Titus Flavius Vespasianus was the ninth Emperor of Rome and the founder of the Flavian Dynasty. He was the last to reign in the "Year of the Four Emperors" and restored stability to the Roman Empire through his fiscal reforms and building projects in the Eternal City which included the famous Flavian Amphitheater, better known as Colosseum
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Vespasian was born into the relatively undistinguished Flavian family in 9 AD, the son of Titus Flavius Sabinus the Elder and Vespasia Polla. He was the first Emperor to spring from the Equestian rank. His early career was marked by setbacks and he was frequently overshadowed by the success of his brother Titus Flavius Sabinus. In his first government post as a minor magistrate in charge of cleaning the streets, Caligula reportedly pelted him with mud as a reminder to do his job. Under Claudius he served as a legate alongside his brother Sabinus during the invasion of Britannia under Aulus Plautius for which he was awarded honors at Plautius' ovation. His tenure as governor of Africa saw him pelted with turnips and he returned to Rome completely broke. Vespasian was forced to mortgage his estates to his brother and set himself up as a mule dealer to regain his fortune. He and his son Titus would accompany Nero on his tour of Greece, but was kicked out after reportedly falling asleep during one of Nero's concerts.
In 66 AD, Vespasian was appointed to suppress a Jewish revolt underway in Judea. The fighting there had killed the previous governor and routed Cestius Gallus, the governor of Syria, when he tried to restore order. Two legions, with eight cavalry squadrons and ten auxiliary cohorts, were therefore dispatched under the command of Vespasian while his elder son, Titus, arrived from Alexandria with another. Vespasian embarked upon a campaign in Galilee that saw the destruction of many major Jewish strongholds forcing the rebels south to Jerusalem. He also became the patron of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, a former resistance leader who had surrendered leader to Vespasian and earned his favor. However in 69 Vespasian left the siege of Jerusalem to Titus, his eyes on a greater prize.
With the suicide of Nero in 68 AD, the Imperial throne had passed from one contender to another moving from Galba to Otho to Vitellius. Now Vespasian was determined to make a claim for the throne and in July 69, he officially declared himself Emperor back by the support of the Eastern legions. Although Vitellius held substantial support in the West, Vespsian's forces under Marcus Antonius Primus would defeat his armies and close on the capital. The capture of Rome and the death of Vitellius came with the blow that his brother, the Prefect of Rome, Titus Flavius Sabinus had been killed by Vitellius's men when the emperor tried to surrender the city to him. With his rival overthrown, Vespasian set about securing his reign.
Upon his deathbed, he said to have joked "Vae, puto deus fio" or "Dear me, I think I'm becoming a god". His last words were "an Emperor ought to die standing". He died on June 23, 79 AD, and was succeeded by his sons Titus and then Domitian.
Portrayals in Fiction:
- Robert Fabbri wrote a nine book series entitled Vespasian, focusing on a fictionalized version of his life and rise to power.
- Vespasian serves as a supporting character in The Flames Of Rome which focuses on the life and career of his brother Titus Flavius Sabinus. He's portrayed as prone to ill-luck but the novel ends with his fortunes on the rise.
- Portrayed by Timothy West as part of the supporting cast in the miniseries Masada, as he is the direct superior of the commanding officer besieging the Jewish Revolt, Flavius Silva (portrayed by Peter O'Toole).
