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Biography
Youth
Son of Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian and Flavia Domitilla, b. at 41; was brought up at the court of Claudius and Nero, together with the son of the first Britannicus. The strengthening of Agrippina led to a distance from the court of Vespasian and his son and made their position dangerous due to their proximity to Narcissus; only after the death of Agrippina Vespasian was able to return to Rome. Military career Titus began in Germany and Britain, where he advanced as a military tribune. Then he occupied the questura, and when Nero sent Vespasian to indignant Judea, Titus followed his father and received command over the legion. In Palestine, he further strengthened his military prominence.
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 revolt of Vitellius and returned to his father's camp to wait for the course of events. Here he had a plan to pave the way for his father to power. A very power-hungry and dexterous diplomat, he acted very skillfully and attracted the influential ruler of Syria Mucian to the side of Vespasian. Titus's plan succeeded.
Jewish War. Unpopularity
Leaving for Italy, Vespasian handed over to Titus the main command in Palestine. Soon Titus took and destroyed Jerusalem with great cruelty. During his stay in Palestine, Titus became close with the beautiful Berenice, daughter of Herod Agrippa I and sister of Herod Agrippa II.
On the return of Titus to Rome, the pacification of Judea was celebrated with a magnificent triumph. The arch of Titus, laid down at the same time, but completed only under Domitian, should have reminded posterity about the capture of Jerusalem. Titus became co-regent of his father, together with him he sent censorship and consulate several times, used tribunal power, was called emperor, and performed all kinds of government actions in the name of his father. At the same time, he took up the post of prefect of the guard.
He did not stop at the merciless destruction of persons who seemed suspicious to him. Among those killed because of him was the consular Aulus Tsecina, whom Titus invited to his dinner and ordered to kill. Titus' way of acting under Vespasian made his name hateful in Rome. The Romans did not like very much the presence of Berenice in Rome: they were afraid that this Jewess would not become Augustus.
Governing body
When Vespasian died (June 23, 79), Titus took his place, having public opinion definitely against yourself. He set a goal to reconcile his subjects with himself: he began to severely punish informers, pardoned those accused of insulting the majesty, tried to ingratiate himself with the people with luxurious buildings and games.
During his reign, the amphitheater erected by Vespasian Flavian was opened (see Colosseum), water pipes and baths, which received his name, were built. On the occasion of the consecration of the Colosseum, nine thousand wild beasts and many gladiators were killed during the 100-day festivities. Buildings and games required huge costs, quickly absorbing the funds accumulated under the miserly Vespasian.
Significant funds were also spent to help victims of public disasters: a large 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 raged in the state. All this shook the finances. Titus died on September 13, 81 Death caught Titus suddenly. After celebrating the completion of the construction of the Colosseum, he went to his Sabine estate. At the first parking lot, 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 inherited his father. When this became known, all the people cried about him as if he were their own ... He was married twice and had a daughter from his second wife, Marcia Furnilla. He was succeeded by his younger brother Domitian.
Characteristic
The voice of the people called Titus "the love and comfort of the human race" (amor ac deliciae generis humani), although his behavior before his father's death gives reason to be suspicious 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 Titus would be the "second Nero."
Nevertheless, the years of Titus' reign are characterized by an agreement between the senate and the emperor. Senatorial tradition considers him one of the best emperors, and Suetonius writes: "Remembering that he had not done a single good deed for the whole day, Titus exclaimed:" Friends, I lost the day! " When one day two representatives of the upper class conspired against him, and who confessed to the intended crime, he first of all turned to them with admonition, then led them to a spectacle and ordered them to sit on either side of him; asking one of the gladiators for a sword, as if to test its sharpness, he gave it to both of them, and then said to them: "Do you see now that power is given from fate, and attempts to commit a crime in the hope of capturing her or for fear of losing her "
TITUS Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian
Roman emperor, son of Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian (see) and Flavia Domitilla, b. at 41 AD; was brought up at the court of Claudius and Nero, together with the son of the first Britannicus. The strengthening of Agrippina led to a distance from the court of Vespasian and his son and made their position dangerous due to their proximity to Narcissus; only after the death of Agrippina Vespasian was able to return to Rome. T. began his military career in Germany and Britain, where he was promoted, holding the position of a military tribune. Then he occupied a questura, and when Nero sent Vespasian to the outraged Judea, T. followed his father and received command over the legion. In Palestine, he further strengthened his military prominence. When Galba became emperor, T. was sent to him for congratulations, but in Corinth he learned about the murder of Galba, the proclamation of Otho and the revolt of Vitellius and returned to his father's camp to wait for the course of events. Here he had a plan to pave the way for his father to power. A very power-hungry and clever diplomat, he acted very skillfully and attracted the influential ruler of Syria Mucian to the side of Vespasian. T.'s plan succeeded. 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 Berenice, the daughter of Herod Agrippa I and the sister of Herod Agrippa II. On the return of T. to Rome, the pacification of Judea was celebrated with a magnificent triumph. The arch of Titus, laid down at the same time, but completed only under Domitian, should have reminded posterity about the capture of Jerusalem. T. became a co-regent of his father, together with him he sent censorship and consulate several times, enjoyed tribunal power, was called emperor, and performed all kinds of government actions in the name of his father. At the same time, he took up the post of prefect of the guard. He did not stop at the merciless destruction of persons who seemed suspicious to him. Among those killed because of him was the consul Avl Tsecina, whom T. invited to his dinner and ordered to kill. Mode of action T. under Vespasian made his name hated in Rome. The Romans really did not like the presence of Berenice in Rome: they were afraid that this Jewess might become Augusta. The discontent of the people forced T. upon entering power to remove Berenice from Rome. When Vespasian died (June 23, 79), T. took his place, having public opinion unconditionally against him. He set a goal to reconcile his subjects with himself: he began to severely punish informers, pardoned those accused of insulting the majesty, tried to ingratiate himself with the people with luxurious buildings and games. Under him, the amphitheater erected by Vespasian Flavius \u200b\u200bwas opened (see Colosseum), water pipes and baths were built, which received his name. On the occasion of the consecration of the Colosseum, nine thousand wild beasts and many gladiators were killed during the festivities lasting one hundred days. Buildings and games required huge costs, quickly absorbing the funds accumulated under the miserly Vespasian. Significant funds were also spent to help victims of 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 raged in the state. All this shook the finances. T. died on September 13, 81. He was married twice and had a daughter from his second wife, Marcia Furnilla. He was succeeded by his younger brother Domitian (see). The voice of the people called T. "love and consolation of the human race" (amor ac deliciac generis humani), although his behavior before his father's death gives reason to be suspicious 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 the "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 ravaged by the civil war, and therefore he had to show extraordinary state thinking and administrative talent in order to literally revive the empire bit by bit.
As an emperor, he was distinguished by the same simplicity to external brilliance as when he was a simple citizen.
He directed all his concerns to restoring discipline in the army, maintaining peace and improving governance, especially finance. He did not fight any wars, except for 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 for attempts to evade their payment, which gave the Romans a reason for an ironic and sarcastic attitude towards their emperor, whom disgruntled citizens sometimes even accused of dementia.
It should be noted that Vespasian made sure that alms were not ruinous for the provinces, and money came to the treasury at the expense of not the most burdensome taxes.
One of his innovations was a tax, unheard of in Rome, on "latrins" - public toilets. History attributed to Vespasian an extraordinary resourcefulness and had an excellent sense of humor, which helped him out more than once in life. So it happened when his son Titus, deeply indignant at such an ignoble way of earning money, turned to his father with reproaches. The emperor, not in the least embarrassed, immediately forced his son to smell the money received under this tax, and asked if it smelled. Having received a negative answer, Vespasian remarked with surprise to Titus: "Strange, but they are from urine." So 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 \u200b\u200bVespasian) - Roman emperor of the 1st century AD.
He received Kognomen "Vespasian" not from the fact that he loved to breed bees (as the name is translated), as the famous legend tells, but simply on behalf of his mother, Vespasia Polla.
early years
Vespasian was born in the Sabinsky land in a small rural house. The house belonged to his father, who at the time was a tax collector. The family did not differ in noble origin and great wealth, but they lived in abundance and enjoyed the respect of those around them.
Having started his career as a military tribune, he gradually climbed the then career ladder. At the same time, he honestly performed his duty, for which he was loved by ordinary residents and noble persons.
Emperors also favored him - Caligula, Claudius, Nero. True, under Caligula there was a small incident that quarreled between the emperor and Vespasian. During those years he served as the Roman praetor. When Caligula drove out of the city with his retinue, he was caught in a terrible off-road.
Responsibility for the condition of the roads lay just on the praetor, so the emperor decided to punish Vespasian - ordered to throw him into a muddy 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 the cruelty of Vespasian was directed against them. Nero appointed him commander during the war with the Jews.
This suggests that Vespasian aroused respect among those around him in spite of 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 on them.
Emperor
Being inclined to caution and not liking recklessness, Vespasian did not interfere in the court vicissitudes and sent his delegates to swear allegiance to every 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 new emperor Vespasian entered Rome.
Governing body
Vespasian, despite the military operations carried out during the times 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 an end.
Vespasian ordered to close the temple of Janus, which stood in this form throughout his reign. Open doors temples meant martial law, closed - peace. Even more, he did not tolerate civil discontent, corruption, embezzlement and other disorders, he despised external shine and "greatness". In general, he was a quiet family man who longed for peace and justice.
The reign of Vespasian is 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 the tax on urine collected from public toilets. The introduction of this tax aroused the ridicule of the crowd, to which the emperor replied with a phrase that went down in history: "Money does not 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 establish internal order in the country. To this end, he punished criminals, deprived Greek cities of privileges, expelled astrologers and philosophers from the capital. Vespasian, by and large, ruled like a strong authoritarian dictator. He occasionally showed cruelty, but otherwise 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 was pleased with its ruler.
Vespasian died in 79, until the last days of his life he worked, despite his illness.
Vespasian proclaims himself emperor
In the Sabine land, near the city of Reate, there was a small rural house that belonged to a respectable family, but not noble and poor: there on November 17, 9 AD, the future Roman emperor Titus Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian was born. Under Caligula, he was a quaestor, aedile, a praetor, then at the request of his patron Narcissus (the favorite of the emperor Claudius) he was appointed chief of the legion, distinguished himself in the wars on the Rhine and in Britain, was awarded for this with the insignia of triumphant and the rank of consul. Under Nero, Vespasian was the proconsul of Africa, gained a reputation there as a brave, energetic, just, disinterested ruler; therefore, when an experienced and careful commander was needed for the war with the Jews, Nero appointed him, although he incurred disgrace by not approving of Nero's passion for acting. Licinius Mucian, ruler of Syria, was ordered to assist Vespasian in suppressing the rebellion of the Jews. While Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian was waging this war, which we will describe below, disasters occurred in Italy, replacing in one year (68-69) Nero Galba, Galba Oton, Otho Vitellius. Titus Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian, a cautious man who did not like to take risks, did not want to get involved in these strife. Having received the news of the death of Nero, he sent his son Titus, who was his assistant (legate), to Rome to express his devotion to Galba; in the same way, he recognized Otho, then Vitellius, led the army to an oath of allegiance to each new emperor. But when he brought the soldiers to swear allegiance to Vitellius, they had a stern, displeased look and were silent. From this it was evident that they wanted another emperor, and after a while Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian was proclaimed emperor almost simultaneously in several different places. Earlier than his legions swore allegiance to him, the ruler of Egypt, Tiberius Julius Alexander, recognized his power, and the Egyptian army loudly expressed their approval for this. The ruler of Syria, Mucian, who had long been advising Vespasian to take the rank of emperor, followed the example of Julius Alexander.
Photo - shakko
After this Vespasian stopped hesitating; he was also encouraged by auspicious omens, to which he attached great importance. He had many troops at his disposal. His own army numbered up to 60,000; Mucian had four legions in Syria, two legions in Egypt for Alexander. When the news of Vespasian's acceptance of the imperial dignity came to Europe, his power was recognized by the legions stationed in Moesia, Pannonia, Dalmatia; they wanted to avenge Vitellia for Otho.
Vespasian's reign
About the civil war of Titus Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian with Vitellius, the victory of the former and the murder of the latter - see the article "Vitellius". The death of Vitellius was followed by a time of terror. The soldiers of Vespasian who occupied Italy, irritated by the resistance and greedy, raged in Rome, robbed, killed, and committed all sorts of fury. Neither Antony Primus nor Mucian, who arrived in Rome the next day after the capture of the city and took over the rule on behalf of Vespasian, who remained in Alexandria, had the strength or desire to stop the riots of the soldiers, drunk with their victory, and the malice of the informers. The son of the new emperor, Domitian, who was in Rome, was already showing all those bad passions, which he later gave such wide scope: “he received the title and dwelling of Caesar,” says Tacitus- but, not being concerned with government concerns, he played the role of the imperial son only as debauchery. " However, he arrogated to himself the power to appoint dignitaries, and he did it so arbitrarily that Vespasian mockingly wrote to him whether he would appoint a successor to himself.
There were many murders. The victors were not content with killing or executing the main people of the defeated party, such as the depraved but brave Lucius Vitellius, the brother of the slain emperor, and the unfortunate son of the emperor, who had the title of Germanicus. Many others were killed, not guilty of anything, except that they were very rich or were highly respected by the people - for example, Calpurnius Galerian and the proconsul of Africa Lucius Piso. Looking for Vitellius' followers, the soldiers, under this pretext, broke into houses, killed, robbed, and mocked women and girls. Order was restored only upon the arrival of Vespasian. He sent bread from Egypt to Rome; the population of the capital was grateful to him for saving him from hunger; now it expected him to stop rampaging and greeted him with delight. The Senate hastened to give the Emperor Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian all those rights that in the republican time belonged to the Senate and the People's Assembly, and which since that time have become permanent legal accessories of the emperor's civil power. Part of this senate councilor has survived on a surviving copper board.
Senate consultant on the imperial power of Vespasian, Lex de imperio Vespasiani, or "law on the power of the king", Lex regia, transferred independent control to the emperor foreign affairs, management of Senate meetings and the associated legislative initiative, the appointment of dignitaries according to the previous forms and the unlimited right to issue orders for religious, public and private affairs. The famous German historian Ranke thinks that this act can be considered the first attempt to give legal form to the de facto sovereignty of the emperor.
Bronze plaque with the text Lex de imperio Vespasiana
The accession of Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian to the throne begins a new period in the history of the Roman Empire, its golden age, a number of good emperors. A man of simple military habits, strong character, clear practical reasoning, Vespasian (ruled in 69-79) was alien to all the extravagances and vices with which his predecessors disgraced themselves. The first and foremost concerns of the new emperor were restoring discipline in the army that had lost it and putting in order the disordered finances. Warriors, says Suetonius, were in some parts of the troops intoxicated to the point of insolence with victory, in others embittered by defeat; they both raged. Vespasian dismissed most of the soldiers who fought for Vitellius, and introduced the old Roman discipline to the rest of the army.
Vespasian cared about justice, the speed of legal proceedings, canceled the cases of insult to the majesty, stopped the vile activity of informers. He himself often sat down at the forum to judge cases, and his example aroused other judges to action, so that many processes were resolved that remained motionless during the civil strife. Civil laws have been improved and supplemented. Vespasian restored among the people respect for the senatorial and equestrian orders, removing unworthy people from them and replenishing them with respectable people. He appointed not only Italians as senators and equestrians, but also people living in the provinces, so that these corporations became general state corporations. Vespasian wanted by this to strengthen the unity of the state and give more uniformity to the structure of all parts of it. Probably for the same purpose, Vespasian took away independence from many free cities, such as Rhodes, Samos, Byzantium, included them in the provinces where they were located, and annexed some Asian union states to the direct possessions of Rome (Cilicia, Lesser Armenia , Kommagene, Emes). But by joining them, Rome was more than before involved in border wars with the Caucasian peoples, with Armenia, Parthia, the Arab tribes of the Syrian desert and Mesopotamia. The most important event in Vespasian's reign was the First Jewish War.
With the same energy he tried to put the state economy in good order, collecting money for the empty treasury. Vespasian's financial management was strict and frugal; this aroused much slander among the population of Rome, accustomed to the extravagance of the emperors. Ancient historians say that Vespasian restored all taxes canceled by his predecessors and introduced new ones, that he himself was engaged in commercial speculation; rumor asserted that he deliberately sent greedy people to govern the provinces in order to then take the loot from them with monetary fines, "squeeze out the sponges that were sucked in water." They said that he trades in positions, honors, forgiveness of criminals. Many anecdotes were told about the greed and stinginess of Vespasian; they also show the features of the playfulness with which he distinguished himself in private conversations.
Suetonius says: once the son of Vespasian, Titus, told his father that the tax he had established with latrines; when the first money from this tax was received, he held a gold coin to Titus's nose and asked if it smelled bad. Once the donkey driver stopped Vespasian on the road, stopping to straighten his horseshoe; the petitioner approached; It seemed to Vespasian that the driver had detained him only so that the petitioner had time to approach him with his request; he asked the driver how much profit the horseshoe amendment had given him, and demanded half for himself. Once the deputies of a provincial town came to him to announce that their fellow citizens had decided to erect a statue for him. He held out his open palm to them and told them to put the statue on this pedestal, that is, give him the money that it would have cost. It is said about Kenida, Vespasian's concubine, that she, in agreement with him, sold civil and priestly positions, sold pardons to criminals and gave money to him.
Photo - Irton33
Vespasian Forum
But although they laughed at Vespasian's stinginess, he was given justice in the fact that he used money for useful things. Under him, Roman weapons won brilliant victories. He erected many huge structures, laid new military roads, during which they dug mountains, broke rocks, and built bold bridges over fast rivers. Vespasian rebuilt the burnt-out Capitol according to the previous plan, with the only difference that he made the building taller than the previous one. The Capitol fire melted those thousands of copper planks on which the decrees of the Senate and national assembly; Vespasian restored these boards according to the lists that were in regional cities and from private people. He built up the streets that were still undeveloped after the fire that was under Nero; completed the colonnades begun by Claudius; improved plumbing; adorned the city with a huge Temple of Peace and a colossal amphitheater, the ruins of which still excite surprise even now. These public buildings formed a new Roman forum, the Forum of Vespasian. They were decorated with the finest works of Greek painting and sculpture, and a public library was set up at the Temple of Peace.
The character of Vespasian
A practical man of simple morals, Vespasian removed from the court all that luxury, all those brilliant vices with which his predecessors disgraced themselves; the enemy of effeminacy and debauchery, he did not tolerate debauchery near him. The people did not condemn him for giving his mistress Kenida such a position as if she were his wife; on the contrary, the Romans did not like Domitian's arrogance, who, when Kenida wanted to embrace him on his return to Rome from his trip, gave her a kiss. Vespasian was affable by nature; everyone had access to it; he was not afraid of murderers and conspiracies; loved to joke. The Romans recalled for a long time rude jokes, brisk antics, dexterous answers of a cheerful old man. His playfulness did not leave him on his deathbed either: when his illness became dangerous, he, hinting at the apotheosis that the emperors received after death, said: "I feel bad, I think that I am becoming a god." Sensing the approach of death (June 23, 79), Vespasian stood up with the words: "The emperor must die on his feet" and expected death in a military pose.
Vespasian and the opposition of Republicans and philosophers
According to old Roman custom, Vespasian was most concerned with the military and civil administration; however, he was a friend of the arts and sciences, patronized scientists and schools. But his dry, practical mind did not like daydreaming. Vespasian valued only what is useful to the state and real life; philosophers, soothsayers, religious dreamers strongly disliked him. Therefore, he expelled philosophers from Rome not so much for their philosophical teachings, as for the fact that they behaved arrogantly, flaunting their philosophical robes and beards, loved to flaunt disregard for customs, stood in opposition to the government and sharply criticized it, boldly expressed their republican beliefs. A passage from Dion, found by the famous scholar of the Maya manuscripts, about the expulsion of philosophers says: “Many Stoics and cynic Demetrius expounded doctrines that did not agree with the existing order of affairs, and instilled these beliefs in a large number of people; therefore Mucian persuaded Vespasian to expel all these people from Rome, except for Mouzonius alone - the advice suggested to Mucian, apparently, not so much by his dislike of science as by malice; In a long speech to Vespasian, he expressed many thoughts that deserve to be noticed, such as: “They are vain people; a person will grow a beard, frown, throw on a blown-out cloak, walk barefoot, and already present himself as a philosopher, a hero, a model of virtue, and raises his nose, even if he does not understand anything at all; they look down on everyone: a noble person is a fool, a commoner is a scoundrel, a handsome man is a lecher, a freak is an ideal of beauty, a rich man is an egoist, a poor man is a man of a slave soul ”(Dion, LXVI, 13). Demetrius and Hostilius Vespasian not only expelled from Rome, but sent to the islands in exile. Hostilius was in conversation when the exile was announced to him; he did not fall silent, but began to speak more strongly than before in censure of the monarchist power; but then he resigned himself. Demetrius behaved as before, and Vespasian ordered to tell him on his own behalf: “You are trying to get me to execute you; but I don't kill a dog barking at me. "
Due to his dislike of fantasy, Vespasian expelled from Rome the "Chaldeans", soothsayers and astrologers, who used the Romans' penchant for superstition, for everything mysterious and miraculous. They had such power over their minds that when Vitellius issued an edict announcing that all astrologers must leave Rome by the date appointed by them - by the 1st of October - they mockingly issued their edict: “The Chaldeans announce that by October 1st no Vitellius Germanicus should remain in the world. " Out of his dislike for ecstasy, Emperor Vespasian persecuted Christians, whom he considered to have the same exalted thoughts that had caused the revolt in Judea. Out of dislike for people who condemn the government, he condemned to exile, and then to death, Senator Helvidy Priscus, who had republican convictions and was Trazea's son-in-law Pet. Tacitus glorified these last republicans, who, like their ideal, Cato, dreamed of a state system that they had read from books and completely inconsistent with actual conditions. But from the story of Tacitus himself, it is clear why the emperor Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian, generally humane and loving education, could put to death such an honest and respectable person like Helvid.
Helvid sought the glory of the persecuted defender of freedom; in the monarchical state, he wanted to remain faithful to the ghost of the republic, did not want to call Vespasian emperor, did not recognize the imperial power as legitimate. Trazea, Helvidy and their friends celebrated birthdays in their homes Brutus and Cassius; on these holidays they drank toasts in honor of the memory of the last heroes of the republic; such demonstrations irritated Vespasian; annoyed him, accustomed to the strict order of military discipline, and the constant sharp opposition of Gelvid in the Senate. He sent him into exile, then, probably on new secret charges of his advisers, ordered his execution. Vespasian soon repented of his reckless order and wanted to cancel this order; but Helvid was already executed. Tacitus immortalized the glory of a noble man, maintaining straightforwardness and civic valor amid the corruption of morals and general servility: “Helvidy Priscus, a native of the city of Terracina, a man of great talents, devoted himself to science not in order to cover up the name of a scientist indifference to public affairs, but in order to to gain strength of mind in enduring dangers state activities... In philosophy, he followed those thinkers who call good only the just and evil only morally bad, and power, nobility and all other external things are not considered either good or evil. When he was still only a quaestor, Trazea Pet gave his daughter for him, and he took from the character of his father-in-law a straightforward firmness. In all matters of life - as a citizen, a senator, husband, son-in-law, friend, he was equally unshakable in good, was fearless and despised wealth. "
The first in Rome, neither a senator nor a senator's son, and not his grandson - Titus Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian, an emperor from the family of a tax farmer, began his reign on the first of July sixty-nine, almost two thousand years ago. It was he who introduced rather high taxes on visiting public toilets, and then the patricians wrinkling their noses with disgust gave out a phrase that has survived to this day: "Non olet! Vespasian the emperor became famous, of course, not only for this. famous buildings. But for some reason they remember the first thing about this ill-fated tax. It was not the only one introduced, by the way. In addition to toilets, and military service, and justice. Vespasian is a very zealous emperor, he put Rome's almost completely disorganized financial system in order.
Way
The future Roman emperor Vespasian was born in November of the ninth year from the birth of Christ in the city of Reate, where the Sabines lived, and his whole family came from there. During the reign of Tiberius, he managed to enter the Senate 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, an emperor in the already near future, becomes a consul. Six years later, he distinguished himself again when Nero instructed him to suppress the Jewish revolt. Two years later, all the legions in the eastern provinces proclaimed: "Titus Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian is the emperor!" In addition to the eastern ones, the Danube legions also came out for Vespasian, which greatly helped in the struggle against another contender - Vitellius. The Senate had no choice, and in 69 he recognized Vespasian.
What kind of empire did the son of the tax farmer get? Long-term wars, including civil wars, have destroyed everything that is possible on the entire territory of this blessed country. It was necessary to seek funds for its restoration. So a variety of new taxes appeared, and among them - the one that immediately became Titus Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian - the emperor, who always kept up with the times, and often ahead of a couple of steps. The composition of the Senate has changed. For the first time, representatives of the municipal aristocracy appeared in its ranks, and not only Rome, but also the western provinces, and Italy (it did not yet exist as a single country - for those to whom this listing seems strange). Emperor Vespasian gave the cities exactly the same civil rights that all Latins had. And in order not to interfere with work, in 74 from the country with a filthy broom they drove all the opposition in the person of the Stoic philosophers and other lyricists.
Acts
It is almost impossible to rule alone a huge empire and achieve tangible success at the same time, and Emperor Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian attracted his smart and successful son Titus to control. It was Titus who managed to finish victoriously in the 70th and also suppressed the uprising of the Batavians of Julius Civilis. Emperor Flavius \u200b\u200bVespasian was jealous of his business. Financial system corrected, increased new territories. By 74, his entire policy was aimed at capturing the Decumate fields (it was believed, when Tacitus was incorrectly translated, that these are lands subject to tithes, but no, this is just the settlement of a specific territory), that is, a vast strip of land lying on the site of modern Germany, to by that time already occupied by the Romans.
It was there that they gave state free housing to veterans of the Roman army, as well as immigrants from Gaul who distinguished themselves in the war. Until now, the borders of these territories are traced, marked by numerous long ramparts and ditches that separated these possessions from, apparently, not too happy about the proximity of free Germans. More than three hundred years later, the Romans still lost these fields. Roman rule also expanded in the north of Britain, which also demonstrates how purposeful person Vespasian the Emperor was. His reign was almost annually marked by large-scale and useful deeds for the country. And what roads did he build to Vespasian! The characteristic "for centuries" is not suitable here. The roads are still functioning! He ruled very soberly, but at the same time extremely energetically. The Flavian dynasty began well: its founder became the most prominent ruler of the early principate, apart from Augustus.
Vespasian, emperor
His brief biography is uninformative, since it does not contain even a thousandth part of those wonderful innovations and benefits that Vespasian brought to the empire. About the colossal power of his genius, we are told by a sculptural portrait kept in the Pergamon Museum. At the beginning of the article there is an illustration - a monument in the photo. Emperor Vespasian is visible even there in all his greatness. And the biography of Vespasian was excellently written by Suetonius. Tax collectors (tax collectors) in the Senate and imperial throne - this alone makes the life of Vespasian an interesting story. Senators also became the uncle of the future emperor on the mother's side and Vespasian's brother Sabin. Already at the age of thirty, Vespasian managed to become a praetor, and then he began to advance faster and faster: Minister Claudius Narcissus appreciated his business acumen.
For Britain, the commander of the legion received the insignia of a triumphant and two priestly dignities at once. In 51, Vespasian was given a consulate, from 63 he was the 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 opportunities. Nevertheless, a couple of times his brother saved him from bankruptcy by mortgaging his land and house. Vespasian was in his immediate surroundings when, while leaving for 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 the 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, obedience to Rome was restored in almost all provinces. There remained Jerusalem, which had not surrendered, and several other fortresses. And then the news of Nero's suicide came to Judea. Clever Vespasian stopped storming Jerusalem when the news came that the throne of Rome had been given to Galba. During the hostilities, he communicated a lot with the governor of Syria, Gaius Lucinius Mucian, and communication was rarely friendly. Mucian was very offended by Nero for the fact that the "upstart" Vespasian received a higher status as the governor of Judea. However, Vespasian was an extremely charismatic man, and after the death of Nero, Mucian forgot these grievances as soon as they jointly discussed the political situation.
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 Mucian could not become an emperor because he did not have sons to found a dynasty. Vespasian the Emperor was much more prudent. His personal life was adjusted: Titus and Domitian were already born and grew up. He was a senator and consul. And all three governors agreed that Vespasian was a fully established cantidate to the Roman throne. First, the Egyptian legions swore allegiance to him, then both the armies of Syria and Judea.
Invaders
They acted according to a carefully thought-out plan: Mucian goes on a campaign to Italy, and Vespasian remains in reserve and controls the supply of grain from Egypt. However, all plans are subject to adjustments in the course of their implementation. For Vespasian, the Gaul Marcus Anthony Prim, who led the Danuvian armies, unexpectedly spoke. He came to Italy faster than Mucian, without waiting for initiation into general plans, then without any instructions he defeated the army of Vitellius, after which he rushed to Rome. The resistance there was much more serious. Most of Vespasian's family was in Rome at this time. The city prefect Sabinus tried to persuade Vitellius to surrender. In vain he did it.
The future emperor Vespasian, whose years of 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 ceremonial entry into Rome of the army of Mark Antony Primus took place, after which the Senate was forced to declare that Vespasian was the emperor. Muzian was in a hurry as he could, but came to Rome only at the end of the repression. He severely condemned the unauthorized Prim, called him cruel and seriously condemned him for self-righteousness. Prim was offended, complained to Vespasian. He accepted the hero with all sorts of honors, but nevertheless sent him to his native Tolosa - into exile.
The beginning of the reign
However, Mucian was not very kind-hearted either. In any case, he dealt with potential oppositionists immediately. But along with this, he took care of Domitian, the youngest son of Vespasian, who miraculously escaped death. Meanwhile, his eldest son Titus undertook an assault on Jerusalem and succeeded. The famous coin Ivdaea Capta was issued in his honor. The returned emperor Vespasian awarded Mucian, but did not give a bit of real power, although for the six years remaining until his death Mucian was the emperor's chief adviser.
Prosperity reigned in the country: all civil wars ended, at the new forum the magnificent Temple of Peace (reckoned by Pliny to the Wonders of the World) rose up. The emperor valued the opinion of the people and knew how to direct it in his favor. Perhaps this is 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, in the north the rebellious Gauls and Germans were pacified. Vespasian the Emperor was famous for his amazing combinations of character traits. For example, exceptional cruelty and tact perfectly coexisted in him. Most importantly, he was not wasteful.
World
Financial prudence came in handy more than ever to Vespasian. He inherited an empire devastated by wars and riots. It was money reserves that were needed, and they had to be obtained in the most unusual, even unexplored ways. The Roman emperor Vespasian, introducing the tax, was not going to excessively 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 avoid them were suppressed with the utmost severity. All these measures for Rome were unheard of, the emperor was openly made fun of. However, he knew what he was doing, and everything went on with him quickly and to complete success. When the Temple of Peace was ready, Vespasian began to build the Colosseum, and also very large funds were spent on the opening of Latin and Greek libraries.
And the military abilities of Vespasian were enormous: the legionnaires saluted the winner more than twenty times. Foreign policy Emperor Vespasian was that he took away independence from free lands and cities. So, Byzantium, Samos, Rhodes became the Roman provinces, Vespasian and many Asian allied states - Emesa, Commagene, Lesser Armenia, Cilicia annexed. Wars continued with the border peoples (in the Caucasus - Armenia, nearby - Parthia), the tribes of Mesopotamia and the Syrian desert were restless. He considered the main business of his reign to strengthen the central government: he revived censorship, controlled the Senate. The result was a state that was much less focused on the capital, on the nobility living in it, but developed self-government appeared in the country, and the importance of Italy grew very seriously. The number of provinces has increased.
Provinces
In the government administration, Italy still dominated, but the provinces one after another received their "Latin rights" and quickly gained influence on the infrastructure of the empire. Vespasian perfectly understood their problems and in every possible way helped to solve them. The breadth of his thinking was imperially enormous. Roman history, thanks to the reforms carried out by the emperor Vespasian, changed more and more. Over the ten years of his reign, it ceased to be the history of palaces, it captured the already civilized community of different peoples.
Vespasian worked every day and a lot, only allowing himself a walk in the evenings. He also observed siesta and spent it with his mistress - he did everything in time. Even before dawn, he woke up and with the first rays of the sun began to read the mail. Further, his life, isolated from society, ended. Even while dressing, he received visitors, consulted with friends. Quite a significant part of the day was devoted to judging. His personal availability was on the highest level, because of this, even security measures were very poorly observed. However, attempts on the life of the emperor were avoided. Vespasian contracted a fever on his own and died in 79, never ceasing to make fun of even this.
Jokes aside
Suetonius describes Vespasian as a very strong and very healthy man. He practiced health promotion systematically. His sense of humor was not patrician, but common, which seemed rude to many, as with the coin he gave his eldest son to sniff, who reproached him for introducing a new tax. "The coin doesn't smell? It's weird. It should smell like urine." And the conclusion: "Money does not smell!". The people, as we can 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, then it immediately becomes clear that with the arrival of Vespasian, the empire experienced a golden age. Behind him, smart emperors ascended to the throne one after another and good people... They were distinguished, just like their predecessor, by their firm character, simple (often military) habits, and a clear practical mind. Most importantly, those vices and extravagances with which his predecessors disgraced themselves for the whole world and for all centuries began to disappear. It was Vespasian who significantly accelerated the proceedings, stopped the denunciations that had been announced to everything and everyone in Rome, and canceled the articles about the insult of Caesar. He supplemented and improved civil laws.
findings
Although his contemporaries laughed at Vespasian's stinginess, he was given due justice even then, because all the money received from taxes went only to useful things. Roman weapons were victorious, and they were brilliant. Truly magnificent structures of enormous size and dazzling, eternal beauty have been erected. Military roads were laid, for which rocks were broken and mountains were dug, the most daring bridges across huge rivers were also built under Vespasian.
Thousands of copper planks with Senate decrees 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 by him where the fire under Nero destroyed a huge part of Rome. Even the colonnades, which Claudius began to erect, were brought to readiness by Vespasian, the emperor of Rome. Under him, Roman aqueducts were enlarged and improved. The public buildings that made up Vespasian's Forum were adorned with marvelous works of Greek sculpture and painting. A public library was opened. But the unnecessary luxury from the imperial court was removed immediately and forever.
VESPASIAN Titus Flavius \u200b\u200b(17.11.9 - 24.06.79), Roman emperor from 01.07.69 Vespasian was the son of a tax farmer and became the first emperor of non-senatorial origin. Vespasian's family came from the city of Reate in the country of the Sabines, where Vespasian himself was born. Under Tiberius, Vespasian became a member of the Senate. He commanded one of the Rhine legions, took part in the conquest of South Britain. In 51 he was consul, in 67, Nero instructed him to suppress the Jewish uprising. In the summer of 69, the legions of the eastern provinces proclaimed Vespasian emperor. The Danube legions also took the side of Vespasian, which allowed him to defeat his rival Vitellius. In December 69, Vespasian was recognized by the Senate. He restored order in the Empire, which was upset by the civil war, primarily in the field of finance (for example, he introduced a tax on public latrines, which explains the origin of the saying “Money does not smell” - “Non olet”), as well as in justice and the army. The Senate under Vespasian was replenished with representatives of the municipal aristocracy of Italy and the western provinces; cities in Spain received civil law Latins 1. In 74, the Stoic philosophers were expelled from Italy as carriers of opposition sentiments. Vespasian made his son Titus co-ruler, who in 70 ended the Jewish war. At the same time, Vespasian's troops suppressed the Batavian uprising led by Julius Civilis. From 73-74 years. Vespasian's policy was aimed at capturing the Decumates agri. Since 77, Vespasian's commander Julius Agricola has expanded Roman rule in northern Britain. Under Vespasian, many famous buildings were erected in Rome (the Colosseum is the most famous) and in the provinces (primarily road construction). The sober and energetic policy of Vespasian, the founder of the Flavian dynasty, makes him the most prominent ruler of the early principate after Augustus. Suetonius has a biography of Vespasian; a colossal sculptural portrait is kept in the Pergamon Museum.
1 This refers to the Latin law. - Approx. ed. site.
Dictionary of Antiquity. Per. with him. - M .: Progress, 1989
Tribune power received 10 times (first time - July 1, 69, then - annually on July 1).
Emperor: I (1 July 69), II-V (70), VI-VIII (71), IX-X (72), XI (73), XII-XIV (74), XV-XVIII (76), XIX (77), XX (78).
Consul: I (51), II (70), III (71), IV (72), V (74), VI (75), VII (76), VIII (77), IX (79).
Censor from April 73
Died in Aquae Cutiliae on June 23, 79; buried first in the mausoleum of Augustus, later transferred to the temple of the Flavian family.
Wife:
Flavia Domitilla.
Children:
Domitian (Domitianus)
Flavia Domitilla
Names, titles, relatives are given by:
1995 Chris Scarre. Chronicle of the Roman Emperors. Thames & Hudson Ltd, London, 2002.