The Twelve Caesars

After a civil war in which three emperors quickly rose to and fell from power, Vespasian and his Flavian dynasty provided the empire with stability. Vespasian was the first emperor who did not come from an aristocratic background. Instead, his family included lower-rank military officials and tax collector, although Suetonius suggests Vespasian’s family may have had some pedigree. He rose through the ranks of the army until he was made governor of Africa and was later sent to put down a Jewish revolt.

According to Suetonius, Vespasian was aware of omens suggesting he was going to be emperor one day. Still, he was reluctant to try his hand until he received a message from Otho begging him to seek revenge against Vitellius. So Vespasian marched on Italy, took Rome, and became emperor.

Vespasian enacted several reforms designed to repair the damage to the empire by civil war. He was an “unassuming and tolerant” (Section 12) emperor who endured his critics and was not vengeful. Suetonius states that the only criticism against him was greed, which caused Vespasian to raise taxes and sell political offices. However, Suetonius adds that Vespasian was motivated to restore the imperial treasury after Nero’s extravagance and the civil war.