There are few world history textbooks without Nero or Theodosius, but as far as I know, there are no world textbooks with the name Vespasian.
That is probably because it was not noticeable in the time of Emperor Vespasian.
But what does it mean that it never stands out?
This time I would like to take a look at the reign of Emperor Vespasian.
I fall asleep and dislike it
It can be said that Vespasian's career was on track.
He took a career course in Rome called Honors Krunom, was elected to Quaestor and Praetor from his youth, was assigned to Germania and Britannia, and was appointed to Consul in 52 AD.
From there, he became the governor of the African province as Proconsul, and when he returned to Rome, he seemed to like Emperor Nero and went on a trip to Greece together.
However, he seems to have fallen asleep during the performance of Nero, and he is treated cold once.
Even so, when a rebellion broke out in the land of Judea, he was dispatched as the commander-in-chief, so his ability would have been recognized, and he fought the Jewish campaign with Syrian Governor Muquianus and his son Titus.
Nero's death, 3 emperor era begins
Emperor Nero committed suicide while Vespasian was in the Jewish campaign.
After Nero's death, the helpless people of Galva, Oto, and Vitterius had entered the so-called three emperor eras in which they were competing for the throne, but it was Vespasian that put an end to it.
Originally recommended by the emperor was Muquianus, the governor of Syria, but he recommends Vespasian as the emperor because he is not a vessel.
Then, the Roman Syria, the Judea under the leadership of Flavius Josephus, who was on the Roman side during the Jewish War, and the Egyptian province, which was under the direct control of the emperor, also supported Vespasian and were resented by being treated humiliatingly by Vitterius. The Donau Army is also in this.
Due to the post-processing of the Jewish campaign, Vespasian sent Syrian Governor Muquianus and his subordinate Primus to Rome instead of leading the army himself.
Primus shows an activity that defeats Vitterius brilliantly.
During this time, his brother Sabinus was murdered by the Viterius faction in Rome, and his remaining second son, Domitian, succeeded in escaping from his life. The Viterians set fire to Rome, which caused the Temple of Jupiter to burn, and Rome was once again a battlefield.
It was the first time in 100 years since the battle between Marius and Sulla that Rome became a battlefield, and there was no one to stop it anymore, but according to historian Tacitus, the corps is fighting and the Roman citizens are indifferent to their daily lives. It is said that it was sent. Roman citizens would no longer be interested in who would become the emperor.
It seems that no matter who became the prime minister, he was the same as the Japanese.
On the contrary, it is said that he actively enjoyed it as a spectacle.
In this battle Vitellius was killed like a pig and his body was thrown into the Tiber like a sinner.
After that, Muquianus arrived in Rome, and the civil war had come to an end.
Emperor Vespasian
It took more time for Vespasian to enter Rome.
After all, the Jewish campaign was not over yet. When Muquianus settled Rome, the Jewish campaign was left to his son Titus, and in 70 AD, Emperor Vespasian finally entered Rome.
As soon as he entered Rome, he declared that he would take over the lines of Augustus, Tiberius, and Claudis, which are the "emperor's law."
What is interesting here is the lack of names for Caligula and Nero. Tiberius and Claudius also seem to have received a certain amount of evaluation around this time.
The inscription of the Emperor's Law, which engraved this Emperor's Law, seems to be in the current Capitoline Museums, and Wesipasianus declares that he will continue the traditional Princeps route and will not rectify the Senate.
Vespasian, who was already 60 years old, gave his two sons the name of Caesar and nominated his successor, and it is said that the tradition of Augustus as the emperor and Caesar as the deputy emperor was born at this time.
Vespasian decides to raise taxes to rebuild Rome, which has been exhausted by the turmoil that has continued since Emperor Nero.
To that end, he conducted a census himself, grasped the number and property of Roman citizens, reorganized the corps, and improved the infrastructure.
The first thing that everyone thinks of when it comes to Rome is the "Colosseum," whose official name is the Frawius Amphitheater, and comes from the name of the Vespasian that was built.
Although the reign of Vespasian was not a long-term government for eight years, there were no special incidents during that reign, and at the end, "Oh, what a pitiful me, I'm sure I will become a god." It is said that he died.
Vespasian, born in 9 AD, died in 79 AD.
It can be said that 69 years old was the earliest year to count from the top even in Roman history.
Personal evaluation of Vespasian
Vespasian's reputation is not always high.
Like Emperor Diocletian, he reformed with a determined intention, like Emperor Constantine, he won a series of battles, and like Caesar, he laid the foundation for posterity. Like Augustus, it lasted for 1000 years. Nor did he create a regime.
Tax increases are always hated.
But he didn't raise taxes and get extravagant. The construction of the Colosseum was also done as a public project, and it is certain that the austerity measures provided the financial foundation to support it in the later Five Good Emperors era.
Certainly not flashy.
However, just as a really defensive player has less fine play, a truly political monarch may also have less flashy fine play.
Above all, his achievements in overcoming the turmoil and crisis of the three emperors after the death of Emperor Nero and regaining light in Rome should be highly evaluated.
Vespasian not only rebuilt Rome, but also dispatched Keliares to maintain order in the north, and succeeded in dismantling the so-called Gallic Empire built by the Germanic people.
I think his achievements will certainly be inferior to his successive heroes, and his personal talent will be far less.
However, I think that the history of the world may appreciate the achievement of Vespasian a little more.
Without him, the Five Good Emperors, who called Edward Gibbon the happiest era of mankind, would not have existed, and it would have been possible for the Roman Empire itself to perish at this time.
His achievements in overcoming the crisis and bridging the peaceful era would be worthy of being called a virtuoso.