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T. FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS AUGUSTU s. S67
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pania with some sight indisposition, and immediately re turning to town upon it, he Mon after ment thence forCutiliae, and the country about Reate, where be used every year to spend the summer. Here, thoiigh his di temper incommoded him much, and he had huri hisbowels by the use of cold water, he neverthelesse attend*dto the dispalch of bus1ness, and would give audience toambas dors in bed. At las: being taken ill os a diarrhina, to such. a degree that he was ready to faint, he cried outi An emperor ought to die standing. '' In endeavoringto rise, be died in the hands of those who were helpingbim up, upon the eighth of the Calends of July, beingsiSty-nine years, one monili, and seven days old. XXV. It is agreed amongst ali, that he had such considence in his own nativity and that of his sons, that, after se Veral conspiracies against him, he tolli the Senate, ibat either his λns Would succeed hina, or no body. It is suid likewise, that he once saw in a dream a balance in the naiddie of the porci, of the palatine house eX ad ly poised; in onestate of which. stood Claudius and Nero, in the otheri . himself and his sons. The event corresponded to the symbol; for the reigia os both parties was precisely of the fame duration. NΕΙTHER consanguinity nor adoption, as sermerly, butgreat influence in the army, having now become the patent rogil to the imperiat throne, no person could Claim a botter
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T. FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS AUGUSTU s. 569helter titte to that elevation than Titus Flavius Vespasian. Ηe had .not only served with great reputation in the wars both in Britain and Judaea, but seemed as vel untainted with any vice which could pervert his conduet in the ci-ril administration of the empire. It appears, however, that he was prompted more by the persuasion os friends,
than by his own ambition, to prosecute the attainment of the imperiat digni ty. To reniter this enterprise more successiui, recourse was h ad to a new and peculiar artifice, whicli, while weli accommodated to the superstitious credulity of the Romans, impressed them with an idea, that Vespasian's destiny to the throne was confirmed by super
natural indications. But, after his elevation, we hear nomore of his miraculous atChlevemenis.
The prosecution of the war in Britain, which had been suspended sor sonae years, was resumed by Vespasian ; and he sent thither Petilius Cerealis, who by his bravery eX- tended the limits of the Roman province. Under Julius
Frontinus, succestar to that generat, the invaders Conti-nUed to make farther progress in the reduction of theisland : but the commander m ho .nalty estabilibed the dominion of the Romans in Britain, was Julius Agricola,not lesse distingui med sor his military atchlevemenis, than for his prudent regard to the civit administration of the
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nia. Fin deseated me natives under Galgacus their Ieader, in a decisive batile; and fixing a line of garrisons b tween me stillis of Clyde and Forth, he secured the Roman province frona the incursions of the people who oc
the former reigia, was continued in that of Vespasian;
hut he lest the siege of Jerusalem to be conducted by hisson Titus, who displayed great valor and military talenis
in the prosecution of the enterpri . Aster an obstinate defence by the Jews, that city, se much celebrat ed in thesac red writings, was finalty demolis lied, and the glorious temple itself, the admiration of the wovid, reduced toashes ; contrary however to the will of Titus, who eraerted his ulmost efforis to extingui the fiat aes Tlie manners of the Romans had 11ow attained to an enorinous pitch of depravi ty, through the unbounded licentiou esse of the times ; and, to the honor of Vespasian, he discovered great Zeal in his endeavors to effect national reformation. Vigilant, active and persevering, he was indefatigabie in the management of public affairs, and rose in the winter besore day-break, to give audienceto bis ossicors of state. But is we give credit to the whim.
any high opinion, either of his talents as a financier, oros the re urces of the Roman empire. By his encou-ragement of science, he displayed a liberali ty, of whichthere occurs no example under ait the preceding emperors fron
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Υ. FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS AUGUSTUS. 57rsrom the time of Augustus. Pliny the older Was now in the height of reputation, as weli as in great favor with Vespasian ; and it was probably owing not a litile to the ad vice of that minister, that the emperor mowed himself so much the patron os literary men. A writer mentioned frequently by Pliny, and who lived in this reign,
was I cinius Mucianus, a Roman knight: he treated of the historv and geography of the eastoria Countries. Juv nai, who had beguia his Satires severat years besere, continued tu iuveigh against the flagrant vices of the times ;but the only author whose writings we have to notice in ille presunt reign, is a poet of a different classe . Flaccus has Writtera a poena in eight books, on me Expedition of the Argonauis; a su edt whicli, neκt to the warsus Thebes and Troy, was in ancient times ille most celebrated. of the li se of this au-' sis bis, ilior biographers have transmitted no particulars ; but we may place his birili in the reigia of Tiberius, besore ali the writers who flouri med in the Augustan age mere extinct, He ei oyed the rays of the se
ting Sun which had illumined that glorious period, and hedisco ers the efforis of an ambition t0 recali iis meridiansplendor. As tha poem Was test incomplete by the death of the author, we can only judge imperfectly of the conduct and generat consistency of the fabie: hut the mos dissiculi part having been eXecuted, without any rosem foribe censure of candid criticism, me may presurne that thesequet would have been fini med with an equat claim toindulgence, is not to applause. The traditionat a necdotes relative to the Argonautic expedition are introduced with propriety, and embelli med with the graces of poeticalfiction. In describing scenes of tendernest, this author is
harpi ly phtheiic, and in the heat os combat, proportion-
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pressions not counte nanced by the authority of the most celebrated Latin writers. His language, however, in generat, is pure; but his mords are perhaps not alwaysthe best that might have been chosen. The versificationis Hevaled, though not uniformiy harmonious; and there Pervades the whole poena an epic dignity, whicli rendera it superior to the production ascribed to Orpheus, or toibat of Apollonius, on the sanie subject.
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ther, was the dariing and delight of mankind, much diit he possessi os happy endo menis, addrest, Or good fortune, to conciliate the favor of ali ; and what is extremelydissiculi indeed, aster he came to be emperor: for be rethat period, even during the reigri of his fallier, he lay under the displeasure and censure of the public.) He was horia uson the mird of the Caleniis of January, in the yearremarhable for the death of Caius, near the SeptiZonium, in a mean house, and a smali dark chamber: for it stillexis is, and is stlown to the curious. II. He was educated at court with Britannicus, instructed in the sanae paris of literature, and under thes a me masters with him. During this time, they say, thata physiognomist being brought by Narcissus, the freed man of Claudius, to inspect Britannicus, positively affirmed that he would never come to be emperor, but that Titus, who stood by, would. They were so familiar, that Titus being nexi him at table, is thought to havetasted of the fatal potion whicli put an end to Britannicus stise, and to have contracted stom it a distemper whicli re- mained with him a long time. The remembrance of allthese circumstances being frem in his mind, he erected agoiden statue of him in the palace, dedicated to him an-6 other
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but would both sing and play upon the harp very finely, and with judgement. I have likewise been informed by many, that he was remarhably quich in the writing os stort-hand, would in merriment and jest engage with his secretaries in the imitation of any hands he saw, and οὐ ton say, that he was admirably quali fled sor forgery.' IV. In the quality of a military Tribune both in Ge many and Britalia, he conducted himself with the utinosi
activiiy, and no tesse modest y and reputation; as appears evident frona the great number of statues with honorabie inscriptions, erected for hi tu in various paris of both those Provinces. Aster so me campa igras he applied himself to the bustaeis of plea ling, but with lese assidui ty than applause. About the sanie time he mari ted Arricidia, thedaughter of Tertullus, who was only a knight, but had formet ly been commander of the guariis, anil, aster herdecease, Marcia Furnilla, os a very noble family, bywbom he had a daughter, but asterwares divorced heri Upou
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TITUS FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS AUG. S7s . Upon the expiration of his Quaestor1hip, he was made Conimander os a legion, and took the two strong cities of Tarichaea and Gamala in Judaea ; and in a batile havingliis horse flain under him, he mounted another, whosurider he was engaged with, and killed.
that the emperor had sent for him with a design to adopthim sor his son. But finding ali things again in confusion, he turned bach upon the road ; and going to consuli the oracle of Venus at Paphos about his voyage, hereceived assurances of obtaining the empire for himself. In this prediction he was soon after confirmed ; and be. ing lest to finisti the reduction of Judaea, in the last aiasauit upon Jerusalem, ' he sew sevcn of the men that defended ii, with just se many arrows, and took itupon his daughter's birth- lay. Upon this OCCassion the soldiers expressed so much joy and fondiaest for him, that, in their congratulation Of. him, they unanimouilysaluted hi in by the titie of Emperor ; and , upon his qui ting the province Mon after , would nee Is have dela inedhim, earnest ly begging of him, and that not without threais, either to stay, or take them ait with him. This incident gave rise to a suspicion of his being engaged in a design to rebel against his fallier, and claim forhimself the go Vernment of the East ; and the suspicion en-
creased, when, in his way to AleXandria, he wore a diadem at the colas cration o D the OX Apis at Memphis ;whicli though he did only in compliance with an ancient religio us usage of the counts y, 3 et there were some whoput a bad construction upon it. Mahing therus ore What
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hasle he could into Italy, he arrived first at Rhegium, and Diling theiace in a mercliant ship to Ρuteoli, went tot Rome with ali possibie expedition. Presenting himselfunexpectedly to his fallier, he seid, by way of reflectionupon the rastinest of the reporis raised against hina, Iam come, fallier, I am come.' VI. Froin that time, he constansy acted ag partiaerwith his fallier in the govertament, and indeed the guardian os it. He triumphed with his fallier, bore jointlymith hi in the ossice of Censor ; and was, bessides, his Colleague not only in the Tribunitian authority, but se venConsulsllips. Tahing upon himself the care and inspection os ali ossices, he dies aled letters, wrote proclamations in his father's name, and pronounced his speechesin the Senate, in room of the Quaestor. He likewise tookupon him the command of the guard, which bes ore that time had never been held by any but a Roman knight, and bellaved with great hau ghtinest and violence, takingoss without scrupte or delay ali those of Whom he wasmost jealous, after he had secretly en gaged peopte to disperse thenaseives in the .theatres and camp, and demanditiem as it were by generat consent to be delivered up to punishment. Amongsi these he invited to supper A. Caecina, a man of Consular rank, whom he ordered to bessabbed at his departure, immediately after he had got out of the room. To this adt he was provoked by an imminentdanger : sor he had discovered a writing undet the hand of CaeCina, Containing an account of a plot cara ted onamongst the soldiery. By this means, though he providod indeed for the future security of his family, yet forme present he so much incurred the hatred of the people, that scarcely e ver any one came to the empire with a more odio us character, or more universalty dictiked.