Titus Caesar Vespasianus was born in Rome on 30th December 39 AD, as the eldest son of Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian, and Domitilla the Elder.
He had one younger sister, Domitilla the Younger, and one younger brother, Titus Flavius Domitianus.
? What little is known of Titus’s early life is that he was brought up at the imperial court in the company of Britannicus, the son of Emperor Claudius, who would be murdered by Nero in 55.
The story goes, that Titus was reclining next to Britannicus on the night he was murdered and sipped of the poison that was handed to him.
? Titus showed early promise in the military arts, and was a skilled poet and orator both in Greek and Latin.
Around 57 to 59 he was a military tribune in Germania.
He also served in Britannia and arrived about 60 with reinforcements needed after the revolt of Boudica.
In about 63, he returned to Rome and married Arrecina Tertulla.
When Arrecina Tertulla died in 65, Titus took a new wife of a much more distinguished family, Marcia Furnilla, whom he soon divorced.
? Titus never remarried, and appears to have had multiple daughters, at least one of them by Marcia Furnilla.
The only one known to have survived to adulthood was Julia Flavia.
During this period Titus also practiced law and attained the rank of quaestor.
? Titus’ father Vespasian, died of an infection in June 79 AD.
Titus immediately succeeded to the throne.
He would be the first Roman emperor to come to the throne after his own biological father.
? Although Titus had a reputation for ruthlessness, he would prove to be a fair and just.
Good-looking, cultivated and friendly, Titus was a calm and effective emperor, and was well loved by the population.
Much of his popularity was won through his generosity.
? One of his first acts as emperor was to order a halt to trials based on treason charges.
The law of treason was originally intended to prosecute those who had corruptly “impaired the people and majesty of Rome” by any revolutionary action.
Titus put an end to that practice against himself or anyone else.
Consequently, no senators were put to death during his reign.
? Although Titus’s brief reign was marked by a relative absence of major military or political conflicts, he faced a number of major disasters.
A few months after his accession, Mount Vesuvius erupted.
The eruption almost completely destroyed the cities and resort communities around the Bay of Naples.
The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under metres of stone and lava, killing thousands.
? Titus appointed two ex-consuls to organise and coordinate the relief effort, and personally donated large amounts of money from the imperial treasury to aid the victims of the volcano.
Additionally, he visited Pompeii once after the eruption and again the following year.
? Construction of the Flavian Amphitheatre, now better known as the Colosseum, was begun in 70 under Vespasian, and was finally completed in 80 under Titus.
The inaugural games lasted for a hundred days, and were said to be extremely elaborate, including gladiatorial combat, fights between wild animals, mock naval battles for which the theatre was flooded, horse races and chariot races.
During the games, wooden balls were dropped into the audience, inscribed with various prizes of clothing and gold.
? Adjacent to the amphitheatre, Titus had also ordered the construction of a new public bath house, the Baths of Titus.
Construction of the building was hastily finished to coincide with the completion of the Flavian Amphitheatre.
At the closing of the games, Titus officially dedicated the amphitheatre and the baths in what was his final recorded act as Emperor.
? Titus died of a fever aged 41, on 13th September 81AD.
He had been emperor for just two years.
Titus reportedly died in the same farmhouse in which his father had died.
Allegedly, the last words he uttered before passing away were
“I have made but one mistake”
? Bust of Vespasian, c.80 AD
Farnese Collection, Naples National Archaeological Museum
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