Titus

Titus Flavius Vespasianus was the Roman emperor from 79 to 81 AD. He was the first emperor to be the son of his predecessor, Vespasian. Titus was part of the Flavian dynasty.

Before he became emperor, Titus was a good soldier. He helped his father during a big war in Judea. In 70 AD, Titus led soldiers to capture Jerusalem and destroy the Second Temple. This success was celebrated, and the Arch of Titus still shows this today.

When Titus became emperor after his father died in 79 AD, people liked him for his kindness. He finished building the Colosseum and helped people during two big troubles: the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 and a fire in Rome in 80 AD. Titus ruled only two years before he died from a fever in 81 AD. After his death, the Roman Senate honored him greatly, and his brother Domitian became the next emperor.

Early life

Titus was born in Rome on 30 December 39 AD. He was the eldest son of Titus Flavius Vespasianus, known as Vespasian, and Domitilla the Elder. Titus had a younger sister named Domitilla the Younger and a younger brother named Titus Flavius Domitianus, known as Domitian.

The Flavian family became important when Rome's old aristocracy was fading. Titus's grandfather, Titus Flavius Sabinus I, gained wealth and status by working as a tax collector and banker. Vespasian, Titus's father, had a successful political career and helped lead the Roman invasion of Britain in 43. Titus grew up at the imperial court. He showed skill in military arts and was good at speaking and writing both Greek and Latin.

Adult life

Titus started his career as a military officer in places like Germania and Britannia. He later returned to Rome, where he got married and started a family. His life changed when he became involved in the war against the Jews in Judaea Province.

During this time, Titus fought bravely and helped his father, Vespasian, lead the Roman forces. They faced many challenges, including the death of the Roman emperor Nero, which led to a change in leadership. Eventually, Titus and his father became the new leaders of Rome. Titus played an important role in these events and later returned to Rome, where he was honored for his successes.

Emperor

Vespasian died in 79 AD and was succeeded by his son Titus, making him the first Roman emperor to follow his father. Titus was well-liked and known for being fair. He stopped unfair trials that had troubled Rome, making sure no one was punished for speaking out.

During Titus's short rule, natural disasters happened. Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash. Titus helped families who were affected and visited the ruins. He also finished the Flavian Amphitheatre, known today as the Colosseum, to honor his family and entertain the people of Rome.

Flavian family tree

The Flavian dynasty was a group of Roman emperors who ruled from 69 to 96 AD. The most famous members were Vespasian, his son Titus, and Titus’s brother Domitian. Titus became emperor after his father Vespasian died in 79 AD. He was the first emperor in Roman history to take over from his own father. Before becoming emperor, Titus was known for his skill as a leader in battles.

Legacy

Historiography

Titus was remembered by ancient historians as one of Rome's best emperors. Writers from his time spoke very well of him. One writer, Josephus, wrote about the war in Judea and Titus's role in it. Another writer, Suetonius, described Titus as a kind and generous ruler loved by everyone.

Later writers, like Cassius Dio, also spoke highly of Titus.

In later arts

The life of Titus and the war in Judea inspired many artists and writers over the years. The Arch of Titus has been an important symbol in art.

Literature

• The early mediaeval Christian text Vindicta Salvatoris portrays Titus as a ruler far away from Judea.
• Bérénice, a play by Jean Racine (1670), which focuses on a story about Titus.
• Tite et Bérénice, a play by Pierre Corneille, which was created the same year and concerns the same story.
• Titus and Berenice, a 1676 play by Thomas Otway
• La clemenza di Tito, an opera by Mozart, which centres around a story about Emperor Titus.
• The Josephus Trilogy, novels by Lion Feuchtwanger, about the life of Flavius Josephus and his relation with the Flavian dynasty.
  • Der jüdische Krieg (Josephus), 1932
  • Die Söhne (The Jews of Rome), 1935
  • Der Tag wird kommen (The day will come, Josephus and the Emperor), 1942
• The Marcus Didius Falco novels, which take place during the reign of Vespasian.
• Titus figures prominently in The Pearl-Maiden, a novel by H. Rider Haggard, first published in 1901.

Paintings and visual arts

• The Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus by Wilhelm von Kaulbach (1846). Oil on canvas. Neue Pinakothek, Munich.
• The Destruction and Sack of the Temple of Jerusalem by Nicolas Poussin (1626). Oil on canvas. Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
• The Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem_La_distruzione_del_tempio_di_Gerusalemme-Francesco_Hayez_-gallerie_Accademia_Venice.jpg) by Francesco Hayez (1867). Oil on canvas. Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Venice.
• The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Under the Command of Titus, A.D. 70 by David Roberts (1850). Oil on canvas. Private collection.
• The Triumph of Titus and Vespasian by Giulio Romano (1540). Oil on wood. Louvre, Paris.
• The Triumph of Titus by Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1885). Oil on canvas. Private collection.
• Rear Panel of the Franks Casket. Northumbrian, early 8th century. Whale's bone carving with Anglo-Saxon runic inscription. British Museum, London.