Denarius of Titus

Titus ascended to the throne peacefully after the death of his father Vespasian in 79 AD. This was the first time in nearly a decade that the death of an Emperor had not resulted in a civil war. This peaceful transition, however, was not due to a swell of Republican piety but more a confirmation that control of the legions in the Provinces and the Praetorians in the capitol outweighed any consideration by the Senate.

Upon his ascension, there was concern Titus would become “a new Nero” for his libertine life as a Caesar. Worryingly he maintained an affair with Berenice, the daughter of Herod Agrippa, who, in the mind of the Romans, conjured up “corruptive eastern influences” (read Cleopatra and Mark Anthony). However, in his reign, he revealed his character by removing previous Lèse-majesté laws used to prosecute rivals, funding rebuilding after the twin natural disasters of Mount Vesuvius and a fire in Rome, and celebrating games at the newly opened Colosseum. Suetonius reports on his largess at a dinner remarking, “Friends, I have lost a day” upon realizing he had not helped anyone that day.

His reign is likely viewed so positively because it ended so quickly. Titus died in 81 AD from illness. Rumors remained that he had conducted an affair with his brother’s wife, and his deathbed confession of “I have but one regret” as evidence of his guilt. Furthermore, his actions during the Siege of Jerusalem in the First Jewish War must not be overlooked. The Arch of Titus in the Forum shows the catastrophic results of the war: massacres, the Second Temple burned, and plunder from the Holy of Holies paraded through Rome in triumph.