By Francesco

1. Titus Flavius Vespasianus

2. Origins and political career
Vespasianus was born in Rieti in 9 AD and died in Cutiliae in
Sabina in 79.
He was the son of Flavius Sabinus and Vespasia Polla, he got
married with Flavia Domitilla and they had three children: Titus,
Domitianus and Domitilla.
He was quaestor in the province of Crete, ambassador of Legio
II Augusta and he was proconsul of Africa as well. In 67 he and
his son Titus subjugated the Galilee.

3. Rise to power
While he swore to be faithful to Nero’s successors, with the help of
Syria’s governor Mucianus, Vespasianus planed to seize power.
His troops defeated Vitellius’s army, they sacked Cremona and
they entered in Rome. In December 69 AD, Vespasian was
proclaimed emperor by the troops and the Senate ratified his
election.
Vitellius

4. Management of power
Vespasianus, who came from a family of equestrian class, inaugurated the so-called Flavian dynasty.
During his reign, Vespasian showed great respect for the political tradition: he tried to restore order in
the army, restraining the ambitions of the generals of the legions throughout the empire, and
attempted to restore the roles and functions of the old institutions. In fact, he increased the power of
the Senate, which had been reduced to the only task of ratifying of the election of the pretender to
the throne .
He managed to bring political, economical and social equilibrium, making a revision of the Land
Registry and important public works in the city of Rome. He tried immediately to repair the damage
caused by the civil war and, in collaboration with the Senate, established new and solid foundation for
the government and finances.

5. Lex de imperio Vespasiani
A fondamental lex emanated during
Vespasianus’ reign was the lex de imperio
Vespasiani, which can be summarized by the
following latin phrases:
princeps a legibus solutus est;
quod placuit principi legis habet vigorem.
With this law, he tried to justify his (and his
successors’) power on the grounds of a legal
principle (instead of on the basis of a divine
judgment, like the ‘Julio-Claudian’ emperors).
The Senate

6. Financial management
Vespasian, to improve the economic situation of the empire, imposed the collection of unpaid taxes,
and created new taxes. He also revised the Land Registry, earning a reputation for greed and avarice.
In addition, he carried out a political action in favor of the provinces, both in terms of Romanization
(especially in the West), and of organization.
Overall, he had a keen eye on public finances, which was absolutely necessary because of the
immense poverty of both fiscus and aerarium, and his economical policy seemed enlightened to
historians.

7. Tax of public urinals
Vespasianus also taxed the public urinals. When his
son Titus told him that this action was inappropriate
for an emperor, he reportedly replied
«Pecunia non olet»,
which means that the source of the money he used
to sustain the Empire did not matter to him.

8. The conquest of Jerusalem
In 70 AD Vespasianus and his son Titus subjugated
Judaea and Jerusalem after a long siege.
Titus pulled down Salomon’s temple and conquered its
treasures, including the menorah, a symbol of Judaism.
After the conquest, Vespasianus obliged Jewish people
to pay a tax of two drachmes (fiscus Iudaicus) every
year.

9. Judicial and military reforms
Vespasianus drew new judges to give back the goods which were stolen during the civil war and solve
the high number of ongoing lawsuits.
Moreover, during his reign, the Senate decreed that the usurers who lent money to a filius familiae
could not get it back even after father’s death.
In addition, Vespasianus made many important military reforms, such as increasing the number of the
recruits in the provincial army and rebuilding the strongholds in all the empire.

10. Benevolent acts and cultural impulses
Vespasian often offered lavish banquets (epulae) to increase the earnings of the butchers.
Also, on the occasion of the Saturnalia, Vespasianus offered gifts to men, on the Kalends of March, to
women.
In 73 Vespasianus and Titus expanded the pomerium, which was the sacred boundary of the Rome,
and started a general restauration of the town.
Vespasianus was generous with senators and impoverished knights as well as with many cities
devastated by earthquakes or fires.
He promoted the talents and the arts. In fact, he was the first emperor to allocate a sum of one
hundred thousand sesterces per year in favor of Greek and Latin rhetoricians.

11. Public works
Vespasianus spent much money on public works and on the
embellishment of Rome. For instance, he contributed to
• the reconstruction of the Capitol;
• the construction of a new and functional forum with a
temple dedicated to Peace. The forum was decorated
with statues coming from Greece and Minor Asia, with
ancient pictures and sculptures, and with the gold
furniture taken from the Jews’ temple.
Vespasian’s forum and the
temple dedicated to Peace

12. Public works
Vespasian completed the Divo Claudio’s
temple on Celio, whose construction was
started by Agrippina.
He developed the most important roads
of the peninsula and, in particular, the
consular roads Appia, Salaria and
Flaminia.
The temple of Divo Claudio on Celio

13. The Colosseum
The Colosseum was started by Vespasian around 75
and it was inaugurated by Titus in 80. Domitian added
the last order of steps and built vast warehouses
beneath the arena.
The Colosseum is the worldwide symbol of Roman
civilization. Originally it was known as the Flavian
Amphitheatre. Then it was named as Colosseum in the
Middle Ages either because of its big size or due to the
nearby bronze colossus of Nero, which disappeared
during the barbarian invasions.
The monument was erected in the place where there
was a pond collecting the waters from the surrounding
hills at Nero’s time.
In the 8th century, a famous epigram attributed to the
Venerable Bede celebrated the symbolic significance of the
statue in a prophecy that is variously quoted: Quamdiu stat
Colisæus, stat et Roma; quando cadet colisæus, cadet et
Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus (“As long as the
Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome
shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world”).

14. Function and structure
The Colosseum was built with huge amount of travertine,
bricks, stones, wood and iron. For example, the arena was
almost entirely made of wood.
The building had a capacity of 45,000 spectators, and its
many stairs and wide corridors allowed the rapid inflow
and outflow of the public.
The shows that were usually displayed in the
amphitheatre were the gladiatorial games (ludi
gladiatorii) and the hunting shows (venationes)
The beasts for the hunts and the games were closed in
small cells below the arena and were brought into the
arena using a system of inclined planes and lifts.
Reconstructive picture of the Colosseum

15. Function and structure
The amphitheatre comprised four floors. At the top a
huge segmented tent (velarium) was fixed to protect
the spectators from the sun. The movement of the
velarium was managed by a hundred sailors.
The entrance was usually free, and a ‘ticket’ showing
the seat was given to each spectator.
The emperor and his family sat in the place of
honour, and other privileged groups sat in places with
a good view.
Reconstructive picture of the Colosseum