Emperor Vespasian: biography and years of government

The first in Rome is not the senator and not the son of the senator, nor his grandson - Titus Flavius Vespasian, the emperor from the farmer's family, began his reign from the first of July, sixty-nine, almost two thousand years ago. It was he who introduced rather high taxes for visiting public toilets, and then, with disgustingly frowning noses to the patricians, gave out a phrase that has survived to our days: "Non olet!" (Money does not smell!). " Vespasian the emperor was famous, of course, not only this. It was he who built the Colosseum and many other equally famous buildings. But they remember for some reason the first thing about this ill-fated tax. He was not the only one introduced, by the way. In addition to toilets, military service and justice were subject to taxation. Vespasian - the emperor is very diligent, he almost completely upset the financial system of Rome 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 Sabins lived, and his whole family came from there. In the Senate he managed to enter under the reign of Tiberius as a good commander: he distinguished himself by conquering South Britain, commanding the Rhine legion. In 51 the next step was taken to power: Vespasian, the emperor in the near future, becomes a consul. Six years later, he once again distinguished himself when Nero instructed him to suppress the Jewish uprising. Two years later, all the legions in the eastern provinces proclaimed: "Titus Flavius Vespasian - Emperor!". In addition to the eastern for Vespasian, the legions of the Danube also came out, which helped a lot in the fight against another challenger - Vitellia. The Senate did not have anything else, and in 69, he recognized Vespasian.

What kind of empire went to the son of the farmer? Long-standing wars, including civil wars, destroyed everything that is possible in the entire territory of this blessed country. It was necessary to seek finance for its restoration. So there were new various taxes, and among them - the one that immediately became a talk of the town. Titus Flavius Vespasian is the emperor, always in step with the times, and often in front of a couple of steps. The composition of the Senate has changed. For the first time in its ranks appeared representatives of the aristocracy of the municipal, not only in Rome, but also in the western provinces, and in Italy (it was not yet a single country - for those to whom this listing would seem strange). To the cities of Spain the Roman emperor Vespasian gave exactly the same civil rights as all Latins had. And so that they did not interfere with their work, in 1974 a foul broom kicked out all the opposition in the person of Stoic philosophers and other lyricists.

Acts

Edit alone, a huge empire and achieve this tangible success is almost impossible, and the emperor Flavius Vespasian attracted the management of his clever and successful son Titus. It was Titus who succeeded in winning the Jewish War in the 70's , and they also suppressed the Yilu Tsivilis revolt. To the cause of his emperor Flavius Vespasian was jealous. The financial system has corrected, new territories have grown. By the year 74, all of his policy was directed to the capture of the Dekumat fields (there was an opinion when Tacitus was incorrectly transferred, that these were lands subject to tithes, but no, it was just the settlement of a specific territory), that is, a vast strip of land lying in the place of modern Germany, At that time already occupied by the Romans.

It was there that the state provided free housing to veterans of the Roman army, as well as people from Gaul who distinguished themselves in the war. Until now, the boundaries of these territories have been traced, marked by numerous long ramparts and moats that separated these possessions from, apparently, not too happy neighbors of free Germans. After three hundred or more years, the Romans still lost these fields. Also expanded Roman rule in the north of Britain, which also demonstrates how vigorous was the personality of Vespasian the Emperor. Its reign almost every year was marked by large-scale and useful for the country deeds. And what roads Vespasian built in the Roman Empire! The characteristic "for ages" here does not fit. The roads are still functioning! He rules very soberly, but at the same time extremely vigorously. The Flavian dynasty started well: its founder became the most outstanding ruler of the early principality, except for Augustus.

Vespasian, the Emperor

A brief biography of it is not informative, as it will not accommodate a thousandth of those remarkable innovations and benefits that brought the empire of Vespasian. About the colossal power of his genius tells us a sculptural portrait, stored in the Pergamon Museum. At the beginning of the article there is an illustration - a monument in the photo. The emperor Vespasian is visible even there in all his greatness. A biography of Vespasian was superbly written by Suetonius. Fertilizers (tax collectors) in the Senate and the Imperial throne - this alone makes Vespasian's life story an interesting story. Senators also became the uncle of the future emperor on the part of the mother and brother of Vespasian Sabin. Already at the age of thirty, Vespasian managed to become a praetor, and then he began to move faster: minister Claudius Narcissus appreciated his business acumen.

For Britain, the commander of the legion received the insignia of the triumphant and at once two priestly ranks. In 51 Vespasian was given a consulate, from the 63rd he is the proconsul of Africa. Most of all, the Romans were struck by his honesty: there was no chance that Vespasian personally enriched himself, using his official position. But he could! There were incredible opportunities. Nevertheless, a couple of times his brother saved him from bankruptcy, laying his land and house. Vespasian was in the immediate surroundings of the emperor Nero, when he accidentally dozed during the emigration to Achaia during the imperial singing. As you know, for such an offense you could lose your life. But a year later, Nero came to terms and still appointed Vespasian as governor of Judea.

Intrigues

And in Judea there was a war, as it was called by the Jews themselves - the First Roman. Vespasian led his formidable army to suppress this uprising and less than a year later, submission to Rome was restored in virtually all provinces. There remained a rending Jerusalem and several fortresses. And then the news of Nero's suicide came to Judea. Clever Vespasian stopped storming Jerusalem, when news came that the throne of Rome was given to Galba. During the military operations, he communicated a lot with the Syrian governor Gaius Luciani Mutsian, and the dialogue was rarely friendly. Mutsian strongly resented Nero for the fact that the "upstart" Vespasian received a higher status as governor of Judea. However, Vespasian was a very charismatic person, and after Nero's death, Mutsian forgot these insults as soon as they jointly discussed the political situation.

And when, from 69 onwards, the Roman regicide began (first Galba, then Oton died, and enjoyed the victory of Vitellius), the newly-made friends began to act: they enlisted the support of another viceroy from Egypt. Tiberius Julius Alexander could not claim the throne because he was not a senator, but an apostate Jew, and Mutsian could not become an emperor because he did not have sons for the founding of a dynasty. Much prudent was Vespasian the Emperor. His personal life was adjusted: Titus and Domitian were already born and grew up. He was a senator and consul. And all three deputies agreed that Vespasian was a fully-fledged cantidate to the Roman throne. At first he was sworn by the Egyptian legions, then by both armies of Syria and Judah.

Invaders

They acted on a carefully thought-out plan: Mutsian goes on a campaign against Italy, and Vespasian remains in reserve and controls the supply of grain from Egypt. However, all plans in the course of their implementation are subject to adjustments. For Vespasian the gully Marc Anthony Prim, who headed the Danubian armies, unexpectedly performed. He quickly came to Italy, without waiting for dedication to the general plans, then without any instructions, defeated the Vitellius army, and then rushed to Rome. There, resistance was much more serious. Most of the family of Vespasian at this time was in Rome. City prefect Sabin tried to persuade Vitellia to capitulate. In vain did he do it.

The future emperor Vespasian, whose reign did not begin yet, lost his brother in the course of the power struggle. He was executed right on Capitol Hill. But Vitellius himself was quickly killed - and with particular cruelty, one must admit. The next day, the solemn entry into Rome of the army of Marc Antony Prima was held, after which the senate was forced to declare that Vespasian was the emperor. The Mutsian hurried as he could, but came to Rome only to the end of the repression. He severely condemned the self-willed Prima, called the cruel and seriously blamed him for his self-will. Prim took offense, complained to Vespasian. He took the hero with all sorts of honors, but still sent later to his native Tolosa - in exile.

The beginning of government

However, and Mutsianu kindness was not too characteristic. In any case, he immediately dealt with potential oppositionists. But at the same time he cared for him in every way by the miraculously saved from the death of Domitian - the youngest son of Vespasian. Meanwhile, his eldest son, Titus, undertook the assault on Jerusalem and succeeded. In his honor was issued the famous coin - Ivdaea Capta. Mutsian returned emperor Vespasian awarded triumphal signs, but not a small fraction of the real power did not give, although all the remaining until his death for six years, Mutian was the chief adviser of the emperor.

The country prospered: all civil wars had ended, a magnificent Temple of Peace (ranked by Pliny to the Wonders of the World) had risen in the new forum. The emperor cherished the opinion of the people and was able to direct it to his advantage. Probably, 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 reassured. Vespasian emperor was famous for his amazing combinations of features of his character. For example, it excelled exceptionally cruel and tactful. Most importantly, he was not wasteful.

Peace

Financial precaution was more than ever useful to Vespasian. He inherited an empire, devastated by wars and riots. We needed stocks of money, and they had to be extracted by the most unusual, even unexplored ways. The Roman emperor Vespasian, introducing a tax, did not intend to excessively oppress his own people, on the contrary, he constantly watched that the provinces would not be ruined. However, new taxes sharply increased in number, and attempts to avoid them were suppressed with all severity. All these measures for Rome were unheard of, the Emperor frankly joked. However, he knew what he was doing, and everything went quickly and to full success. When the Temple of Peace was ready, Vespasian began to build the Colosseum, and also very large funds went to the opening of the Latin and Greek libraries.

And Vespasian's military capabilities were enormous: more than twenty times the legionaries saluted the victor. The foreign policy of Emperor Vespasian was that he took independence from free lands and cities. So became the Roman provinces of Byzantium, Samos, Rhodes, annexed Vespasian and many Asian allied states - Emesu, Commagena, Little Armenia, Cilicia. Wars continued with the border peoples (in the Caucasus - Armenia, nearby - Parthia), the tribes of Mesopotamia and the Syrian desert were troubled. He considered the main business of his government to be the strengthening of the central government: revived the censorship, controlled the senate. As a result, the state has turned out, much less focused on the capital, on living in it to know, but the country has developed self-government, and the importance of Italy has grown very seriously. The number of provinces has increased.

Provinces

In the government administration, Italy still dominated, but the provinces one by one received their "Latin rights" and quickly gained influence over the infrastructure of the empire. Vespasian understood their problems perfectly and helped them in every possible way to solve them. The breadth of his thinking was enormous. Roman history, thanks to the reforms carried out by Emperor Vespasian, has been changing ever more. For ten years of his reign, it has ceased to be a history of palaces, it has already captured the civilized community of different peoples.

Vespasian worked daily and much, only in the evenings allowing himself to walk. He also kept the siesta and spent it with his mistress, - everything was in time. Even before dawn, he woke up and read the mail with the first rays of the sun. Further, his life separated from society ended. Even dressing, he accepted visitors, consulted with friends. Quite a significant part of the day was devoted to judging. His personal accessibility was at the highest level, because of this, even security measures were very poorly observed. However, attempts at the emperor's life were avoided. Vespasian himself picked up the fever and died in 79, without ceasing to make fun of even this.

Jokes aside

Suetonius describes Vespasian as a very strong and very healthy man. He was engaged in strengthening health systematically. His sense of humor was not patrician, but common, many seemed rude, as with the coin he gave to sniff the eldest son who rebuked him for introducing a new tax. "The coin does not smell? Strange." But it must smell like urine. " And the conclusion: "Money does not smell!". People, as we can see, liked this sense of humor, and this joke, along with many others, will be popular literally always - until the end of time.

And if you seriously analyze the activities of the Roman emperors, it immediately becomes clear that with the advent of Vespasian the empire knew the golden age. Following him, the emperors and good people one by one rose to the throne. They were distinguished in the same way as the predecessor, firm character, simple (often military) habits, clear practical mind. The main thing is that the vices and extravagances that the predecessors disgraced themselves throughout the whole world and for all ages began to disappear. It was Vespasian greatly speeded up the proceedings, stopped the announcement of everything and everything in Rome, denunciation, canceled articles on the insult of Caesar. He enriched and improved the civil laws.

conclusions

Although contemporaries laughed at the stinginess of Vespasian, but due justice was given to him even then, because all the money received from taxes went only to useful things. Roman weapons won, and they were brilliant. There are truly magnificent buildings of enormous dimensions and dazzling, eternal beauty. Military roads are laid, for which rocks are broken and mountains are dug, the most daring bridges across huge rivers were built also under Vespasian.

Thousands of brass boards with the decrees of the Senate melted in the fire of the Capitol. Vespasian built the Capitol better than before, and restored the boards, looking for lists of laws, even from private individuals. The streets were built up there where the fire at Nero destroyed a huge part of Rome. Even the colonnades, which began to build more Claudius, brought to the readiness of Vespasian - the emperor of Rome. With it, the Roman aqueducts were enlarged and improved. The public buildings that compiled the Vespasian forum were decorated with marvelous works of Greek sculpture and painting. A public library was opened. But excessive luxury from the imperial court was removed immediately and forever.