Titus 79-81

Titus 79-81

February 16th, 2012

http://www.vroma.org/images/mcmanus_images/titus.jpg

London, British Museum. Credits: Barbara McManus, 1999

Life and Career of Titus to Dec. 69 CE B. Dec. 30, 39 CE to Vespasian and Domitilla.

Grew up with/schoolmate of Britannicus.

Ca. 61-64 – Military tribune in Upper Germany and Britain.

64-66 – Practicing law; cursus honorum; two marriages, 1. Arrecina Tertulla (died), 2. Marcia Furnilla (divorced); 1 daughter (Julia).

66-68 – Appointed commander of Legio XV Apollinaris to assist in suppressing the Judean revolt.

Jun. 68 – Dec 69 – Maintaining order in the East for Vespasian; continuing to press the Judean campaign.

Titus and Britannicus “He was brought up at court in company with Britannicus and

taught the same subjects by the same masters. At that time, so they say, a physiognomist was brought in by Narcissus, the freedman of Claudius, to examine Britannicus and declared most positively that he would never become emperor; but that Titus, who was standing near by at the time, would surely rule. The boys were so intimate too, that it is believed that when Britannicus drained the fatal draught, Titus, who was reclining at his side, also tasted of the potion and for a long time suffered from an obstinate disorder. Titus did not forget all this, but later set up a golden statue of his friend in the Palace, and dedicated another equestrian statue of ivory, which is to this day carried in the procession in the Circus, and he attended it on its first appearance.” (Suet. Titus 2. Trans. J. C. Rolfe, 1914)

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Titus*.html

Titus from 70 – 79 CE Spring to Aug. 70 – Siege of Jerusalem; burning of the temple; massacre of

the pop.

Winter 70 – Touring the East; Ensuring loyalty to Vespasian.

Berenice (Sister to M. Julius Agrippa II).

71 – Return to Rome; Judean triumph.

72 – Praetorian Prefect; Control of the Army.

Shared all the major posts (i.e. Consulship, Tribunate, Censorship etc. with Vespasian); Clearly marked out as successor.

June 24th, 79 – Vespasian dead; Titus is emperor.

The Loyal and Trusted Son of Vespasian “From that time on he never ceased to act as the emperor's partner and even as his

protector. He took part in his father's triumph and was censor with him. He was also his colleague in the tribunicial power and in seven consulships. He took upon himself the discharge of almost all duties, personally dictated letters and wrote edicts in his father's name, and even read his speeches in the senate in lieu of a quaestor. He also assumed the command of the praetorian guard, which before that time had never been held except by a Roman knight, and in this office conducted himself in a somewhat arrogant and tyrannical fashion. For whenever he himself regard anyone with suspicion, he would secretly send some of the Guard to the various p329theatres and camps, to demand their punishment as if by consent of all who were present; and then he would put them out of the way without delay. Among these was Aulus Caecina, an ex-consul, whom he invited to dinner and then ordered to be stabbed almost before he left the dining-room; but in this case he was led by a pressing danger, having got possession of an autograph copy of an harangue which Caecina had prepared to deliver to the soldiers. Although by such conduct he provided for his safety in the future, he incurred such odium at the time that hardly anyone ever came to the throne with so evil a reputation or so much against the desires of all.” (Suet. Titus 6. Trans. J. C. Rolfe, 1914)


Titus as Princeps: 79-81 79 – Eruption of Vesuvius; Pompeii and Herculaneum destroyed.

80 – Fire in Rome; Plague; Inaugurated the Flavian Amphitheater with 100 days of games; Baths of Titus.

81 - Arch of Titus; Death of Titus.

Fiscal prudence; Spent imperial money on popular measures; Reputation for liberality.

Cracked down on informers (i.e. delatores).

Titus and the Delatores “Among the evils of the times were the informers and their

instigators, who had enjoyed a long standing licence. After these had been soundly beaten in the Forum with scourges and cudgels, and finally led in procession across the arena of the amphitheatre, he had some of them put up and sold, and others deported to the wildest of the islands. To further discourage for all time any who might think of venturing on similar practices, among other precautions he made it unlawful for anyone to be tried under several laws for the same offence, or for any inquiry to be made as to the legal status of any deceased person after a stated number of years.” (Suet. Titus 8.5. Trans. J. C. Rolfe, 1914)


Titus’ Death Died of “fever” in family home.

Two traditions: 1. Died of natural illness. 2. Murdered by brother Domitian.

No proof of conspiracy; Domitian despised by later writers.

Public reaction testifies to his popularity.

Titus’ Death “He died in the same farmhouse as his father, on the Ides of

September, two years two months and twenty days after succeeding Vespasian, in the forty-second year of his age. When his death was made known, the whole populace mourned as they would for a loss in their own families, the senate hastened to the House before it was summoned by proclamation, and with the doors still shut, and then with them open, rendered such thanks to him and heaped such praise on him after death as they had never done even when he was alive and present.” (Suet. Titus 11 Trans. J. C. Rolfe, 1914)


Suspicions of Conspiracy (?):Cassius Dio

“After he had finished these exhibitions, and had wept so bitterly on the last day that all the people saw him, he performed no other deed of importance; but the next day, in the consulship of Flavius and Pollio, after the dedication of the buildings mentioned, he passed away at the same watering-place that had been the scene of his father's death. The common report is that he was put out of the way by his brother, for Domitian had previously plotted against him; but some writers state that he died a natural death. The tradition is that, while he was still breathing and possibly had a chance of recovery, Domitian, in order to hasten his end, placed him in a chest packed with a quantity of snow, pretending that the disease required, perhaps, that a chill be administered. At any rate, he rode off to Rome while Titus was still alive, entered the camp, and received the title and authority of emperor, after giving the soldiers all that his brother had given them. Titus, as he expired, said: "I have made but one mistake." What this was he did not make clear, and no one else recognized it with certainty. Some have conjectured one thing and some another. The prevailing view is that of those who say that he referred to his taking his brother's wife, Domitia. Others — and these I am inclined to follow — say that what he meant as his mistake was that he had not killed Domitian when he found him openly plotting against him, but had chosen rather to suffer that fate himself at his rival's hands, and had surrendered the empire of the Romans to a man like Domitian, whose character will be made clear in the continuation of my narrative. Titus had ruled two years, two months and twenty days, as has been already stated.” (Cassius Dio, 66.26).

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/66*.html

How does Suetonius describe Titus’ personal character?

The Character of Titus Reputation for immorality before he was

Princeps.

Open handed and kind.

In touch with the common people and their needs.

What is unusual about Suetonius’ description of Titus’ accession to the

Principate?

A Reversal of the Trope “Titus, of the same surname as his father, was

the delight and darling of the human race; such surpassing ability had he, by nature, art, or good fortune, to win the affections of all men, and that, too, which is no easy task, while he was emperor; for as a private citizen, and even during his father's rule, he did not escape hatred, much less public criticism.” (Suet. Titus 1. Trans. J. C. Rolfe, 1914)


The Carousing of Titus “Besides cruelty, he was also suspected of riotous living, since he

protracted his revels until the middle of the night with the most prodigal of his friends; likewise of unchastity because of his troops of catamites and eunuchs, and his notorious passion for queen Berenice, to whom it was even said that he promised marriage. He was suspected of greed as well; for it was well known that in cases which came before his father he put a price on his influence and accepted bribes. In short, people not only thought, but openly declared, that he would be a second Nero. But this reputation turned out to his advantage and gave place to the highest praise, when no fault was discovered in him, but on the contrary the highest virtues.” (Suet. Titus 7. Trans. J. C. Rolfe, 1914)


In Touch with People “There were some dreadful disasters during his reign, such as the eruption

of Mount Vesuvius in Campania, a fire at Rome which continued three days and as many nights, and a plague the like of which had hardly ever been known before. In these many great calamities he showed not merely the concern of an emperor, but even a father's surpassing love, now offering consolation in edicts, and now lending aid so far as his means allowed. He chose commissioners by lot from among the ex-consuls for the relief of Campania; and the property of those who lost their lives by Vesuvius and had no heirs left alive he applied to the rebuilding of the buried cities. During the fire in Rome he made no remark except "I am ruined," and he set aside all the ornaments of his villas for the public buildings and temples, and put several men of the equestrian order in charge of the work, that everything might be done p335with the greater dispatch. For curing the plague and diminishing the force of the epidemic there was no aid, human or divine, which he did not employ, searching for every kind of sacrifice and all kinds of medicines.” (Suet. Titus .8.4-5 Trans. J. C. Rolfe, 1914)


Why do you think Titus was so successful and popular as an Emperor?

The Success of Titus Respect for the nobility and concern for the

people.

Public affability.

Short rule.

Military Reputation.

Bread and Circuses.

Coin of Titus

http://www.vroma.org/images/mcmanus_images/paula_chabot/judcap2coin.jpg

Credits: Paula Chabot, 1999

Relief from the Arch of Titus

http://www.vroma.org/images/scaife_images/045b.jpg

The Flavian Amphitheater

http://www.vroma.org/images/scaife_images/022b.jpg

The Generosity of Titus “He took away nothing from any citizen. He respected others'

property, if anyone ever did; in fact, he would not accept even proper and customary presents. And yet he was second to none of his predecessors in munificence. At the dedication of his amphitheatre and of the baths which were hastily built near it he gave a most magnificent and costly gladiatorial show. He presented a sham sea-fight too in the old naumachia, and in the same place a combat of gladiators, exhibiting five thousand wild beasts of every kind in a single day.” (Suet. Titus 7.3 Trans. J. C. Rolfe, 1914)


Inaugurating the Flavian Amphitheater “What race is so remote, so barbarous, Caesar, that no

spectator from it is in your city? The farmer of Rhodope has come from Orphic Haemus, the Sarmatian fed on draughts of horses’ blood has come, and he who drinks discovered Nile’s first stream, and he on whom beats the wave of farthest Tethys. The Arab has sped hither, the Sabaeans too, and the Cilicians have here been sprayed with their own showers. Sygambrians have come with hair curled in a knot and Ethiopians with hair curled otherwise. Diverse sounds of the speech of the peoples, and yet it is one, when you are called true father of the fatherland.” (Martial, De Spectaculis, 3. D. R. Shackelton Bailey, 1993)

A Short-Lived Rule “Again, his satisfactory record may also have been due to the fact that he survived

his accession but a very short time (short, that is, for a ruler), for he was thus given no opportunity for wrongdoing. For he lived after this only two years, two months and twenty days — in addition to the thirty-nine years, five months and twenty-five days he had already lived at that time. In this respect, indeed, he is regarded as having equalled the long reign of Augustus, since it is maintained that Augustus would never have been loved had he lived a shorter time, nor Titus had he lived longer. For Augustus, though at the outset he showed himself rather harsh because of the wars and the factional strife, was later able, in the course of time, to achieve a brilliant reputation for his kindly deeds; Titus, on the other hand, ruled with mildness and died at the height of his glory, whereas, if he had lived a long time, it might have been shown that he owes his present fame more to good fortune than to merit.” (Cassius Dio, 66.18).

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/66*.html

Further Discussion What were Titus’ accomplishments as princeps?

How do you account for Titus’ reputation prior to his becoming princeps?

How does the way Suetonius deals with the sexual peccadilloes of Titus differ from his treatment of the sexual irregularities of other emperors?

What do you see as the most critical element about Titus’ character and background for the popularity that he was to enjoy?

Did Titus learn from the mistakes of his predecessors?

What was the public image that Titus tried hardest to project?

Documents

Titus 79-81