Vespasian. The meaning of Vespasian, Titus Flavius in the biographies of monarchs Titus Flavius Vespasian Emperor

Vespasian (Titus Flavius Vespasian) - Roman emperor of the 1st century AD.

He received the cognomen “Vespasian” not from the fact that he loved to raise bees (that’s how the name is translated), as the famous legend says, but simply from the name of his mother, Vespasia Polla.

early years

Vespasian was born in the Sabine land in a small rural house. The house belonged to his father, who at that time served as a tax collector. The family was not distinguished by noble origin and great wealth, but lived in prosperity and enjoyed the respect of others.

Having started his career as a military tribune, he gradually climbed the then career ladder. At the same time, he honestly fulfilled his duty, for which he was loved by ordinary residents and noble people.

The emperors also favored him - Caligula, Claudius, Nero. True, under Caligula there was a small incident that quarreled between the emperor and Vespasian. In those years he served as Roman praetor. When Caligula left the city with his retinue, he was caught by a terrible impassability.

Responsibility for the condition of the roads lay precisely with the praetor, so the emperor decided to punish Vespasian - he ordered him to be thrown into a dirty puddle in the middle of the road. However, Caligula did not seriously pursue his subordinate, and Vespasian continued to serve diligently. Apparently, this quarrel explains the zeal with which he, on the orders of Caligula, dealt with the participants in the conspiracy of Getulik and Lepidus.

Among the rich and noble conspirators were those who were relatives of the emperor, and Vespasian’s cruelty was directed against them. Nero appointed him commander during the war with the Jews.

This suggests that Vespasian aroused respect from those around him despite everything: the fact is that Nero did not like him, because Vespasian did not approve of the emperor’s singing performances and did not appear at them, and if he did come, he often fell asleep during them.

Emperor

Being prone to caution and not liking rashness, Vespasian did not interfere in court vicissitudes and sent his delegates to swear allegiance to each new person who occupied the throne. However, when he sent them to Vitellius, they were clearly unhappy: they did not like this new ruler, and they themselves had long wanted to see Vespasian as emperor.

After some struggle for power, Vespasian was loudly proclaimed emperor: the governors and legions of Syria, Judea and a number of other provinces voted for this. In 70, the new emperor Vespasian entered Rome.

Governing body

Vespasian, despite the military operations carried out during the time of his predecessors, did not like to fight. In the entire history of his reign, he did not wage a single war, except for the British one: his predecessors started it, and he was forced to bring it to the end.

Vespasian ordered the closure of the Temple of Janus, which stood in this form throughout his reign. Open temple doors meant martial law, closed doors meant peace. He was even more intolerant of civil discontent, corruption, embezzlement and other unrest; he despised external splendor and “greatness.” In general, he was a quiet family man who longed for peace and justice.

The reign of Vespasian was marked by positive (though not always) orders for the empire:

He tried to overcome the consequences of the civil war and put the country in order.
To overcome the financial depletion of the treasury, he increased taxes and introduced new ones. One of the most unusual was a tax on urine collected in public toilets. The introduction of this tax caused ridicule from the crowd, to which the emperor responded with a phrase that went down in history: “Money has no smell.”

However, among the methods of replenishing the budget, the emperor also practiced illegal ones. Despite such frugality and stinginess, Vespasian generously allocated funds for the construction of public buildings. So, he restored the Capitol, built the Temple of Peace - one of the most impressive buildings of antiquity, and also erected the famous Colosseum.

The emperor tried to restore internal order in the country. To this end, he punished criminals, deprived Greek cities of privileges, and expelled astrologers and philosophers from the capital. Vespasian, by and large, ruled as a strong authoritarian dictator. Occasionally he showed cruelty, but otherwise he was distinguished by moderation.

The emperor did not tolerate opposition in the Senate and even dealt with one Republican, but on the whole the Senate remained satisfied with its ruler.

Vespasian died in 79, and until the last days of his life he worked, despite his illness.

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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.”

13 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT VESPASIAN

The ancient Roman emperor Vespasian entered world history as the conqueror of Judea. Under the name Titus, he became famous as a wise ruler, respected by mere mortals, supported by slaves, as a man who despised luxury, as a politician who revived the greatness of the empire. On November 17, on the 2005th anniversary of the birth of Titus Flavius Vespasian, I propose to familiarize yourself with 13 interesting facts about him.

1. Vespasian was born on November 17, 9 and came from the humble Flavian family. His grandfather was a centurion in Pompey's army. After retiring, he made a fortune by collecting money from sales. The father of the future emperor was also a tax collector in Asia. He became so skilled in this activity that many cities erected statues in his honor with the inscription: “To the fair collector.” His mother's family was much more famous; Vespasian's grandfather and uncle were praetors, government officials.
2. Vespasian began his military career as a simple legionnaire in Thrace (the territory of modern Bulgaria), then ruled Crete and Cyrene, and commanded a legion in Germany. He especially distinguished himself in Britain, where he took part in 30 battles, conquered two strong tribes and more than 20 villages. For these brilliant victories, Vespasian was awarded a triumph in Rome and became consul in 51, and subsequently consul in North Africa.

3. History has preserved the episodes and disgraces of Vespasian. One day, Caligula, leaving Rome, got stuck with his escort on a washed-out road. And since the condition of the roadway was the responsibility of the praetor, the emperor ordered his courtiers to throw Vespasian into a muddy puddle that happened to be on the way. However, Vespasian happily escaped the repressions of Caligula and continued his career under the next emperor. During the reign of Nero, Titus Flavius was also not in honor. He ignored the emperor’s speeches, and once completely fell asleep during his speech.
4. Vespasian was a very energetic person by nature, had a practical mindset, was prudent and cautious, led a modest lifestyle, and knew how to insert a sharp word into a conversation. These qualities allowed him to survive relatively safely during the difficult and dangerous times of the reign of the frenzied Caligula, spineless Claudius and extravagant Nero.
5. Returning to Rome from North Africa, Vespasian pawned his estates to his brother, and he himself became famous as a “mule driver.”

6. A sharp turn in the career of Titus Flavius came when Nero sent him to suppress the uprising in Judea (66). These events are described in the book of Josephus Flavius “The Jewish War” and the novel of the same name by Lion Feuchtwanger from the Josephus trilogy (1932). Vespasian devastated Galilee, capturing important strategic cities, and besieged Jerusalem.
7. After the suicide of Nero, a struggle for power began in Rome. First, the post of emperor was taken by Servius Sulpicius Galba, after his overthrow, Marcus Salvius Otho took his place on the throne, and after the latter’s suicide, Aulus Vitellius, who completely ruined the country. On June 1, 69, Titus Flavius Vespasian was proclaimed emperor. The Alexandrian legions swore allegiance to him, the troops based in Syria supported him, his power was recognized by all the coastal provinces, right up to the borders of Asia and Achaea, and all the inland ones, right up to Pontus and Armenia.

8. 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 got up at dawn and read letters and reports from all the officials, then let his friends in and received greetings, while he dressed and put on his shoes. Having finished with his current affairs, he took a walk and rested with one of the concubines. 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 he was good-natured and often made jokes, often vulgar and obscene. Nevertheless, some examples of his wit have survived to this day. Vespasian owns the aphorism “Money has no smell.” And another story with finances fits into the phrase: “For extreme love for Vespasian.” This is how he designated the tax on sex with one woman who sought his affection.

9. Vespasian cared about justice, about the speed of legal proceedings, abolished lese majeste trials, and stopped the vile activities of informers. Vespasian was most concerned with military and civil administration; however, he patronized scientists and artists. His practical mind did not like daydreaming. Vespasian valued only what was useful to the state and real life; philosophers, soothsayers, and religious dreamers irritated the emperor with their arrogance. He expelled them from Rome because they stood in opposition to the government and sharply condemned it, boldly expressing their republican convictions.

10. Vespasian restored all taxes abolished by his predecessors. He used any, even illegal, methods to replenish the treasury, and these measures yielded results. The tax on public toilets caused great ridicule. Rumor claimed that he deliberately sent greedy people to govern the provinces, so that he could then take the loot from them with monetary fines, “to squeeze out the water-sucked sponges.” They said that he was selling positions, granting honors, and pardoning criminals.

Many anecdotes were told about Vespasian's greed and stinginess; They also show traits of playfulness, which he was distinguished for in private conversations. About Cenides, Vespasian's concubine, they say that she, in agreement with him, sold civil and priestly positions, sold pardons to criminals and gave money to him.

11. Vespasian spent the collected money on useful things. He erected many huge structures, laid new military roads, and built bridges. The emperor rebuilt the burnt Capitol, restoring the copper plaques on which the decrees of the Senate and the People's Assembly were carved. Vespasian built up the streets, modernized the water pipelines, decorated Rome with the huge Temple of Peace and the colossal Colosseum, which people still come to admire from all corners of the globe. The Forum of Vespasian was decorated with ancient statues, and a public library was established at the Temple of Peace.

12. He was married to Flavia Domitilla, who bore him two sons - Titus (actually co-ruler of Vespasian) and Domitian - and a daughter, Flavia Domitilla the Younger.

13. When Vespasian, 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.” The emperor died on June 23, 79. Feeling the approach of death, Vespasian was afraid to leave the world in a position unworthy of a ruler. He asked those close to him to help him get up so that he could die standing. Trying to get up and straighten up, he took his last breath. The Romans preserved the memory of him as one of the best emperors. He was officially deified and a luxurious marble temple of Vespasian was built in the Forum, from which only three corner columns and a small part of the magnificent entablature have survived to this day.

Vespasian, Titus Flavius (born November 17, 9 - died June 24, 79) Roman emperor in 69-79. Founder of the Flavian dynasty.

Origin

Vespasian came from a noble family of Flavians. His grandfather was a centurion or even a simple soldier in the army. After retiring, he was able to make 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 - in many cities statues were erected 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 path of the future emperor

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 the praetorship. Being an aedile, they say, he did not take good care of cleaning the streets, so that, angry, he once ordered the soldiers to pile dirt into the 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 Gaetulik, 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.

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 took part in more than 30 battles with the enemy, conquered two strong tribes, more than 20 cities and the Isle of Wight. For this he received triumphal decorations, pontificate and augurism, and in 51 - the consulate.

Under Nero

Then, fearing Agrippina, the wife of Claudius, who persecuted him for his friendship with Narcissus, he retired from business and lived in retirement for 10 years, not engaging in any public business. At the age of 61, 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 poorly. At least, 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 initially treated Vespasian kindly and took him with him on a trip to Greece. But after Vespasian managed to fall 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.

Jewish War

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.

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 later changed his mind. He sent all the newly arrived Jews to Tiberias, about a thousand were executed and another 40,000 were sold into slavery. Gamala, located nearby, defended itself with desperate tenacity. Having finally captured the city, the Romans killed even the infants in it. After which all of Galilee recognized Roman rule (Flavius: “The Jewish War”; 4; 1, 6).

This campaign brought Vespasian great fame and popularity in the army. In fact, 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. On the march, Vespasian, as a rule, walked ahead 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, in clothes and habits he was almost no different from an ordinary soldier - in a word, if not for greed, he could be considered a Roman commander of ancient times.

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.

Death of Nero. Civil War

He was ready to begin the siege of Jerusalem when he learned of Nero's suicide. Then Vespasian changed his tactics and postponed 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. 69, April – Vitellius became emperor.

Vespasian consistently recognized all three and at each coup led his legions to swear allegiance to the new princeps. And although he knew how to obey as well as command, the news of the outrages of the Vitellians in Rome led him to indignation. He sincerely despised Vitellius and considered him unworthy of the throne. Being imbued with the most painful thoughts, he felt the burden of his position as a conqueror of foreign lands, while his own fatherland was on the brink of destruction.

Power struggle

However, no matter how his anger prompted him to take revenge, thoughts about his distance from Rome, as well as about 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.

The Alexandrian legions were the first to swear allegiance to Vespasian 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 that were due to the 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.

New Emperor

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 quite moderate, and Vespasian promised the troops for participation in the civil war no more than others paid them for their service in peacetime: he was an implacable opponent of senseless generosity towards soldiers, and therefore his army was always better than that of others.

Legates were sent to the Parthians and 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 part of the troops and such a commander as Mucian, as well as the glory surrounding the name of Vespasian, would be enough to defeat Vitellius.

So, Mucian moved 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 ending the Jewish War.

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

Governing body

Returning to Italy in the summer of 70, Vespasian first of all restored order in the army, since the soldiers had reached the point of complete debauchery: some were proud of victory, others were embittered by dishonor. Vespasian dismissed and punished many of Vitellius’s 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 the order of appointment.

Vespasian: money that doesn't smell

Rome after the last civil war was disfigured by fires and ruins. The Capitoline Hill, where the most ancient temples of the capital were located, burned to the ground. Vespasian allowed everyone to occupy and develop empty plots if the owners did not do so. Having begun the restoration of the Capitol, he was the first to clear away the rubble with his own hands and carry 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 added to the lists the most worthy of the Italians and provincials.

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 tribunal power and the name of the father of the fatherland only many years later, although during his reign he was consul 8 times and censor 1. 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 even during the internecine war.

Life, habits of the emperor

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 his 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. Still, 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 freedom of his 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. Suspicions or fears never pushed him to 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 sold positions to applicants without hesitation 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 believe 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 stated that he needed 40 billion sesterces for the state to get on its feet. 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; started construction. 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 may be proof of his wisdom rather than greed.

Death of Emperor Vespasian

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. There the malaise intensified. Nevertheless, he did not cease, 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 stand up, saying that the emperor should die standing, and died in the arms of those supporting him.

K. Ryzhov

Espasian 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 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, angry, he once ordered the soldiers to pile dirt into the 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 Gaetulik, 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.

Vespasian gained military glory during his reign. 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.

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. Gamala, located nearby, defended itself with desperate tenacity. Having finally captured the city, the Romans killed even the infants in it. After this, the whole of Galilee recognized Roman rule.

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. 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 be considered a Roman commander of ancient times.

Meanwhile, in 68, news was received of unrest in Gaul and that Vindex with its native leaders had fallen away from. 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 the 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. Declared emperor, he was openly killed in the Roman forum, and instead proclaimed emperor, who in turn fought with and, defeated by him, took his own life. In April 69 he became emperor.

69 Revolt of the Gauls and Batavians

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 heard louder and louder.

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.

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 charged with ending the Jewish War.

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 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 taking Jerusalem and ending 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.

Bust of Vespasian

“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 he 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. “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. 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.

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.

Konstantin Ryzhov: “All the monarchs of the world: Greece. Rome. Byzantium"

Vespasian. The meaning of Vespasian, Titus Flavius in the biographies of monarchs Titus Flavius Vespasian Emperor

early years

Emperor