With the death of Nero 68 the imperial Julio-Claudian dynasty became extinct, and there began a dizzying succession of momentary emperors as the various provincial armies pushed forward their own commanders—Galba, Otho, Vitellius.
Low birth seemed less a bar to empire, and on July 1, 69, troops acclaimed Vespasian the last and permanent emperor of that "Year of the Four Emperors. Vespasian was faced with immense tasks: to restore order to the machinery of government, stability to the finances, discipline to the armies, and security to the frontiers. The military problem came first; the Eastern armies had supported Vespasian, and the Western, having fought each other to exhaustion, accepted him, but much remained to be done.
A revolt in Gaul amounting to a nationalist secession from the empire showed the dangers inherent in the use of provincial soldiery. Vespasian therefore adopted a policy of not allowing auxiliaries noncitizen troops to serve in their native regions or be led by native commanders. He brought the citizen legions up to full strength and carefully cultivated their goodwill—Nero's fatal blunder had been to ignore the troops.
Until now, only a Julio-Claudian had been able to command the allegiance of armies other than the one under his direct control; one of Vespasian's accomplishments was to get all the armies to accept whoever was the reigning emperor.
The troops stayed out of emperor making for over a century. Vespasian made no effort to blur the fact that he had won the empire through arms rather than having received it from the hands of the Senate.
He treated the Senate with respect but did not try to revive Augustus's old idea of a partnership of emperor and Senate with Vespasian's lack of background, any attempt at equality with the great nobles would ultimately point up his "inferiority".
Vespasian repeatedly held the censorship, which not only allowed him to survey the empire's resources for financial purposes but also gave him control over the Senate's membership.
He kept a tight reign on appointments, even pushing his own men into provinces officially controlled by the Senate. Since his choices were usually good, the senators could hardly object openly, but it must be admitted that they respected rather than admired him. The Roman historian Tacitus observed that he was the first man to improve after becoming emperor. Search term:.
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This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving. The grounds of the Domus Aurea were re-opened. Most famously, the colossal statue of Nero was refashioned into a statue of the sun god, Helios, and the lake over which towered was filled.
Atop it was built the structure perhaps most synonymous with Rome: the Flavian Amphitheatre — better known today as the Colosseum. Holding over 50, spectators, this was the largest amphitheater ever built finally finished in AD 80 by Titus, 8 years after Vespasian inaugurated the project. It became the site of gladiatorial contests, public spectacles, animal hunts, and public executions.
The most famous of these architectural celebrations is the Templum Pacis , dedicated to the goddess Pax Peace. Built in AD 71 on the Velian Hill — facing the Colosseum — the Templum was a kind of vast space for public enjoyment, similar to the imperial fora that it was adjacent to although it lacked the political functions.
The Temple of Peace — like the Colosseum — was built ex manubis meaning that it was built from and decorated with, the spoils of war, an insightful juxtaposition for considering the nature of Roman civilization. This extended from his quashing rebellion through to his giving back the city of Rome to its people and grounding his authority in some semblance of legality.
To help emphasize his commitment to Rome, Vespasian took active steps throughout his reign to establish his sons — Titus and Domitian — as his recognized heirs. Through them, the return to Roman order would be continued after Vespasian was gone. The reigns of his sons however are viewed with less favor than that of Vespasian and are marked by accusations of fraternal competition, jealousy, and plotting.
The reign of Domitian, despite a flourishing in Latin poetry — contributed to by Marital and Juvenal amongst others — is notable for a return to cruelty and excess.
He was assassinated in AD 96 and his memory joyfully condemned by the Senate. After ruling the empire for a decade, Vespasian contracted an illness whilst traveling through Campania. Returning at once to Rome, he promptly set out for his usual summer retreat at the thermal springs at Aquae Cutiliae. The natural springs could do little to avail his condition which worsened dramatically, however, and on 24 th June, Vespasian — the man who had restored order to the empire — died.
In Rome, his reputation was suitably respected. He was deified, joining the ranks of the gods, and was thus honored with a cult of priests and worshipped by the populace of the empire as divi Vespasian. His cult — and later that of his son, Titus — was housed in the Templum divi Vespasiani , at the western end of the Roman Forum, between the Temple of Concordia and the Temple of Saturn.
Having risen from relative obscurity to become the Roman emperor, and as the man responsible for perhaps the most iconic of all Roman buildings, Vespasian nevertheless enjoys a reputation as a man of simple yet generous tastes and affable wit, alongside that of the authoritative general.
Today, several modern languages derive their name for urinals from Vespasian — such as vespasiano in Italian. He is passionate about sharing his interest in the past with as many people as possible.
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