Autobiography of Vespasian

By Andrew Fortugno

I was born November 17th 9 A.D. in Falacrina, in the Sabine country near Reate. My father, Titus Flavius Sabinus, was an equestrian who worked as a custom official in the province of Asia and a money lender in Aventicum, where I lived for some time. My mother, Vespasia Polla, was the sister of a Senator and she prompted me to follow my older brother, who was also Titus Flavius Sabinus into public life. I served in the army as military tribune in Thrace in 36 A.D. and in the next year was elected quaestor serving in Crete and Cyrene. I rose through the ranks of Roman pubic office, elected aedile on my second in 39 A.D. then praetor on my first attempt in 40 A.D. while becoming acquainted with the Emperor Caligula. During this time I married Domitilla the Elder, the daughter of a Flavius Liberalis from Ferentium. We had two sons, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, Titus Flavius Domitianus, and a daughter Domitilla. When Claudius became emperor in 41 A.D., I was appointed legate of Legio II Augusta, stationed in Germania. In 43 A.D. with the II Augusta I participated in the Roman invasion of Britain, where I distinguished myself under the overall command of Aulus Plautius. My successes in Britain earned me triumphal regalia on my return to Rome. I was then elected consul for the last two months of 51 A.D., and afterwards I temporarily withdrew from public life. Coming out of retirement in 63 A.D., I was sent to the Africa Province as governor. While usually governorships were seen by ex-consuls as opportunities to extort huge amounts of money to regain their wealth they had spent on previous political campaigns, I used my time wisely in North Africa and mad friends instead of money which would be of value in years to come. However during my time in North Africa I had financial difficulties and was forced to mortgage my estates to my brother. I revived my fortune by turning to the mule trade and gained the nickname Mulio. After returning from Africa I toured Greece in Nero’s retinue, but lost Imperial favor after falling asleep during one of his lyre recitals, and was left in political wilderness. In 66 A.D., I was appointed to conduct the war in Judea and I had my elder son Titus serve on my staff. The revolt there had killed the previous governor. To restore control in Judea, thousands of Jews were killed and many towns destroyed. Jerusalem was taken in 70 A.D. and I was remembered by the Jews as a fair and humane official compared to the notorious Herod the Great. After the death of Nero in 68 A.D., there was a succession of short lived emperors and a year of civil wars. Galba was murdered by Otho, who was then defeated by Vitellius and Otho’s supporters then gave support to me. I was declared by the senate emperor while I was in Egypt in the December of 69A.D. After cleaning up the aftermath of the civil wars I came to Rome in mid-70 A.D. and began efforts to stay in power and prevent future revolts. I made significant attempts to control the public perception of my rule. I increased the amount of propaganda during my reign, such as stories of a supernatural emperor who was destined to rule the empire. I also gave financial rewards to writers who gave me good reports while condemning those before me. During my reign I ordered the construction of several buildings in Rome. I helped rebuild Rome after the civil war. I constructed a Temple of Peace to celebrate the victory in Jerusalem and to hold the relics recovered from there. I completed the temple to the Defied Claudius begun by Agrippa and then unfinished because of the construction of Nero’s Golden House. In 75 A.D., I altered Nero’s colossal statue of himself by adding a sun-ray crown to become a statue of Apollo. The Great Fire under Nero that cleared the space for his Golden House took a lot of land away from the people of Rome. I gave this land back to the people by constructing the Flavian Amphitheatre, which held up to fifty thousand spectators for gladiatorial events and public spectacles. The amphitheatre was also a monument glorifying Rome for the victory in Jerusalem. On the 23rd of June 79 A.D., I was on my deathbed and deteriorating, I requested help to stand as I believed an emperor should die on his feet. I died from intestinal inflammation that led to excessive diarrhea. My last words were, “Damn, I am already becoming a god!”