomplished in a short time and without burdening the farmers, which proves his wisdom rather than greed (Victor: “On the Caesars”; 9).

He died as simply and calmly as he lived. During his ninth consulate, while in Campania, he felt mild bouts of fever. He went to the retreat of the estate, where he usually spent the summer. Here the ailments intensified. Nevertheless, he continued, as always, to engage in state affairs and, lying in bed, even received ambassadors. When his stomach began to fail, Vespasian felt death approaching and joked: “Alas, it seems that I am becoming a god.” He tried to get up, saying that the emperor should die standing, and died in the arms of those supporting him (Suetonius: “Vespasian”; 25).

All the monarchs of the world. Ancient Greece. Ancient Rome. Byzantium. Konstantin Ryzhov. Moscow, 2001

Vespasian. Titus Flavius Vespasian was born on November 17, 9 in the small village of Falakrina near Reate (modern Rieti) near Rome. He was a man of very humble origins: his ancestors were not distinguished by either nobility or wealth and did not do anything outstanding.

Vespasian devoted many years to military activity; he served in the Roman troops in Thrace (the territory of modern Bulgaria), ruled Crete and Cyrene, and commanded a legion in Germany. He especially distinguished himself in Britain, where he participated in thirty battles, conquered two strong tribes and more than twenty villages. It was in Britain, according to Tacitus (Arp. 13), that “Vespasian was first noticed by omnipotent fate.” For his victories in Britain, he was awarded a triumph in Rome and became consul in 51.

Vespasian owes his successes in the field of military and state activities primarily to his energetic nature, natural sober mind, prudence and caution; It was these qualities, combined with a modest lifestyle, that allowed him to survive relatively safely during the difficult and dangerous times of the reign of the frenzied Caligula, spineless Claudius and extravagant Nero.

To obtain positions in Germany and Britain, Vespasian resorted to the patronage of Narcissus, one of the three most powerful freedmen who managed all the affairs of the Roman state under the weak-willed Claudius. But Narcissus was the enemy of Agrippina the Younger, Nero’s stern mother, and Agrippina’s anger threatened to turn also against Vespasian, who, however, as a sensible and cautious man, managed to retire in time and disappear from the eyes of the formidable empress.

After Nero finally dealt with his obstinate mother, Vespasian was able to return to government activities and received control of the province of Africa. In this post, he did not get rich and, returning to Rome, pawned his estates to his brother, and he himself began to trade in mules, although ancient Roman laws prohibited senators from engaging in trade, and trading in mules was considered a particularly unrespectable occupation; for this, rumor awarded him the contemptuous nickname “mule driver.”

Vespasian was among those persons who accompanied Nero on his “tour” of Greece in 66, and incurred his disfavor, since more than once he either left the theater when Nero sang in front of the public, or, even worse, , fell asleep.

Vespasian's life took a sharp turn when, suddenly, in February 67, Nero appointed him commander-in-chief in the war against Judea.

The Romans first invaded Judea in 63 BC, in 6 AD. it was converted into a Roman province. From 41 AD, during the reign of Emperor Claudius, Judea was for some time transferred to the position of a kingdom dependent on Rome; Herod Agrippa, who was friendly to the Romans, became the king of Judea, but after his death in 44, Judea was again turned into a Roman province ruled by a procurator. In 66, the inhabitants of Jerusalem killed the Roman garrison, and the uprising spread throughout Judea. Rome sent its troops from Syria against the rebels, but they were defeated. Then Nero was forced to remember Vespasian’s military talents and forgive him for his disrespectful attitude towards his singing, especially since he was, as Suetonius writes (Vespas.. 5), “a man of proven zeal and not at all dangerous due to the modesty of his family and name.” .

Within two years, Vespasian's troops managed to suppress the uprising. This was primarily the merit of the commander. As Tacitus writes, “Vspasian usually himself walked at the head of the army, knew how to choose a place for a camp, day and night he thought about victory over his enemies, and if necessary, he struck them down with a mighty hand, ate whatever he had to, and in clothes and habits he was almost no different from an ordinary man. warrior" (Tats. Ist. II, 5).

All of Judea was returned to the rule of Roman arms, only Jerusalem was not taken. Vespasian, however, was deliberately in no hurry to march on Jerusalem, although his legions were furiously eager to fight for the Jewish capital, which in the meantime was tormented by internal strife. Vspasian explained his slowness to his soldiers as follows:

“A better commander than I is God, who wants to give the Jews into the hands of the Romans without any effort on our part, and to give our army victory without risk. While enemies are destroying themselves with their own hands, while they are tormented by the most terrible evil - internecine war - it is better for us to remain calm spectators of these horrors and not get involved in a fight with people who are looking for death and are furiously raging against each other... Self-control and deliberation bring there is as much glory as feats in battle when they lead to victory. And while the enemy is exhausting himself, my army will rest from the labors of war and gain strength... So, for the sake of safety, it is most reasonable to leave people to themselves, devouring each other” (Jos. Fl. IV. 4, 6, 2) .

In reality, Vespasian was kept from going to Jerusalem by fear that civil strife might break out in Rome itself. He turned out to be the only Roman commander who was able to correctly assess the situation, managed to stay on the sidelines for a long time, without openly getting involved in the struggle for power that was inevitably going to break out in Rome as a result of the reckless rule of Nero, especially since Nero was the last representative of the family Yulio-Claudiev, whose power over Rome lasted for about a century.

Vspasian, slowly, prepared an attack on Jerusalem, but immediately stopped the war as soon as he received the news that Nero had been overthrown and committed suicide in June 68.

The Roman state found itself at the mercy of its own troops.

Nero committed suicide when the legions stationed in Spain and Gaul proclaimed Galba emperor (more precisely, princeps, head of state).

Vespasian recognized Galba and sent his son Titus to him. However, Vespasian obviously understood that Galba had little chance of retaining power, and Titus was in no hurry to join the new emperor.

At the beginning of January 69, the legions located in Germany proclaimed Vitellius emperor, and on January 15, Galba was killed in Rome.

Having received this news, Titus returned to Vspasian.

But in Rome, on the day of Galba’s murder, the Praetorian Guard proclaimed their emperor, Otho, who was recognized by the legions stationed on the Danube. Vespasian in Judea swore his legions to Otho

Vspasian, who commanded three legions, and the governor of Syria, Mutian, who had four legions at his disposal, remained calm. “The commanders saw the rebellious mood of the soldiers, but for now they preferred to wait and see how others would fight. The winners and losers of a civil war, they reasoned, are never reconciled for long. It makes no sense to guess now who will manage to gain the upper hand - Otho or Witslius: having achieved victory, even outstanding commanders begin to behave unexpectedly, and these two, lazy, dissolute, always quarreling with everyone, will both die anyway - one of the reasons one because he lost the war, another because he won it. Therefore, Vsspasian and Mucian decided that an armed uprising was necessary, but that it should be postponed until a more suitable occasion. The rest, for various reasons, had long held the same opinion - the best were driven by love for the fatherland, many were driven by the hope of plunder, others hoped to improve their financial affairs. One way or another, both good people and bad people, all for different reasons, but with equal fervor, longed for war” (Tats. Ist. II, 7).

In Northern Italy, near Bedriac (near Cremona), Otho's troops attacked the troops of Vitellius, but were defeated and went over to the latter's side. Otho committed suicide, and the Roman Senate recognized Vitellius as emperor.

The cautious Vespasian led his troops to swear allegiance to Vitellius.

Vespasian walked to power carefully and slowly, managing to put time to his service. Two foolish rivals had already died, leaving only Vitellius.

Tacitus describes these events as follows:

“Now it is even difficult for us to imagine how proud Vitellius became and what carelessness took possession of him when messengers arriving from Syria and Judea reported that the eastern armies recognized his power. Until then, the people looked at Vespasian as a possible candidate for princeps (emperor), and rumors about his intentions, although vague, although spread by someone unknown, more than once brought Vitellius into excitement and horror. Now both he and his army, no longer fearing their rivals, indulged in cruelty, debauchery and robbery like barbarians. Meanwhile, Vespasian again and again weighed how ready he was for (internecine) war, how strong his armies were, calculated which troops in his Judea and other eastern provinces he could rely on. When he was the first to pronounce the words of the oath to Vitellius and called for His mercy of the gods, the legionnaires listened to him in silence, and it was clear that they were ready to rebel immediately... But it is not easy to decide on such a thing as a civil war, and Vespasian hesitated, then lighting up with hopes, then again and again turning over all possible obstacles in his mind . Two sons in the prime of life, sixty years of life behind them - has the day really come when all this must be left to the will of blind chance, military luck? .. Before those who go to fight for imperial power, there is only one choice - to rise to the top or fall into the abyss" (Tats. Ist. II, 73-74)

Vespasian could count at this time on the support of nine legions stationed in Judea, Syria and Egypt. Vespasian was especially encouraged to seize power by the governor of Syria, Mutian, who “was distinguished by his wealth and love of luxury, was accustomed to surrounding himself with splendor, unprecedented among a private person, he had a good command of words, was experienced in politics, understood affairs and knew how to foresee their outcome” (Tats Ist. II, 5).

The first decisive step was taken by the governor of Egypt, Tiberius Alexander, on July 1, 69, he led his legions stationed in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as emperor. On July 11, his legions in Judea swore allegiance to Vespasian. All this happened, as Tacitus writes (see East II, 79), suddenly, because everything was decided by the enthusiasm of the soldiers. “Vspasian himself, in these new and unusual circumstances, remained the same as before - without the slightest importance, without any arrogance. As soon as the first excitement passed, which obscures the eyes of everyone who reaches the pinnacle of power with a thick fog, he addressed the army with a few words, military-style, simple and stern” (Tats. Ist. II, 80).

Vespasian was immediately recognized by the legions in Syria, as well as Sochem, king of Sophene (Southwestern Armenia), Anti-ochus, king of Commagene (on the upper Euphrates), Herod Agrippa II the Younger, ruler of part of Syria and North-Eastern Palestine, and Queen Bersnika, his sister, “young and beautiful, she even charmed old Vespasian with courtesy and luxurious gifts, all the coastal provinces right up to the borders of Asia and Achaia (Greece), and all the inland ones, right up to Pontus (the Black Sea) and Armenia swore allegiance to Vespasian” ( Dance Ist. II, 81)

“Vespasian began preparations for war by recruiting recruits and conscripting veterans into the army; he ordered the most prosperous cities to create workshops for the production of weapons; gold and silver coins began to be minted in Antioch. These measures were hastily carried out locally by special proxies. Vespasian appeared everywhere, encouraged everyone, praised honest and active people, taught the confused and weak by his own example, only occasionally resorting to punishment, he tried to belittle not the merits of his friends, but their shortcomings.. As for the monetary gift to the soldiers, Mucianus at the first meeting warned that he would be very moderate, and Vespasian promised the troops for participation in the civil war no more than others paid them for service in peacetime; he was an implacable opponent of senseless generosity towards soldiers, and therefore his army was always better than from others” (Tats. Ist. II, 82).

Vespasian took care of the security of the eastern borders of the Roman Empire, sending envoys to the Parthians and Armenians, and he himself went to Alexandria. The city of Rome received grain from Egypt, and now it depended on Vespasian: to give bread to the capital of the empire or to starve it into submission.

The Roman troops stationed in Illyria, Dalmatia, Moesia and Pannonia (the territory of the Eastern Adriatic and Hungary) also went over to Vespasian’s side. In Pannonia, Vespasian was warmly supported by the commander Antony Primus, who “was a dashing fighter, quick-witted, a master of sowing confusion, a clever instigator of discord and rebellion, a robber and a waster, intolerable in peacetime, but not useless in war” (Tat. Ist. II, 86).

Both Roman fleets, Ravenna and Misenum, also recognized Vspasian.

“The provinces shook from the roar of weapons, the tread of legions, the movements of fleets” (Tats. Ist. II, 84).

Vespasian's successes are explained by the fact that he was supported by the slave-owning nobility of the eastern Roman provinces, who sought to equal the rights of the Roman aristocracy; civil wars of the 1st century BC. and long years of terror under the emperors of the first half of the 1st century. AD destroyed a significant part of the old Roman aristocracy, and now, with the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, the provincial nobility felt its strength and longed to make the master of Rome a person who would correspond to its interests. This is exactly what Vespaspan was, humble, sensible, tight-fisted, cold-blooded and crowned with military glory.

Although Vspasian was also recognized by legions in Africa, Spain and Gaul, he was nevertheless in no hurry to go to Rome. The troops against Rome were led by his supporters Mutian, Antony Primus and others.

At the end of October 69, Vitellius' troops were defeated in the battle of Cremona; in December Rome was taken by storm.

“Vitellius was killed; the war ended, but peace did not come. The victors, full of insatiable malice, pursued the vanquished throughout the city with weapons in their hands; there were corpses lying everywhere; markets and temples were drenched in blood. At first they killed those who accidentally came to hand, but the revelry grew, and soon the Flavians began to ransack houses and drag out those who had taken refuge there. Anyone who attracted attention by being tall or young, whether a warrior or a resident of Rome, was immediately killed. At first, the victors still remembered their enmity towards the vanquished and thirsted only for blood, but soon hatred gave way to greed.

Under the pretext that the residents might be hiding Vitellians, the Flavians forbade hiding or locking anything and began to break into houses, killing all those who resisted. Among the poorest plebeians and the most vile slaves there were those who betrayed their rich masters, others were betrayed by friends. It seemed as if the city had been captured by enemies; moans and lamentations came from everywhere; people remembered with regret the impudent tricks of the warriors Otho and Vitellius, who at one time aroused such hatred in them. The commanders of the Flavian party managed to spark a civil war, but were unable to cope with the victorious warriors: during times of unrest and unrest, the worse a person is, the easier it is for him to gain the upper hand; only honest and decent people are capable of ruling in peacetime” (Tats. Ist. IV, 1).

Rome actually found itself in the hands of Antony Primus, who behaved like a master in the captured imperial palace.

Vspasian and his eldest son Titus, who were outside Rome, received the positions of consuls from the Senate; Vespasian's youngest son Domitian was in Rome, he settled in the palace, took the title of Caesar and sat in complete inactivity, “he resembled the son of the princeps (emperor) only with his shameful and depraved adventures” (Tats. Ist. IV, 2).

“Discord reigned between the senators, the vanquished hid anger in their souls, no one respected the victors, laws were not respected, the princeps (emperor) was far from Rome. This was the situation when (in January 70) Mutian entered the city and immediately concentrated all power in his hands. He removed Anthony Primus from affairs... Mucian was constantly surrounded by armed soldiers, he lived every day in a new palace, constantly exchanged one garden for another, and his whole appearance, gait, and the guards who accompanied him everywhere showed that he was the real one. princeps (emperor), although he does not agree to accept this title” (Tats. Ist. IV, II).

Mutian managed to restore order in Rome, and he was smart enough not to enter into competition with Vespasian.

In the summer of 70 Vespasian finally arrived in Rome; He left the best part of his army in Judea and transferred command to his son Titus, who in the spring of that year began the siege of Jerusalem.

Vspasian marked his entry into Rome by saving it from famine; Previously, he sent ships with grain from Egypt to the capital of the empire, and when they arrived, it turned out that the city had barely enough grain supplies for ten days.

According to Tacitus (Ist. I, 50), Vespasian is the only emperor whom power changed for the better and not for the worse; he had the greatest tolerance and listened to every truthful word (Tat. Or. 8).

“He was generous to all classes: he replenished the senators’ fortunes, assigned five hundred thousand sesterces a year to the needy consulars (former consuls), rebuilt many cities throughout the land even better after earthquakes and fires, showed the greatest care for talents and arts” - so Suetonius characterizes it (see: Vesp. 17).

Vespasian managed to establish good relations with both the Senate, which was the stronghold of the ancient Roman aristocracy, and with the provincial nobility.

Being a censor in 73, he revised the lists of senators and equestrians, excluded some at his own discretion, and introduced worthy people from among the inhabitants of Italy and the provinces into the Senate and equestrians.

Vespasian brought order to the troops and increased discipline. The Batavians in Gaul, who rebelled during the civil war, were pacified, Jerusalem was taken, and peaceful relations were established with dangerous Parthia.

Vespasian was very concerned about the security of the borders of Roman possessions, nothing escaped his sight, he showed concern for the safety of even the distant Iberian (Georgian) king Mithridates, an ally of Rome, and ordered the construction (or thorough restoration) of a fortress for him near Mtskheta, the ancient capital Iberia (Georgia), which was done, as described by a Greek inscription found in the 19th century on the territory of Mtskheta, which is now exhibited in the Historical Museum of the city of Tbilisi.

Vespasian patronized Spain, Gaul and Africa to the detriment of the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean; he deprived Greece of independence, which received it from Nero for diligently applauding his performances in the theater.

The Greeks were dissatisfied with Vespasian, and the Cynic philosophers began to denigrate him in every possible way, for which they were expelled from Rome in 71; astrologers were also expelled at the same time

Vespasian had the reputation of a just man. According to Suetonius (Vesp. 15), “it never turned out that an innocent person was executed - unless in his absence, without his knowledge, or even against his will.” He was not vindictive or vindictive. Even in the time of Nero, he was once refused from the court, and when he began to ask in confusion where he should go now, the insolent palace servant replied that he should get away. Having become emperor, Vespasian met the insolent man, and when he humbly began to ask for forgiveness, he also sent him to all four directions. One Cynic philosopher treated Vespasian disrespectfully and even barked at him, but the mighty emperor limited himself to calling him a dog (see: Light. Vesp. 13-14).

Contemporaries reproached Vespasian for only one vice - stinginess.

He imposed heavy taxes on the provinces, sometimes doubling them, and was sophisticated in introducing new taxes. He even managed to earn income from public restrooms. His own son Titus openly resented this unheard-of innovation. When Vespasian received his first profit, he stuck a coin in Titus’s nose and asked if it smelled, hence the well-known expression “money doesn’t smell.”

According to Suetonius (Vesp. 16), “he openly engaged in such matters of which even a private person would be ashamed. He bought things only to then sell them off at a profit; he did not hesitate to sell positions to applicants and acquittals to defendants, innocent and guilty, indiscriminately; It is believed that he deliberately promoted the most predatory officials to higher and higher positions in order to let them profit and then sue them - they said that he used them like sponges, letting the dry ones get wet, and squeezing out the wet ones.”

This behavior of Vespasian was most likely explained not so much by the stinginess of his nature, but by the disastrous state of the state treasury after many years of insane luxuries of Nero and two years of civil war. At the very beginning of his reign, Vespasian announced that forty billion sesterces were needed to raise the state to its feet.

Vespasian was seriously engaged in putting the city of Rome in order, which suffered so much during the civil war that even the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, the main shrine of the state, was burned. Vespasian, “having begun to restore the Capitol, was the first to clear away the rubble with his own hands and carry them on his own back” (Light of Vesp. 9 5)

To decorate Rome, Vespasian began to build the temple of Claudius, which was still revered as divine, and a large new forum - a square in the center of which the temple of the Goddess of Peace was erected (Vespasian was proud that he had given peace to the Roman state), and along the edges - library buildings

Josephus describes the Forum of Vespasian as follows:

“In a short time, a construction was completed that exceeded all human expectations. Vespasian spent on this incredible funds, which only his own treasury allowed him and which he inherited from his predecessors. He decorated the temple of the goddess of Peace with various magnificent works of painting and sculpture. Everything was collected and arranged in the temple , for the sake of which people previously traveled throughout the entire earth to see this, Vespasian ordered that jewelry and vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple also be kept here, since he valued them very much" (Jos Fl I V 7 5 7)

For the Roman people, Vespasian undertook the construction of a grandiose amphitheater, designed for 50,000 people, the amphitheater began to be built in the center of Rome on the spot where, at the whim of Nero, a large pond was dug, the building was completed after the death of Vespasian, officially it was called the Flavian amphitheater, and in the early Middle Ages, unknown why, began to be called the Colosseum

Vespasian took care of attracting the sympathy of the population, repeatedly organizing gift distributions and luxurious dinner parties “to support food merchants” (Light of Vesp. 19)

Having become emperor, Vespasian did not become at all proud of his greatness and did not change in any way the habits of a modest man who lived in the simplicity of morals that was inherent in ancient Roman life, so by personal example he was more successful than by strict laws in curbing the luxury that tormented and ruined Rome

Vespasian was “available and condescending from the first days of his reign until his death. He never hid his former low state and often even flaunted it. When someone tried to trace the beginning of the Flavian family to the founders of Reate and to that companion of Hercules, whose tomb is shown on Solyanaya road, he was the first to make fun of it

He did not at all strive for outward splendor, and even on the day of triumph (in honor of the victory in the Jewish War), exhausted by the slow and tedious procession, he could not resist saying: “Serves me right, an old man: like a fool, I wanted a triumph, like my ancestors it was deserved or I myself could have dreamed about it!” (Light. Vesp. 12).

Vsspasian forever retained the unpretentious tastes of the common man and could not stand men who paid excessive attention to their appearance. One day, a young man, fragrant with the most exquisite aromas, came to him to thank him for the position he had received. But Vespasian, turning gloomy, said: “It would be better if you stank of onions!” - and took away the position (see: Light. Vesp. 8, 3).

Vespasian loved to show off his apt words; his jokes were not always elegant and decent, but they were distinguished by wit.

One day, one servant, who enjoyed Vspasian’s great favor, asked him for some position, supposedly for his brother. Vespasian invited his “brother” to his place, talked to him himself and gave him a position, personally receiving a monetary bribe from him. When the servant asked the emperor how the matter was, Vespasian calmly answered him: “Look for another brother, this is now my brother” (see: Light. Vesp. 23, 2).

According to Roman customs, a deceased emperor (who was not dethroned) was considered a god and appeared in history with the title “divine.” When Vspasian, who enjoyed excellent health all his life and did not care about it at all, at the age of seventy felt the approach of death, he found the strength to say: “Alas, it seems that I am becoming a god” (see: Light. Vesp. 23, 4) .

Vespasian died on June 23, 79. The Romans preserved the memory of him as one of the best emperors. He was officially deified and a luxurious palace was built at the Forum

the marble temple of Vsspasian, from which only three corner columns and a small part of the magnificent entablature have survived to this day.

Book materials used: Fedorova E.V. Imperial Rome in faces. Rostov-on-Don, Smolensk, 1998.

VESPASIAN, TITUS FLAVIUS

Roman Emperor in 69-79. Founder of the Flavian dynasty. Genus. 17 Nov. 9 Died June 24, 79

The future emperor was born in the land of the Sabines, not far from Reate, and spent his childhood on his grandmother's estate near Koza in Erutria. He began his service under Tiberius as a military tribune in Thrace and completed it quickly and successfully: after the quaesture, he was given control of Crete and Cyrene, then he was elected aedile, and in 39 he received praetorship. Being an aedile, they say, he did not take good care of cleaning the streets, so that the angry Guy Caligula once ordered the soldiers to pile dirt into his bosom of his senatorial toga. Perhaps this lesson was beneficial, since when he was praetor, Vespasian did not miss a single opportunity to please Caligula: in honor of his German “victory”, he proposed organizing games out of turn, and after the execution of Lepidus and Getulik, he demanded that their bodies be thrown away without burial. Caligula honored him with an invitation to dinner, and Vespasian gave a speech of thanks to the Senate. In the meantime, he married Flavia Domicilla, with whom he had all his children. When his wife died, Vespasian again took in his former concubine, the freedwoman Caenida, and she lived with him as a legal wife, even when he had already become emperor.

Vespasian gained military glory during the reign of Claudius. At first he served as legate of the legion in Germany, and then, in 43, he was transferred to Britain, where he participated in more than thirty battles with the enemy, conquered two strong tribes, more than twenty cities and the Isle of Wight. For this he received triumphal decorations, pontificate and augurism, and in 51 - a consulate. Then, fearing Agrippina, the wife of Claudius, who persecuted him for his friendship with Narcissus, he retired from business and lived in retirement for ten years, not engaging in any public affairs. In 61, already under Nero, he received control of Africa, which, according to some sources, he ruled honestly and with great dignity, and according to others, on the contrary, very badly. In any case, he returned from the province without getting rich, lost the trust of his creditors and was forced to pledge all his estates to his elder brother, and to maintain his position, engage in the mule trade. For this, people called him “the donkey.” Nero at first treated Vespasian kindly and took him with him on a trip to Greece. But after Vespasian fell asleep during the emperor’s speech, he suffered severe disgrace: Nero forbade him not only to accompany himself, but also to greet him. Vespasian retired to a small town, where he lived in obscurity and fear for his life, until he suddenly received a province and an army: in 66, Nero instructed him to suppress the uprising in Judea. The war here assumed an unusually wide scope, and victory required a large army and a strong commander who could be entrusted with such a matter without fear; and Vespasian turned out to be chosen as a man of proven zeal and not at all dangerous due to the modesty of his family and name. And so, having received two more legions in addition to the local troops, he went to Judea (Suetonius: “Vespasian”; 1-5).

In Antioch, Vespasian took command of the army and pulled in auxiliary troops from everywhere. He began his campaign in 67, realizing that he faced a grueling and dangerous undertaking. The Jews did not risk fighting the legions in the open field, but took refuge behind the walls of the cities and defended themselves with extreme tenacity. First of all, from Ptolemais the Romans invaded Galilee and, after a heavy siege, took Iotapata, a large and well-fortified city on the coast. Its entire population was subjected to total extermination. Jaffa was captured immediately, and Tiberias surrendered without a fight. The inhabitants of Tarichea tried to resist, but their city was taken at the first attack. Vespasian initially promised the prisoners life and freedom, but then changed his mind. He sent all the newly arrived Jews to Tiberiada, about a thousand were executed and up to forty thousand more were sold into slavery (Flavius: “The Jewish War”; 3; 2, 7, 9, 10). Gamala, located nearby, defended itself with desperate tenacity. Having finally captured the city, the Romans killed even the infants in it. After this, all of Galilee recognized Roman rule (Flavius: “The Jewish War”; 4; 1, 6).

Vespasian consistently recognized all three and at each coup brought his legions to an oath of allegiance to the new prince. Although he knew how to obey as well as command, the news of the outrages of the Vitellians in Rome infuriated him. He despised Vitellius from the bottom of his heart and considered him unworthy of the throne. Imbued with the most painful thoughts, he felt the burden of his position as a conqueror of foreign lands, while his own fatherland was perishing. But no matter how his anger prompted him to take revenge, the thought of his distance from Rome, as well as the power of the German legions on which Vitellius relied, held him back. Meanwhile, military leaders and soldiers at their comradely meetings openly discussed a change in government, and the demand to proclaim Vespasian emperor was heard louder and louder (Flavius: “The Jewish War”; 4; 8-10).

The first to swear allegiance to Vespasiana were the Alexandrian legions on July 1, 69. As soon as the news of this reached Judea, the soldiers who ran to Vespasian’s tent joyfully greeted him as emperor. Immediately at the meeting he was awarded the titles of Caesar, Augustus and all other titles due to the prince. Vespasian himself, in these new and unusual circumstances, remained the same as before - without the slightest importance, without any arrogance. He addressed the army with a few words, simple and stern as a soldier. In response, loud cries of jubilation and devotion were heard from all sides. A joyful upsurge also gripped the legions stationed in Syria. Their commander, Licinius Mutsi-an, immediately swore the oath to Vespasian. Even before the Ides of July, all of Syria took the oath. Sochem, with his kingdom and the considerable military forces under his authority, as well as Antiochus, the largest of the local kings subordinate to Rome, joined the uprising. All the coastal provinces, right up to the borders of Asia and Achaea, and all the inland ones, right up to Pontus and Armenia, swore allegiance to the new emperor.

Vespasian began preparing for war by recruiting recruits and drafting veterans into the army; the most prosperous cities were instructed to create workshops for the production of weapons; gold and silver coins began to be minted in Antioch. These measures were hastily carried out on the ground by special proxies. Vespasian appeared everywhere, encouraged everyone, praised honest and active people, taught the confused and weak by his own example, only occasionally resorting to punishment. He distributed the positions of prefects and procurators and appointed new members of the Senate, most of them outstanding people, who soon occupied a high position in the state. As for the monetary gift to the soldiers, at the very first meeting it was announced that it would be very moderate, and Vespasian promised the troops for participation in the civil war no more than others paid them for service in peacetime: he was implacably opposed to senseless generosity towards to the soldiers, and therefore his army was always better than that of others. Legates were sent to the Parthians and to Armenia, and measures were taken to ensure that after the legions left for the civil war, the borders would not be unprotected. Titus, the son of Vespasian, remained in Judea, he himself decided to go to Egypt - it was decided that only part of the troops and such a commander as Mutian, as well as the glory surrounding the name of Vespasian, would be enough to defeat Vitellius (Tacitus: “History”; 2; 79-82).

Vespasian spent the end of winter and the entire spring of 70 in Alexandria. Meanwhile, Mucian took Rome. Vitellius was killed, the Senate, all provinces and legions swore allegiance to Vespasian.

After the last civil war, the capital was disfigured by fires and ruins. The Capitoline Hill, where the oldest temples of Rome were located, burned to the ground. Vespasian allowed anyone to occupy and develop empty plots if the owners did not do so. Having begun to rebuild the Capitol, he was the first to begin clearing away the rubble with his own hands and carrying it out on his own back. The upper classes were thinned by endless executions and fell into decline from long-standing neglect. In order to cleanse and replenish them, in 73-74, as a censor, he inspected the Senate and the horsemanship, removed the unfit and included the most worthy of the Italians and provincials in the lists.

After Titus took Jerusalem and ended the Jewish War, a triumph was celebrated in 71. During the years of Vespasian's reign, Achaia, Lycia, Rhodes, Byzantium, and Samos again lost their freedom, and mountainous Cilicia and Commagena, previously under the rule of the kings, were turned into provinces.

“Serves me right, an old man: like a fool I wanted triumph, as if my ancestors deserved it or I myself could dream of it!” He accepted the tribunal power and the name of the father of the fatherland only many years later, although during his reign he was consul eight times and censor once. He was the first of the princeps to remove the guards at the doors of his palace, and he stopped searching those who greeted him in the morning during the internecine war. While in power, he always got up early, even before light, and read letters and reports from all officials; then he let his friends in and received greetings, while he himself got dressed and put on his shoes. Having finished with his current affairs, he took a walk and rested with one of the concubines: after the death of Tsenida, he had many of them. From the bedroom he went to the bathhouse, and then to the table: at this time, they say, he was at his softest and kindest, and the family tried to take advantage of this if they had any requests. At dinner, as always and everywhere, he was good-natured and often made jokes: he was a great mocker, but too prone to buffoonery and vulgarity, even reaching the point of obscenity. However, some of his jokes were very witty. They say that one woman swore that she was dying of love for him, and achieved his attention: he spent the night with her and gave her 400,000 sesterces, and when asked by the manager under what heading to enter this money, he said: “For extreme love for Vespasian "

The liberties of friends, the barbs of lawyers, the obstinacy of philosophers bothered him little. He never remembered the insults and enmity and did not take revenge for them. Suspicion or fear never pushed him to commit violence. It never turned out that an innocent person was executed - unless in his absence, without his knowledge, or even against his will. No death pleased him, and even over a well-deserved execution he sometimes complained and cried. The only thing he was rightly reproached for was love of money. Not only did he collect the arrears forgiven by Galba, impose new heavy taxes, increase and sometimes even double the tribute from the provinces, he openly engaged in such matters that even a private person would be ashamed of. He bought things only to sell them later at a profit; he did not hesitate to sell positions to applicants and exonerations to defendants, innocent and guilty indiscriminately. He even taxed the toilets, and when Titus reproached his father for this, he took a coin from the first profit, brought it to his nose and asked if it stank. “No,” answered Titus. “But this is money from urine,” said Vespasian. However, many think that he was greedy not by nature, but because of the extreme poverty of the state and imperial treasury: he himself admitted this when, at the very beginning of his reign, he declared that he needed forty billion sesterces for the state to get on its feet ( Suetonius: Vespasian; 8-9, 12-16, 21-24). In fact, under Vespasian in Rome, the restoration of the Capitol, the Temple of Peace, the monuments of Claudius, the Forum and much more was begun and completed; Construction of the Colosseum began. Throughout Italy, cities were renovated, roads were firmly fortified, and mountains on the Flaminieva were razed to create a less steep pass. All this was accomplished in a short time and without burdening the farmers, which proves his wisdom rather than greed (Victor: “On the Caesars”; 9).

He died as simply and calmly as he lived. During his ninth consulate, while in Campania, he felt mild bouts of fever. He went to the Reatina estates, where he usually spent the summer. Here the ailments intensified. Nevertheless, he continued, as always, to engage in state affairs and, lying in bed, even received ambassadors. When his stomach began to fail, Vespasian felt the approach of death and joked: “Alas, it seems that I am becoming a god.” He tried to get up, saying that the emperor should die standing, and died in the arms of those supporting him (Suetonius: “Vespasian”; 25).

Monarchs. 2012

See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what VESPASIAN, TITUS FLAVIUS is in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:

VESPASIAN, TITUS FLAVIUS in Dates of birth and death of famous people:
(9-79) - Roman Emperor...
VESPASIAN TITUS FLAVIUS
Roman emperor (69-79 AD), b. in the 9th year of the Christian calendar near Reata, in Central Italy. His father was...
VESPASIAN TITUS FLAVIUS in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia:
? Roman emperor (69 - 79 AD), b. in the 9th year of the Christian calendar near Reata, in Central Italy. ...
VESPASIAN TITUS FLAVIUS in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB:
Titus Flavius Vespasianus (9, Reate, - 79, ibid.), Roman emperor (reigned 69-79), founder of the Flavian dynasty (69-96). ...
VESPASIAN in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
Titus Flavius Roman Emperor in 69-79. Founder of the Flavian dynasty. Genus. 17 Nov. 9 Died June 24, 79 ...
TIT
Flavius Vespasian (Roman Emperor 79-81) The eldest son of Emperor Vespasian, before ascending the throne, had a brilliant military career, the pinnacle of which...
TIT in Collier's Dictionary:
(Titus Flavius Vespasianus) (41-81 AD), Roman emperor (reigned 79-81), son of Emperor Vespasian, full name Titus Flavius Vespasian. Started a military...
VESPASIAN in the Wiki Quotation Book:
Data: 2009-07-01 Time: 14:27:19 * Money does not smell (lat. - Pecunia non ...
TIT in the Bible Dictionary:
(2 Cor. 2:13; 2 Cor. 7:6,13,14; 2 Cor. 8:6,16,23; 2 Cor. 12:18; Gal. 2:1,3; 2 Tim. 4:10; Titus 1 :4) - Greek by nationality, converted through the preaching of St. Paul and became his employee. ...
TIT in the Bible Encyclopedia of Nikephoros:
(venerable; Galat. 2:1) - one of the 70 apostles, a pagan by origin, from Antioch, but converted to Christianity by the preaching of the apostle. Pavel...
FLAVIUS in Sayings of Great Men:
...the one who does not want to die when necessary, and the one who wants to die when there is no need, are equally cowardly. ...
TIT
(Titus Flavius Vespassianus) Roman Emperor (79-81 AD). He was the son of Vespassian and Flavia Domitilla. Even during the reign...
VESPASIAN in the Concise Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities:
(Vespasianus). Roman emperor who reigned between 70-79. from R. X. His full name was Flavius Sabinus Vespasian. He was dark...
TIT in the Dictionary of Generals:
Flavius Vespasianus (79-81), rom. emperor The eldest son of Rome. Emperor Vespasian. Team Rome. troops that besieged and captured Jerusalem (70). ...
VESPASIAN in the Dictionary of Generals:
(lat. Flavius Vespasianus) Titus Flavius (9-79), rom. Emperor, founder of the Flavian dynasty. Genus. in the family of a tax collector. The first emperor of non-Nator origin. ...
VESPASIAN in the Dictionary-Reference Book of Who's Who in the Ancient World:
(Titus Flavius Vespasian, Roman Emperor 69-79 AD) First emperor of the Flavian dynasty after the assassination of Nero and a year of civil war; legions...
TIT
(1st century) associate of the Apostle Paul and addressee of his message, participant in the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem (c. 49), first bishop of Crete. Memory …
VESPASIAN in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
(Vespasianus) (9-79) Roman emperor from 69, founder of the Flavian dynasty. Much more widely than his predecessors, he extended the rights of Roman and...
TITUS THE APOSTLE in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
(?????, from the Greek ??? - venerable) - an apostle from among the seventy, a fellow apostle. Paul, Hellenic, i.e. Greek by birth...
TIT in the Modern Encyclopedic Dictionary:
TIT in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
(self-names Tyt, Shat, May, Ruk, Malieng) - a nationality with a total number of 2 thousand people living in the territory of Vietnam. Language - tit. ...
TIT
(Titus) (39-81), rom. Emperor since 79, from the Flavian dynasty. Son of Vespasian. During the Jewish War he captured and destroyed Jerusalem...
TIT in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
(1st century), companion of the Apostle Paul and addressee of his message, participant in the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem (c. 49), first bishop ...
VESPASIAN in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
VESPASIAN (Vespasianus) (9-79), rom. Emperor since 69, founder of the Flavian dynasty. Much more widely than his predecessors, he extended the rights to provincials...
VESPASIAN in Collier's Dictionary:
(Titus Flavius Vespasianus) (9-79 AD), Roman emperor, founder of the Flavian dynasty. Born in Reata (modern Rieti, 70 km northeast of ...
FLAVIUS in the Dictionary for solving and composing scanwords:
Male...
TIT in the dictionary of Synonyms of the Russian language.
FLAVIUS
Flavius, (Flavievich, Flavievna and Flavievich, ...
TIT in the Complete Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language:
Titus, (Titovich, ...
FLAVIUS
Sebastian (d. ca. 320), one of the forty Sebastian ...
TIT in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
(Titus) (39-8..1), Roman emperor from 79, from the Flavian dynasty. Son of Vespasian. During the Jewish War he took and destroyed Jerusalem (70). -...
VESPASIAN in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
(Vespasianus) (9-79), Roman emperor from 69, founder of the Flavian dynasty. Much more widely than his predecessors, he extended Roman rights to provincials...
TITUS, FLAVIUS VESPASIAN in biographies of Monarchs:
Roman emperor from the Flavian family, who reigned from 79 to 81. Son of Vespasian. Genus. 30 Dec 39 Died September 13 81...

en.wikipedia.org

Biography

Youth

Son of Flavius Vespasian and Flavia Domitilla, b. in 41; was brought up at the court of Claudius and Nero together with the former's son Britannicus. The strengthening of Agrippina led to the removal of Vespasian and his son from the court and made their position dangerous due to their proximity to Narcissus; It was only after the death of Agrippina that Vespasian was able to return to Rome. Titus began his military career in Germany and Britain, where he advanced to the position of military tribune. Then he occupied the quaestor, and when Nero sent Vespasian to the indignant Judea, Titus followed his father and received command of the legion. In Palestine, he further strengthened his military fame.

When Galba became emperor, Titus was sent to him to congratulate him, but in Corinth he learned about the murder of Galba, the proclamation of Otho and the rebellion of Vitellius and returned to his father’s camp to await the course of events. Here he hatched a plan to pave the way for his father to power. A very power-hungry man and a clever diplomat, he acted very skillfully and attracted the influential ruler of Syria, Mutian, to Vespasian’s side. Titus's plan was a success.

Jewish War. Unpopularity

Leaving for Italy, Vespasian handed over the main command in Palestine to Titus. Soon Titus took and destroyed Jerusalem, showing great cruelty. During his stay in Palestine, Titus became close to the beautiful Verenice, daughter of Herod Agrippa I and sister of Herod Agrippa II.

Upon Titus's return to Rome, the pacification of Judea was celebrated with a magnificent triumph. The Arch of Titus, founded at the same time but completed only under Domitian, should have reminded posterity of the capture of Jerusalem. Titus became a co-ruler with his father, together with him he administered the censorship and several times the consulate, enjoyed tribunician power, was called emperor, and carried out government actions of all kinds in the name of his father. At the same time he took up the position of prefect of the guard.

He did not hesitate to mercilessly destroy persons who seemed suspicious to him. Among those killed because of him was the consul Aulus Caecina, whom Titus invited to dinner and ordered to kill. Titus's conduct under Vespasian made his name hated in Rome. The Romans really didn’t like the presence of Bernice in Rome: they were afraid that this Jewess would become Augusta.

Governing body

When Vespasian died (June 23, 79), Titus took his place, having public opinion certainly against him. He set out to reconcile his subjects with himself: he began to severely punish informers, pardoned those accused of lèse-majesté, and tried to win the favor of the people with luxurious buildings and games.

Under him, the Flavian amphitheater erected by Vespasian was opened (see Colosseum), water pipelines and baths were built, which received his name. On the occasion of the consecration of the Colosseum, nine thousand wild animals and many gladiators were killed during festivities that lasted one hundred days. Constructions and games required enormous costs, which quickly absorbed the funds accumulated under the stingy Vespasian.

Significant funds were also spent to help those affected by public disasters: a great fire destroyed many private and public buildings in Rome; in Campania, the famous eruption of Vesuvius (August 24, 79) caused great losses; Since 77, the plague was raging in the state. All this has undermined finances. Titus died on September 13, 81. Death came suddenly to Titus. After celebrating the completion of the Colosseum, he went to his Sabine estate. At the first stop he felt a fever. Then he was carried in a stretcher. He died in the same villa as his father, in the forty-second year of his life, two years after he succeeded his father. When this became known, the whole people cried for him as if they were their own... He was married twice and had a daughter with his second wife Marcia Furnilla. He was succeeded by his younger brother Domitian.

Characteristic

The voice of the people called Titus “the love and consolation of the human race” (amor ac deliciae generis humani), although his behavior before the death of his father gives reason to be distrustful of this tradition. It is possible that the short duration of his reign did not give the opportunity to fully express his character, obviously not so meek, if, as Suetonius claims, some predicted under Vespasian that Titus would be a “second Nero.”

Nevertheless, the years of Titus' reign are characterized by agreement between the Senate and the Emperor. Senatorial tradition considers him one of the best emperors, and Suetonius writes: “Remembering that during the whole day he had not performed a single good deed, Titus exclaimed: “Friends, I have lost a day!” When one day two representatives of the upper class conspired against him, and they confessed to the intended crime, he first of all addressed them with an admonition, then led them to the spectacle and ordered them to sit on either side of him; Having asked one of the gladiators for a sword, as if to test its sharpness, he gave it into the hands of both of them, and then said to them: “Do you see now that power is given by fate, and attempts to commit a crime in the hope of capturing her or for fear of losing her"

TITUS Flavius Vespasian

Roman Emperor, son of Flavius Vespasian (q.v.) and Flavia Domitilla, b. in 41 A.D.; was brought up at the court of Claudius and Nero together with the former's son Britannicus. The strengthening of Agrippina led to the removal of Vespasian and his son from the court and made their position dangerous due to their proximity to Narcissus; It was only after the death of Agrippina that Vespasian was able to return to Rome. T. began his military career in Germany and Britain, where he advanced, holding the position of military tribune. Then he occupied the questura, and when Nero sent Vespasian to indignant Judea, T. followed his father and received command of the legion. In Palestine he further strengthened his military fame. When Galba became emperor, T. was sent to him to congratulate him, but in Corinth he learned about the murder of Galba, the proclamation of Otho and the rebellion of Vitellius and returned to his father’s camp to wait for the course of events. Here he hatched a plan to pave the way for his father to power. A very power-hungry man and a clever diplomat, he acted very skillfully and attracted the influential ruler of Syria, Mutian, to Vespasian’s side. T.'s plan was a success. Leaving for Italy, Vespasian handed over to T. the main command in Palestine. Soon T. took and destroyed Jerusalem, showing great cruelty. During his stay in Palestine, T. became close to the beautiful Verenice, daughter of Herod Agrippa I and sister of Herod Agrippa II. Upon T.'s return to Rome, the pacification of Judea was celebrated with a magnificent triumph. The Arch of Titus, founded at the same time but completed only under Domitian, should have reminded posterity of the capture of Jerusalem. T. became a co-ruler with his father, together with him he sent censorship and several times the consulate, enjoyed tribunician power, was called emperor, and carried out government actions of all kinds in his father’s name. At the same time he took up the position of prefect of the guard. He did not hesitate to mercilessly destroy persons who seemed suspicious to him. Among those killed because of him was the consul Aulus Caecina, whom T. invited to dinner and ordered to kill. T.'s behavior under Vespasian made his name hated in Rome. The Romans really didn’t like the presence of Bernice in Rome: they were afraid that this Jewess would become Augusta. The discontent of the people forced T. upon taking power to remove Bernice from Rome. When Vespasian died (June 23, 79), T. took his place, having public opinion certainly against him. He set out to reconcile his subjects with himself: he began to severely punish informers, pardoned those accused of lèse-majesté, and tried to win the favor of the people with luxurious buildings and games. Under him, the Flavian amphitheater erected by Vespasian was opened (see Colosseum), water pipelines and baths were built, which received his name. On the occasion of the consecration of the Colosseum, nine thousand wild animals and many gladiators were killed during festivities that lasted one hundred days. Constructions and games required enormous costs, which quickly absorbed the funds accumulated under the stingy Vespasian. Significant funds were also spent to help those affected by public disasters: a great fire destroyed many private and public buildings in Rome; in Campania, the famous eruption of Vesuvius (August 24, 79) caused great losses; Since 77, the plague was raging in the state. All this has undermined finances. T. died on September 13, 81. He was married twice and had a daughter with his second wife Marcia Furnilla. He was succeeded by his younger brother Domitian (q.v.). The voice of the people called T. “the love and consolation of the human race” (amor ac deliciac generis humani), although his behavior before the death of his father gives reason to be distrustful of this tradition. It is possible that the short duration of his reign did not give the opportunity to fully manifest his character, obviously not so meek, if, as Suetonius claims, some predicted under Vespasian that T. would be a “second Nero.” The main sources are Tacitus, Suetonius, Aurelius Victor. See M. Beulé, "Le Procis des Césars. Titus et sa dynastie" (Paris, 1870).

F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron. Encyclopedic Dictionary

Why doesn't money smell?

The Roman Emperor Vespasian inherited a country that was pretty much devastated by civil war, and therefore he had to show extraordinary statesmanship and administrative talent in order to literally revive the empire bit by bit.

As emperor, he was distinguished by the same simplicity in external splendor as at the time when he was a simple citizen.

He directed all his concerns to restoring discipline in the army, maintaining peace and improving management, especially finances. He fought no wars except the British one, which he inherited from his predecessors.

The need to replenish the state treasury as quickly as possible forced Vespasian to introduce a variety of taxes and severely punish attempts to evade paying them, which gave the Romans a reason for an ironic and sarcastic attitude towards their emperor, whom dissatisfied citizens sometimes even accused of dementia.

It should be noted that Vespasian made sure that alms were not ruinous for the provinces, and that money came to the treasury through not the most burdensome taxes.

One of his innovations was a tax on “latrins”—public toilets—unheard of in Rome. History has attributed to Vespasian extraordinary resourcefulness and an excellent sense of humor, which helped him out more than once in his life. This happened when his son Titus, deeply indignant at such an ignoble way of earning money, turned to his father with reproaches. The emperor, not at all embarrassed, immediately made his son smell the money received from this tax and asked if it smelled. Having received a negative answer, Vespasian remarked with surprise to Titu: “It’s strange, but they are made from urine.” Thus, the “urine tax” gave rise to one of the most common phrases to this day: “non olet pecunia” - “money does not smell.”

VESPASIAN, Titus Flavius

Roman Emperor in 69-79. Founder of the Flavian dynasty. Genus. 17 Nov. 9 years old, d. 24 June 79

Vespasian came from a noble family of Flavians. His grandfather was a centurion or even a simple soldier in the army of Pompey. After retiring, he made a fortune by collecting money from sales. His father, who was a tax collector in Asia, did the same. This business brought him not only wealth, but also fame - many cities erected statues in his honor with the inscription: “To the fair collector.” His mother’s family was much more famous, and Vespasian received his nickname from his maternal grandfather Vespasius Pollio, a three-time military tribune and camp commander. The future emperor was born in the land of the Sabines, not far from Reate, and spent his childhood on his grandmother's estate near Koza in Erutria. He began his service under Tiberius as a military tribune in Thrace and completed it quickly and successfully: after the quaesture, he was given control of Crete and Cyrene, then he was elected aedile, and in 39 he received praetorship. Being an aedile, they say, he did not take good care of cleaning the streets, so that the angry Guy Caligula once ordered the soldiers to pile dirt into his bosom of his senatorial toga. Perhaps this lesson was beneficial, since when he was praetor, Vespasian did not miss a single opportunity to please Caligula: in honor of his German “victory”, he proposed organizing games out of turn, and after the execution of Lepidus and Getulik, he demanded that their bodies be thrown away without burial. Caligula honored him with an invitation to dinner, and Vespasian gave a speech of thanks to the Senate. In the meantime he married Flavia Domitilla, with whom he had all his children. When his wife died, Vespasian again took in his former concubine, the freedwoman Caenida, and she lived with him as a legal wife, even when he had already become emperor.

Meanwhile, in 68, news was received of unrest in Gaul and that Vindex with its native leaders had fallen away from Nero. This news prompted Vespasian to hasten to end the war, for he already foresaw the future civil strife and the dangerous situation of the entire state and thought that he would be able to free Italy from the horrors if he established peace in the East earlier. In the spring he moved along the Jordan and set up camp near Jericho. From here he sent detachments in different directions and conquered all the surrounding cities and villages. He was ready to begin the siege of Jerusalem when he learned of Nero's suicide. Then Vespasian changed his tactics and delayed his speech, waiting to see what turn events would take. Worried by the situation of the entire state, awaiting upheavals of the Roman power, he was less attentive to the war with the Jews and, terribly concerned about the fate of his own fatherland, considered an attack on strangers untimely. Meanwhile, the civil war in Italy flared up. Galba, declared emperor, was openly killed in the Roman forum, and in his place Otho was proclaimed emperor, who in turn fought with Vitellius and, defeated by him, took his own life. In April 69, Vitellius became emperor. Vespasian consistently recognized all three and at each coup led his legions to swear allegiance to the new princeps. Although he knew how to obey as well as command, the news of the outrages of the Vitellians in Rome infuriated him. He despised Vitellius from the bottom of his heart and considered him unworthy of the throne. Imbued with the most painful thoughts, he felt the burden of his position as a conqueror of foreign lands, while his own fatherland was perishing. But no matter how his anger prompted him to take revenge, the thought of his distance from Rome, as well as the power of the German legions on which Vitellius relied, held him back.

Meanwhile, military leaders and soldiers at their comradely meetings openly discussed a change in government, and the demand to proclaim Vespasian emperor was louder and louder (Flavius: “The Jewish War”; 4; 8-10). The first to swear allegiance to Vespasian were the Alexandrian legions on July 1, 69. As soon as the news of this reached Judea, the soldiers who ran to Vespasian’s tent joyfully greeted him as emperor. Immediately at the meeting he was awarded the titles of Caesar, Augustus and all other titles due to a princeps. Vespasian himself, in these new and unusual circumstances, remained the same as before - without the slightest importance, without any arrogance. He addressed the army with a few words, simple and stern as a soldier. In response, loud cries of jubilation and devotion were heard from all sides. A joyful upsurge also gripped the legions stationed in Syria. Their commander, Licinius Mutian, immediately swore allegiance to Vespasian. Even before the Ides of July, all of Syria took the oath. Sochem, with his kingdom and the considerable military forces under his authority, as well as Antiochus, the largest of the local kings subordinate to Rome, joined the uprising. All the coastal provinces, right up to the borders of Asia and Achaea, and all the inland ones, right up to Pontus and Armenia, swore allegiance to the new emperor.

Vespasian began preparing for war by recruiting recruits and drafting veterans into the army; the most prosperous cities were instructed to create workshops for the production of weapons; gold and silver coins began to be minted in Antioch. These measures were hastily carried out on the ground by special proxies. Vespasian appeared everywhere, encouraged everyone, praised honest and active people, taught the confused and weak by his own example, only occasionally resorting to punishment. He distributed the positions of prefects and procurators and appointed new members of the Senate, most of them outstanding people, who soon occupied a high position in the state. As for the monetary gift to the soldiers, at the very first meeting it was announced that it would be very moderate, and Vespasian promised the troops for participation in the civil war no more than others paid them for service in peacetime: he was implacably opposed to senseless generosity towards to the soldiers, and therefore his army was always better than that of others. Legates were sent to the Parthians and to Armenia, and measures were taken to ensure that after the legions left for the civil war, the borders would not be unprotected. Titus, the son of Vespasian, remained in Judea, he himself decided to go to Egypt - it was decided that only part of the troops and such a commander as Mutian, as well as the glory surrounding the name of Vespasian, would be enough to defeat Vitellius (Tacitus: “History”; 2; 79-82). So Mucianus marched to Italy, and Vespasian sailed to Egypt. He considered it a matter of paramount importance to secure this province for himself, since, firstly, he thus took control of the supply of grain to Rome, and secondly, he left himself room for retreat in case of defeat. Titus was entrusted with the end of the Jewish War (Flavius: “Jewish War”; 4; 10).

Vespasian spent the end of winter and the entire spring of 70 in Alexandria. Meanwhile, Mucian took Rome. Vitellius was killed, the Senate, all provinces and legions swore allegiance to Vespasian. Returning to Italy in the summer of 70, Vespasian first of all restored order in the army, since the soldiers had reached complete debauchery: some were proud of victory, others were embittered by dishonor. Vespasian dismissed and punished many of Vitellius’ soldiers, but he also did not allow the victors anything beyond their due, and did not even pay them legal rewards right away. He did not miss a single opportunity to restore order. One young man came to thank him for his high appointment, fragrant with aromas - he turned away contemptuously and gloomily said to him: “It would be better if you stank of garlic!” - and took away the appointment order.

After Titus took Jerusalem and ended the Jewish War, a triumph was celebrated in 71. During the reign of Vespasian, Achaia, Lycia, Rhodes, Byzantium, Samos again lost their freedom, and mountainous Cilicia and Commagene, previously under the rule of the kings, were turned into provinces.

From the first days of his reign until his death, Vespasian was accessible and lenient. He never hid his former low state and often even flaunted it. He never strived for outward splendor, and even on the day of triumph, exhausted by the slow and tedious procession, he could not resist saying: “Serves me right, an old man: like a fool I wanted triumph, as if my ancestors deserved it or I myself could dream of it.” ! He accepted the tribunal power and the name of the father of the fatherland only many years later, although during his reign he was consul eight times and censor once. He was the first of the princeps to remove the guards at the doors of his palace, and he stopped searching those who greeted him in the morning during the internecine war. While in power, he always got up early, even before light, and read letters and reports from all officials; then he let his friends in and received greetings, while he himself got dressed and put on his shoes. Having finished with his current affairs, he took a walk and rested with one of the concubines: after the death of Tsenida, he had many of them. From the bedroom he went to the bathhouse, and then to the table: at this time, they say, he was at his softest and kindest, and the family tried to take advantage of this if they had any requests. At dinner, as always and everywhere, he was good-natured and often made jokes: he was a great mocker, but too prone to buffoonery and vulgarity, even reaching the point of obscenity. However, some of his jokes were very witty. They say that one woman swore that she was dying of love for him, and achieved his attention: he spent the night with her and gave her 400,000 sesterces, and when asked by the manager under what heading to enter this money, he said: “For extreme love for Vespasian "

The liberties of friends, the barbs of lawyers, the obstinacy of philosophers bothered him little. He never remembered the insults and enmity and did not take revenge for them. Suspicion or fear never pushed him to commit violence. It never turned out that an innocent person was executed - unless in his absence, without his knowledge, or even against his will. No death pleased him, and even over a well-deserved execution he sometimes complained and cried. The only thing he was rightly reproached for was love of money. Not only did he collect the arrears forgiven by Galba, impose new heavy taxes, increase and sometimes even double the tribute from the provinces, he openly engaged in such matters that even a private person would be ashamed of. He bought things only to sell them later at a profit; he did not hesitate to sell positions to applicants and exonerations to defendants, innocent and guilty indiscriminately. He even taxed the toilets, and when Titus reproached his father for this, he took a coin from the first profit, brought it to his nose and asked if it stank. “No,” answered Titus. “But this is money from urine,” said Vespasian. However, many think that he was greedy not by nature, but because of the extreme poverty of the state and imperial treasury: he himself admitted this when, at the very beginning of his reign, he declared that he needed forty billion sesterces for the state to get on its feet ( Suetonius: “Vespasian”; 8-9, 12-16, 21-24). In fact, under Vespasian in Rome, the restoration of the Capitol, the Temple of Peace, the monuments of Claudius, the Forum and much more was begun and completed; Construction of the Colosseum began. Throughout Italy, cities were renovated, roads were firmly fortified, and mountains on the Flaminieva were razed to create a less steep pass. All this was accomplished in a short time and without burdening the farmers, which proves his wisdom rather than greed (Victor: “On the Caesars”; 9).

He died as simply and calmly as he lived. During his ninth consulate, while in Campania, he felt mild bouts of fever. He went to the Reatina estates, where he usually spent the summer. Here the ailments intensified. Nevertheless, he continued, as always, to engage in state affairs and, lying in bed, even received ambassadors. When his stomach began to fail, Vespasian felt death approaching and joked: “Alas, it seems that I am becoming a god.” He tried to get up, saying that the emperor should die standing, and died in the arms of those supporting him (Suetonius: “Vespasian”; 25).

All the monarchs of the world. - Academician. 2009 .

The first in Rome not to be a senator, or the son of a senator, or his grandson - Titus Flavius Vespasian, an emperor from a tax-farmer family, began his reign on July 1, 1969, almost two thousand years ago. It was he who introduced rather high taxes on visiting public toilets, and then gave out a phrase to the patricians who wrinkled their noses in disgust: “Non olet!” Vespasian the Emperor became famous, of course, not only for this. It was he who built the Colosseum and many others no less famous buildings. But for some reason, the first thing they remember is this ill-fated tax. It was not the only one introduced, by the way. In addition to toilets, military service and justice were also taxed. Vespasian is a very zealous emperor, he brought the entire almost completely disordered financial system of Rome to order.

Path

The future Roman emperor Vespasian was born in November of the ninth year of Christ in the city of Reate, where the Sabines lived, and his entire family came from there. He managed to enter the Senate during the reign of Tiberius as a good military leader: he distinguished himself by conquering Southern Britain, commanding the Rhine legion. In 51, the next step to power was taken: Vespasian, emperor in the near future, became consul. Six years later, he distinguished himself once again when Nero assigned him to suppress the Jewish uprising. Two years later, all the legions in the eastern provinces proclaimed: “Titus Flavius Vespasian is Emperor!” In addition to the eastern legions, the Danube legions also supported Vespasian, which greatly helped in the fight against another contender - Vitellius. The Senate had no choice, and in 69 it recognized Vespasian.

What kind of empire did the son of a tax farmer get? Many years of wars, including civil ones, destroyed everything that was possible throughout the entire territory of this blessed country. It was necessary to find funds for its restoration. Thus, various new taxes appeared, and among them - the one that immediately became Titus Flavius Vespasian - an emperor who always kept up with the times, and often a couple of steps ahead. The composition of the Senate has changed. For the first time, representatives of the municipal aristocracy appeared in its ranks, not only of Rome, but also of the western provinces, and Italy (it did not yet exist as a single country - for those to whom this listing will seem strange). Emperor Vespasian gave the cities exactly the same civil rights that all Latins had. And so as not to interfere with work, in 74 the entire opposition in the person of Stoic philosophers and other lyricists was driven out of the country with a filthy broom.

Acts

It is almost impossible to rule a huge empire alone and achieve tangible success, and Emperor Flavius Vespasian brought his smart and successful son Titus into control. It was Titus who managed to end victoriously in 70 and who also suppressed the uprising of the Batavians of Julius Civilis. Emperor Flavius Vespasian was zealous about his work. I corrected the financial system and expanded new territories. By 74, his entire policy was aimed at capturing the Decumatian fields (there was an opinion, when Tacitus was incorrectly translated, that these were lands subject to tithes, but no, this was simply the settlement of a specific territory), that is, a vast strip of land lying on the site of modern Germany, to at that time already occupied by the Romans.

It was there that state-owned free housing was provided to veterans of the Roman army, as well as immigrants from Gaul who distinguished themselves in the war. The borders of these territories can still be traced, marked by numerous long ramparts and ditches that separated these possessions from the free Germans, who were apparently not too happy about the neighborhood. After more than three hundred years, the Romans still lost these fields. Roman rule also expanded in the north of Britain, which also demonstrates how purposeful the Vespasian Emperor was. His reign was marked almost every year by large-scale and useful deeds for the country. And what roads Vespasian built! The characterization “for centuries” does not apply here. The roads are still functioning! He ruled very soberly, but at the same time extremely energetically. The Flavian dynasty got off to a good start, with its founder becoming the most prominent ruler of the early Principate aside from Augustus.

Vespasian, Emperor

His short biography is uninformative, since it does not contain even a thousandth part of the wonderful innovations and benefits that Vespasian brought to the empire. A sculptural portrait kept in the Pergamon Museum tells us about the colossal power of his genius. At the beginning of the article there is an illustration - a monument in the photo. Emperor Vespasian is visible even there in all his grandeur. And the biography of Vespasian was excellently written by Suetonius. Tax farmers (tax collectors) in the Senate and on the imperial throne - this alone makes the biography of Vespasian a most interesting story. The future emperor's maternal uncle and Vespasian's brother Sabin also became senators. Already at the age of thirty, Vespasian managed to become a praetor, and then he began to advance in his career faster and faster: the minister Claudius Narcissus appreciated his business acumen.

For Britain, the commander of the legion received the insignia of a triumphant and two priestly ranks at once. In 51 Vespasian was given a consulate, and from 63 he was proconsul of Africa. Most of all, the Romans were struck by his honesty: there was no case that Vespasian personally enriched himself using his official position. But he could! There were incredibly many possibilities. Nevertheless, a couple of times his brother saved him from bankruptcy by mortgaging his lands and house. Vespasian was in his immediate circle when, during a trip to Achaia, he accidentally dozed off during the imperial singing. As you know, for such an offense one could lose one’s life. But a year later, Nero cooled down and nevertheless appointed Vespasian as governor of Judea.

Intrigue

And in Judea there was a war, as the Jews themselves called it - the First Roman War. Vespasian led his formidable army to suppress this uprising, and less than a year later, submission to Rome was restored in almost all provinces. There remained unsurrendered Jerusalem and several more fortresses. And then news of Nero’s suicide came to Judea. Clever Vespasian stopped storming Jerusalem when news arrived that the throne of Rome had been given to Galba. During the hostilities, he communicated a lot with the governor of Syria, Gaius Lucinius Mucianus, and the communication was rarely friendly. Mucianus was greatly offended by Nero for giving the "upstart" Vespasian a higher status as governor of Judea. However, Vespasian was an extremely charismatic man, and after the death of Nero, Mucian forgot these grievances as soon as they discussed the political situation together.

And when the Roman regicides began in 69 (first Galba, then Otho died, and Vitellius enjoyed the victory), the newly made friends began to act: they enlisted the support of another governor - from Egypt. Tiberius Julius Alexander could not claim the throne because he was not a senator, but an apostate Jew, and Mutian could not become emperor because he did not have sons to found a dynasty. Emperor Vespasian was much more prudent. His personal life was settled: Titus and Domitian were already born and grown up. He was a senator and consul. And all three governors agreed that Vespasian was a fully established candidate for the Roman throne. First, the Egyptian legions swore allegiance to him, then both armies of Syria and Judea.

Invaders

They acted according to a carefully thought-out plan: Mucian goes on a campaign against Italy, and Vespasian remains in reserve and controls the supply of grain from Egypt. However, all plans are subject to adjustments as they are implemented. The Gaul Mark Antony Primus, who led the Danuvian armies, unexpectedly spoke out for Vespasian. He came to Italy faster than Mutian, without waiting for initiation into the general plans, then, without any instructions, he defeated the army of Vitellius, after which he rushed to Rome. There the resistance was much more serious. Most of Vespasian's family was in Rome at this time. The city prefect Sabinus tried to persuade Vitellius to capitulate. It was in vain that he did this.

The future Emperor Vespasian, whose reign had not yet begun, had already lost his brother during the struggle for power. He was executed right on Capitol Hill. But Vitellius himself was soon killed - and with particular cruelty, it must be admitted. The next day, the army of Mark Anthony Primus solemnly entered Rome, after which the Senate was forced to declare that Vespasian was emperor. Mucianus hurried as best he could, but came to Rome only towards the end of the repressions. He strictly condemned the unauthorized Prim, called him cruel and seriously condemned him for his unauthorized behavior. Prim was offended and complained to Vespasian. He received the hero with all sorts of honors, but still sent him to his native Toloza - into exile.

Beginning of reign

However, good-heartedness was not very characteristic of Mutian either. In any case, he dealt with potential oppositionists immediately. But at the same time, he took every possible care of Domitian, the youngest son of Vespasian, who miraculously escaped death. Meanwhile, his eldest son Titus launched an assault on Jerusalem and succeeded. A famous coin was issued in his honor - Ivdaea Capta. The returning emperor Vespasian rewarded Mucianus, but did not give him any real power, although Mucianus was the emperor’s chief adviser for the six years remaining before his death.

Prosperity reigned in the country: all civil wars ended, and the magnificent Temple of Peace (listed by Pliny as one of the Wonders of the World) rose up in the new forum. The emperor valued the opinion of the people and knew how to direct it in his favor. This is probably because he himself was from the people. Nevertheless, the army still functioned as the main element of the structure: the uprising of the Jews was suppressed, the rebellious Gauls and Germans in the north were calmed. Vespasian the Emperor was famous for his striking combinations of character traits. For example, exceptional cruelty and tact coexisted perfectly in him. The main thing is that he was not wasteful.

World

Financial prudence was more useful than ever to Vespasian. He inherited an empire devastated by wars and riots. Cash reserves were needed, and they had to be obtained in the most unusual, even unknown ways. The Roman Emperor Vespasian, when introducing the tax, did not intend to unduly oppress his own people; on the contrary, he constantly made sure that the provinces were not ruined. However, new taxes increased sharply in number, and attempts to evade them were suppressed with the utmost severity. All these measures were unheard of for Rome; they openly made fun of the emperor. However, he knew what he was doing, and his work went quickly and to complete success. When the Temple of Peace was ready, Vespasian began construction of the Colosseum, and very large funds were spent on the opening of Latin and Greek libraries.

And Vespasian’s military abilities were enormous: the legionnaires saluted the winner more than twenty times. The foreign policy of Emperor Vespasian was that he took away the independence of free lands and cities. Thus Byzantium, Samos, Rhodes became Roman provinces, Vespasian annexed and many Asian allied states - Emesa, Commagene, Lesser Armenia, Cilicia. Wars continued with border peoples (Armenia in the Caucasus, Parthia nearby), and the tribes of Mesopotamia and the Syrian Desert were restless. He considered the main task of his reign to be the strengthening of central power: he revived censorship and controlled the Senate. The result was a state that was much less focused on the capital and the nobility living in it, but developed self-government appeared in the country, and the importance of Italy grew quite seriously. The number of provinces has increased.

Provinces

Italy still dominated the government administration, but one after another the provinces received their “Latin rights” and quickly gained influence on the infrastructure of the empire. Vespasian understood their problems perfectly and helped in every possible way to solve them. The breadth of his thinking was imperially enormous. Roman history, thanks to the reforms carried out by Emperor Vespasian, changed more and more. During the ten years of his reign, it ceased to be the history of palaces; it already captured a civilized community of different peoples.

Vespasian worked hard every day, only allowing himself a walk in the evenings. He also kept a siesta and spent it with his mistress - he managed to do everything. Even before dawn, he woke up and with the first rays of the sun began to read his mail. Then his life isolated from society ended. Even while dressing, he received visitors and consulted with friends. Quite a significant part of the day was devoted to judging. His personal availability was at the highest level, because of this, even security measures were observed very laxly. However, attempts on the emperor's life were avoided. Vespasian caught the fever on his own and died in 79, without ceasing to joke even about it.

Jokes aside

Suetonius describes Vespasian as a very strong and very healthy man. He systematically promoted health. His sense of humor was not patrician, but common, which seemed rude to many, like the coin he gave to his eldest son, who reproached him for introducing a new tax, to smell. “The coin doesn’t smell? That’s strange. But it should smell purely like urine.” And the conclusion: “Money doesn’t smell!” The people, as we see, really liked this sense of humor, and this joke, along with many others, will literally always be popular - until the end of time.

And if you seriously analyze the activities of the Roman emperors, it immediately becomes clear that with the advent of Vespasian, the empire experienced a golden age. Following him, efficient emperors and good people ascended to the throne one after another. They were distinguished in the same way as their predecessors by their strong character, simple (often military) habits, and clear practical mind. The main thing is that those vices and extravagances with which his predecessors disgraced themselves throughout the world and for all centuries began to disappear. It was Vespasian who significantly speeded up the legal proceedings, stopped the denunciation that had declared everything and everyone in Rome, and abolished the articles on insulting Caesar. He replenished and improved civil laws.

conclusions

Although contemporaries laughed at Vespasian’s stinginess, they gave him due justice even then, because all the money received from taxes went only to useful causes. Roman weapons won victories, and they were brilliant. Truly magnificent structures of enormous size and dazzling, eternal beauty were erected. Military roads were laid, for which rocks were broken and mountains dug, the most daring bridges across huge rivers were also built under Vespasian.

Thousands of brass plaques containing Senate resolutions melted in the Capitol fire. Vespasian rebuilt the Capitol better than before, and restored the boards, looking for lists of laws even from private people. The streets were built up with him where the fire under Nero destroyed a huge part of Rome. Even the colonnades, which Claudius began to build, were completed by Vespasian, the Emperor of Rome. Under him, Roman aqueducts were enlarged and improved. The public buildings that made up the Forum of Vespasian were decorated with amazing works of Greek sculpture and painting. A public library was opened. But unnecessary luxury from the imperial court was removed immediately and forever.

When the Roman Emperor Vespasian couldn't keep up. The meaning of Vespasian, Titus Flavius in the biographies of monarchs. Bronze plaque with the text Lex de imperio of Vespasian

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When the Roman Emperor Vespasian couldn't keep up. The meaning of Vespasian, Titus Flavius ​​in the biographies of monarchs. Bronze plaque with the text Lex de imperio of Vespasian

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When the Roman Emperor Vespasian couldn't keep up. The meaning of Vespasian, Titus Flavius in the biographies of monarchs. Bronze plaque with the text Lex de imperio of Vespasian