Brooke Sturgis Latin 2

Titus

Titus was an emperor born on December 30th AD 39 and played a role in the siege of

Jerusalem and the first Jewish revolt. He was the son of emperor Vespasian and was educated

with Britannicus. He served as a military tribune and later married Arrecina Tertullla. Once she

died, he remarried a woman that had connections with Nero, his opponent. After contemplation,

he decided to divorce her to avoid any information about their plots getting out. A few years

later, he became commander of one of his fathers three legions in Judea.

In Ad 68 Titus was sent as a messenger to confirm Galba as emperor. However, Galba

was already dead. Titus played a key role in helping his father’s negotiations, which eventually

helped his father obtain authoritative positions. When Titus was in rule he was very similar to

Nero. He was very talented and ha many gifted talents physically and intellectually. He

supposedly had a very good memory and had a gift for music. He was better at common day

things than he was at ruling, which shows why his reign was so short.

His biggest job he had was when he was put in charge of the military operation in Judea

against the Jews. Titus was not fond of the Jews and treated them with extreme brutality. He

destroyed their Temple, also known as the Great Temple of Jerusalem. This made his people

surround him with praise and respect. To celebrate this victory, they built the massive arch of

Titus which still stands in Rome today. In AD 71 he was granted tribunician powers and shared

his censorship with his father. This entire process was a part of Vespian’s plan to prepare him as

a successor. Titus succession was threatened when he had an affair with the Jewish princess

Berenice. She was called to Rome by Herod Agrippa II and Titus. He then divorces his second
wife Marcia Furnilla, making Titus free to remarry. Together, Berenice and Titus lived in a

palace together. Eventually, the pressures of the public tore them apart, even after people started

to call her the “new Cleopatra” but still had to return home because of Rome’s fear of a woman

ruler.

In 79 AD Vespain had a threat against his life. Titus decided to help and take control. The

two people who were the main suspects were Eprius Marcellus and Caecina Alienus. Caecina

was invited to dinner, however was stabbed to death when arrived. Marcellus was then sentenced

to death and killed himself. In 79 AD, Titus succeeded the throne when Vespian died. When he

first got his start, the senate did not like him because of how he continued his father’s policies

which arose contradictory between him and his people. This is when he began to be feared and

suspicions about him being the “new Nero” started to spread. He worked on improving his image

but when he started, treason became prominent when a network of informers started to spark

problems.

One month after Titus survived a disaster, Pompeii was struck with the eruption of Mount

Vesuvius. Within hours, several towns were covered in ava and smoke. Only some escaped

through the fleet stationed at Misenum. Titus took action by setting up a relief fund after the

destruction. This rehoused victims, provided assistance, organized commission, and anything

else he could help with. It is said that this disaster acted as a punishment for Titus destroying the

Temple of Jerusalem. This volcanic eruption was not the last of his disasters however. While he

was in Campania in 80 AD overseeing the aid that was helping the victims of the eruption, a fire

in Rome sparked and lasted for three days straight. He did the same thing as he did after

Pompeii, and provided relief to those harmed. After, a plague hit his people and caused a
catastrophe. Titus did everything he could to help, by creating epidemics and making sacrifices

to the gods. He provided medical support and worked to save as many people as he could.

One of the positive things that occurred during his reign was the opening of the Flavian

Amphitheater, also known as the Colosseum. He held games and plays in this theater that

brought his people together for fun and to provide jobs and a frugal way of life. One of the last

day of the games, he had an emotional breakdown in public. He had found out he had a disease

that was incurable. Since he did not have an heir, his brother Domitian was going to succeed

him. He was nervous for his people and did not want his brother to lead them into disaster, which

he suspected would happen. Through all of the things he had conquered and how he thrived

through it, he became known as one of Rome’s greatest emperors.

In conclusion, Titus was a great leader with what became known has strategies that built

up the people and gave a positive way of life. He cared very much for his people and his ideas

were always in favor of them. His reign was over when he died suddenly at his family home on

September 13th, 81 AD. It was sudden and unexpected, in the Aquae Cutiliae. It is said that his

brother was the cause of his death, and not what it should’ve been, which was his disease.

Domitian was anxious to get the throne, therefore he poisoned his brother with a fish. His reign

was one to remember, as when he got his start as a military tribune. He came a very long way

and fought through rumors, women, public disasters, enemies, and so much more. The low point

in his career, the only time he did not show remorse, was when he destroyed the Temple of

Jerusalem. T caught up to him in the end, and he knew what he has to do to become respected

and powerful.
1. http://www.roman-empire.net/emperors/titus-index.html

2. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Titus

3. https://www.thoughtco.com/roman-emperor-titus-of-flavian-dynasty-118224