Select Observations of Roman Emperors, Life 10
Flavius Vespasianus.
GEntis Flaviae in rem Romanam merita tam prosperos habuere successus, ut duodecimum intra annum Vespasiani & Titi industria concussum undique & turbatum impe…ii cor in meliorem statum convaluerit. Boeclerus.
Tertius Divus, Secundus Augustus, primus pius.
Emanuelis Thesauri Caesares.
Princeps per omnia fortunae, Eutropius.& humani actus morisque argumenta, vel jactatus vel exercitus. Boecleri Dissertatio Politica. Princeps obscurè quidem natus, sed optimis comparandus, privata vita illustris.
He was of a middle stature, well set, his limbs compact and strongly made, vultu veluti nitentis, Suetonius. That saying of Martial agreeth with this. Nam faciem duram Phoebe cacantis habes. Vir multorum salium. Lodovic. Viv.he looked still as if he strained hard for a stool, whereupon a Buffon brake a pretty jest on him; for when Vespasian seemed to request him to say something of him as well as of others in the company, Dicam, inquit, cum ventrem exonerare desieris. I will let you alone, saith he, till you have done your business.
He was very pleasant and facetious himself; for being advertised by Florus to pronounce *A word in Lat. that signifies Carts or Wains.Plaustra rather than Plostra, Convitiorum plaustra.he saluted him the next morning by the name of Flaurus.
When the apparition of a Comet or blazing starr was thought to portend his death, he replyed merrily, that the bushy star (Stella Crinita) noted not him but the Parthian King,Sueton. Aurel. Vict.Ipse enim comatus est, ego vero calvus; for, he weareth bushy locks, but I am bald. But he dyed a little while after,System. Phys. l. 6. and by his example (saith Keckerman) warned men to forbare jesting at Gods great work… and Prodigies.
A presignification of his advancement. Being elected Emperor, it is reported of him, that he cured one desperately blind by spitting upon his eyes Tacit Hist. l. 4.Flava haec Caesaries Flavi, est tibi noxia Caesar,
Odit enim rufum Stella Comata caput.
Emanuelis Thesauri Caesares.
An Oxe having cast off his yoke, ran furiously into the room where he sate at Supper, where affrighting his attendants from him, he straight prostrates himself before his feet, as if he had been weary, offering his neck to his clemency. Suetonius.Suetonius.
When he came to the Empire, the Exchequer was so impoverished, that he protested in open Senate, that he wanted to settle the Common-wealth 40 Millions of Sestertiums; which protestations (saith Suetonius) seemed probable, Quia & malè partis optimè usus est.
He fought 30 Battels in Britain, took 20 Townes, and adjoyned the Isle of Wight to the obedience of the Roman Empire.
When a certain gallant youth smelling hot of sweet balms and perfumes, came unto him to give thanks for an office obtained at his hands, after a strange countenance shewing his dislike of him, he gave him also in words a most bitter check,Maluissem allium oboluisses. saying, I would rather thou hadst stunk of Garlick; and so revoked his Letters Patents for the grant.Suetonius.
He never carried in his mind, nor revenged displeasures done unto him. He married the daughter of Vitellius, his enemy, into a most noble house, gave unto her a rich Dowry withall, and furniture accordingly.
He was made Totus ex clementia (as the Historian tells us) yet for all that,Suetonius. Placidissimae bonitatis.Machinationes nefariorum assiduas expertus est, He found daily treacheries attempted against him.Eutropius.
Iustis etiam suppliciis illachrymavit & ingemuit.Sueton.
He was so compassionate a Prince, that he was wont to sigh and weep, even for them that were condignly punished.
Eutropius.An innocent person was not punished but when he was absent, and not aware thereof, or at leastwise unwilling thereto, and deceived.
But he was severe towards Iulius Sabinus, who in tims past said he was Caesar; and taking up arms, was at last conquered and brought to Rome. His wife spake to Vespasian in his behalf, pleading that he had two sons of her; and supplicating to him for mercy to her husband and her self, used these words, Ego, o Caesar, hos in monumento peperi aluique, ut plures tibi supplices essemus: By which speech, although she drew tears from him and those that were present, yet she could not procure her Husbands pardon. Dion.
The Soldiers elected him Emperor, and requested him to preserve the Empire being in great danger to be lost.Iosephus, l. 5. of the wars of the Jews, c. 10. Yet he (though he had been alwaies careful for the good of the Common-wealth) refused to be Emperor, deeming himself indeed to have deserved it, but rather chusing to live a private life, wherein was security, than in the height of fortune and honour with perpetual danger. The Captains were most earnest because he refused it, and the Soldiers flocked about him with drawn swords, threatning his death except he would consent to live as he deserved; yet he strove a long time to avert their determination, being loth to be Emperor; at last seeing he could not avoid it, he accepted their offer.
Solus ad Imperium evasit, non invasit,
Solus è vita discessit, non fugit.
Emanuelis Thesauri Caesares.
Dignitatem Imperio dedit cum accepit.
Id. ibid.
He comforted his Soldiers with these and such like speeches,Iosephus, l. 4. of the wars of the Jews, c. 2. I will expose my self to all dangers with you, and go first to fight, and come last from fight.Tacitus l. 2. Hist.
Ipse Vespasianus milites adire, hortari, bonos laude, segnes exemplo incitare saepius quam coercere; vitia magis amicorum quam virtutes dissimulans.
He would go in his own person, and encourage the Soldiers, inciting the good by praise, the slow by example rather than correction; he was more ready to conceal the Vices of his friends, than the vertues.
It was a worthy report which Pliny gave of him, if he flattered him not, to whom being Emperor he wrote thus; Nec quicquam in te mutavit fortunae amplitudo, nisi ut prodesse tantundem posses & velles. Greatnesse and Majesty have changed nothing in you but this, that your power to do good should be answerable to your will.
Solus omnium ante se Principum, in melius mutatus est.Tacit. l. 1. Hist.
The only Prince before his time which changed to the better; for after him, Titus his Son changed also the same way.
Prorsus si avaritia abesset, antiquis ducibus par. Tacitus.
A vigilant Warrior, and in all respects, set avarice aside, comparable to the Commanders of ancient time.
Sueton, Homo turpiter avidus.Sola est in quo merito culpetur pecuniae cupiditas.
Eras. Adag.The only thing for which he might worthily be blamed was covetousness.
He not only called for arrerages due in Galba's time, but raised new Tributes, and laid upon the Provinces more grievous impositions, doubling them in some places.
Suetonius.Negotiationes vel privato pudendas propalam exercuit.
He did negotiate and deal in certain Trades, which it was a shame for a private person to use: buying up and engrossing some Commodities at a cheap hand, that afterwards he might vend them at higher rates. Neither did he spare to sell Honours to such as sued for them, or absolutions to such as were accused, whether they proved guilty or not.Suetonius. He was thought of set purpose to have made choice of the most greedy proling Officers he could any where find out,Not unlike to this was that speech of Diogenes, Dixit Dionysium amicis uti pro vasculis, quae dum plena sunt evacuat, & abjicit vacua. and to have advanced them to the highest place, that being thereby grown rich, he might condemn their persons, and confiscate their goods. And it was commonly said, that he used these men as spunges, Quod quasi & siccos madefaceret, & exprimeret humentes; because he did wet them well when they were dry, and presse them hard when they were wet.
Some write that he was by nature most covetous, and an old neat-herd upbraided him once therewith; who being at his hands denied freedom without paying for it (which he humbly craved of him now invested in the Empire) cried out with aloud voyce, Vulpem pilum mutare non mores, Suetonius.Quicquid infixum & ingenitum est, leniri potest arte, non vinci.that the Fox might change his hair but not his qualities.
He laid an imposition upon urine, and being by his Son Titus put in mind of the baseness of it,Seneca. he took a piece of money received for the use, and putting it to his Sons nose, demanded of him whether he was offended with the smell or no,Sueton. Atqui (inquit è lotio est, and yet (quoth he) it cometh of urine: Vnde Juvenalis,
— Lucri bonus est odor è re Qualibet.Sat. 14.
Adquod alludens etiam Ammian. Marcel. dixit,
Et lucrum ex omni odorantes occasione.
There are some of a contrary opinion,Infirmus, ut quidam pravè putant, adversus pecuniam cum satis constet aerarii inopia & clade urbium, ne que novas eum, neque postea habitas vectigalium pensiones exquisivisse, Aurel. Vict. that he was driven to spoyl, to pill and poll of necessity, even for extream want, both in the common Treasury, and also in his own Exchequer; whereof he gave some testimony in the beginning of his Empire, professing (as was said before) that there was need of forty millions to set the State upright again: which opinion (saith Suetonius) seems to sound more near unto the truth, because the money by him ill gotten he used and bestowed very well, for he was most liberal to all sorts of men.
Restitutionem Capitolii aggressus, ruderibus purgandis manus primus admovit, ac suo collo quaedam extulit. Suetonius.
In the third building of the Capitol, Vespasian carried the first basket of earth, after him the Nobility did the like, to make the people more forward in the service; and perhaps the custom of laying the first stone in a building,Sueton. hath from hence, if not beginning,Aurel. Vict. yet growth.
Oportet Episcopum concionantem mori. Jewel.It was his speech, Oportet Imperatorem stantem mori, An Emperor ought to dye standing. And likewise he said at his death, Vt puto Deus fio, id est, morior; nam post mortem Caesares referebantur in numerum deorum. Me thinks (quoth he) I am a deifying,Aurel. Vict. and growing to be a god.
Annum agens vitae absque uno septuagesimum interiit.Sueton.
He lived threescore and 9 years, 7 months, and 7 daies over.
He reigned 2 years, saith Eusebius.