Titus Flavius
This is about the emperor of ancient Rome. For other things named "Titus", please see Titus (disambiguation).
Titus Flavius Vespasianus (December 30, AD 39 - September 13, 81) ruled the Roman Empire from 79 to 81.
Titus was the elder son of the emperor Vespasian and Domitilla. In 61 he was military tribune in Britannia. In 64 he returned to Rome and married Arrecina Tertulla, who died, and then Marcia Furnilla, whom he was forced to divorce.
Titus accompanied Vespasian to the east in 67 to put down the Jewish Rebellion. In 69, the year of the four emperors, Vespasian returned to Rome to claim the throne, and left Titus behind to put down the rebellion, which he did in 70 with four legions. Jerusalem was sacked; the Temple was destroyed and much of the population was killed or dispersed. While in Jerusalem he also began a love affair with Berenice of Cilicia, sister of Herod Agrippa. He was awarded a triumph upon his return to Rome in 71. The Triumphal Arch of Titus, which stands at one entrance to the Roman Forum, memorializes this triumph. He held various consulships under his father and also served as prefect of the Praetorian Guard, ensuring their loyalty to the emperor.
Titus succeeded his father in 79, although some Senators were opposed to his relationship with Berenice, whom they compared to a new Cleopatra. However, he was an effective emperor and was well-loved by the population. He stopped the treason trials and punished the delatores (public informants), and held expensive gladiatorial games. In addition to his arch, he also added to the Colosseum, and built his namesake baths on the former site of Nero's Domus Aurea. Titus was emperor during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 and the consequent destruction of life and property in the cities and resort communities around the Bay of Naples, such as Pompeii and Herculaneum. In 80 there was a fire in Rome; Titus spent large amounts of money relieving victims of both the volcano and the fire. His reign also saw the rebellion led by Terentius Maximus, the False Nero.
After just two years, Titus died of a fever. He was deified by the Senate and was succeeded by his brother, Domitian. Titus's reputation has prospered in contrast to the character of Domitian, whose persecutions were detailed by the contemporary historian Tacitus. Had Titus lived long enough, he may have suffered from the same excesses as previous emperors; instead, he was used as a model by later emperors, especially those known as the Five Good Emperors.
This is a list of Roman Emperors with the dates they controlled the Roman Empire.
(Note that, contrary to popular belief, Julius Caesar was never Emperor (princeps), although he was named dictator for life in 45 BC (but was not the first Roman to hold that title) and was regarded as such by Roman historians. On the other hand, the name Caesar became the family name of the first dynasty and was effectively treated as a title, a practice which continued throughout the Empire. Similarly, Suetonius wrote of The Twelve Caesars (including the Flavians) so some sense of continuity was evidently felt.)
For the worship of the Roman Emperor as a god, see imperial cult.
For a simplified list see: Concise List of Roman Emperors
italics: claimant who cannot be conisdered to have ruled or held power over part of the empire only
bold italics: nickname by which the individual is commonly known
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