Dynasties of Rome: The Flavians
How the three Flavian emperors forever changed Rome.
The Flavian dynasty ruled Rome from 69 to 96 AD. It included the reigns of Vespasian and his two sons, Titus and Domitian. The Flavians rose to power during the civil war of 69, known as the Year of the Four Emperors. After Galba and Otho died in quick succession, Vitellius became emperor in mid-69. His claim to the throne was challenged by legions in the eastern provinces, who declared their commander Vespasian as Rome’s new emperor. The Second Battle of Bedriacrum tipped the balance in favor of the Flavians, who marched into Rome on December 20. The next day, the Senate proclaimed Vespasian the emperor, thus inaugurating the dynasty. Although the dynasty was short-lived, it saw several historical, economic, and military events.
The reign was Titus was struck by natural disasters, notably the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 69. The nearby cities of Pompeii and Herculaenum were buried in ash and lava. One year later, Rome was afflicted by fire and plague. The Flavians oversee the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in 70, after the failed Jewish revolt of 66. Conquests were made in Britain under the command of Gnaeus Julius Agricola from 77 to 83. Domitian was unable to gain decisive victory against King Decebalus in the war against the Dacians. The empire strengthened its border defense by expanding the fortifications along the Limes Germanicus.
The Flavians also implemented economic and cultural reforms. Under Vespasian, new taxes were made to restore the empire’s faintness. Domitian revalued the Roman coinage, by increasing its silver content. Titus led massive building projects to celebrate the dynasty’s ascent. This left many landmarks in the city of Rome, notably the the Flavian Amphitheater, better known as the Colosseum.
The dynasty ended with assassination of Domitian on September 18, 96. He was succeeded by his supporter and adviser, Marcus Cocceius Nerva, who founded the longevous Nerva-Antonine dynasty. The Flavians were unique among the four dynasties of the Principate, in that it was only one man and his two sons, without any extended or adopted family.
Origins
Decades of civil war in the 1st century BC contributed greatly to the demise of Rome’s traditional aristocracy, which was replaced by a new nobility in the early part of the 1st century AD. One such family was the Flavians, or gens Flavia. In just four generations, they rose from obscurity to prominence, gaining wealth and status during the reign of the Julio-Claudians.
Vespasian’s grandfather, Titus Flavius Petra, had been a centurion under Pompey during Caesar’s civil war. His military career ended in disgrace after he fled the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC. Still, Petro managed to improve his status by marrying the rich woman Tertulla, which allowed their son Sabinus to gain power. Around 38 AD, Vespasian married Domitilla the Elder, who came from a powerful equestrian family from Ferentium.
Year of the Four Emperors
On June 9, 68, amid growing opposition from the Senate and the army, Nero committed suicide. The Julio-Claudian dynasty died with him. Chaos followed, leading to years of brutal civil war. This became known as the Year of the Four Emperors. Four men—Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian—fought for Rome’s throne. News of Nero’s death reached Vespasian as he prepared for a siege against Jerusalem. When the Senate declared Galba the new emperor, Vespasian sent Titus to greet him. Before reaching Italy, Titus learned that Galba had been deposed and replaced by Otho, the governor of Lusitania, in modern-day Portugal. At the same time, Vitellius and his armies in Germania staged a revolt and prepared a march on Rome, intent on overthrowing Otho. Seeing the deteriorating situation, Titus abandoned the journey to Rome and rejoined his father in Judea.
Otho and Vitellius were both well-aware of the threat posed by the powerful Flavians. With four legions at his command, Vespasian held charge over nearly 80,000 troops. His position in Judea gave him strategic proximity to the vital province of Egypt, which controlled Rome’s grain supply.
At first, the Flavians didn’t want to interfere in the situation. But when Vitellius defeated Otho at the First Battle of Bedriacum, the Flavian armies in Judea and Egypt took maters into their own hands. They declared Vespasian the new emperor on July 1, 69. Vespasian accepted the honor, and formed an alliance with Mucianus, the governor of Syria, against Vitellius. Legions from Judea and Syria marched on Rome, under Mucianus’ command. Vespasian himself traveled to Alexandria, leaving Titus behind to defeat the Jewish revolt.
In Rome, meanwhile, Domitian was placed under house arrest by Vitellius. It was a preventative measure against a coup by the Flavians. But more legions began to swear their allegiance to Vespasian, rather than the emperor. On October 24, 69, Vespasian’s men won a decisive victory against those of Vitellius at the Second Battle of Bedriacum. On December 21, the Senate proclaimed Vespasian the new emperor. He assumed the throne in 70 AD.
Vespasian (69-79)
Little is known of Vespasian’s first decade as emperor. He spent the first year ruling Egypt. In mid-70, he returned to Rome, where he led a propaganda campaign to promote his new dynasty. He enacted financial reforms, taxing urinals. Of his many military campaigns, the most notable was the First Roman Jewish Roman, ending in the destruction of Jerusalem under Emperor Titus.
In addition, Vespasian faced down revolts in Egypt, Gaul, and Germania. He survived several conspiracies against him. He helped to rebuild Rome after the civil war, and created a temple of peace. This became the iconic Colosseum.
Vespasian died of natural causes on June 23, 79. He was succeeded by his son Titus. Ancient historians, such as Tacitus, Suetonius, Josephus, and Pliny the Elder, spoke highly of Vespasian and condemned the emperors that came before him.
Titus (79-81)
Despite initial concerns over his character, Titus proved himself to be an amiable emperor in the mold of his beloved father. He was praised by Suetonius and other ancient historians of the day. He was best known for his public construction projects in Rome, completing the famous Colosseum in 80 AD.
Titus was further distinguished by his generosity toward the victims of natural disasters, notably the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 and the fire of Rome in 80.
Titus continued to promote the Flavian dynasty, and revived the imperial cult. He deified his father, and built what became the Temple of Vespasian and Titus, which was finished by Domitian. After just two years in office, Titus died of fever on September 13, 81. The beloved emperor was deified by the Senate.
Domitian (81-96)
The day after Titus’ death, Domitian was proclaimed emperor by the Praetorian Guard. His was a reign lasting over 15 years, longer than any Roman ruler since Tiberius.
Domitian strengthened Rome’s economy by revaluing the coinage. He expanded the empire’s borders, and launched a massive building campaign to restore the damaged city of Rome. Under his reign, the Romans expanded as far as modern-day Scotland. However, in Dacia, the emperor was less successful.
Domitian was assassinated by court officials on September 18, 96, ending the well-regarded Flavian dynasty. The next day, he was succeeded by his friend and adviser Nerva, who founded the Nerva-Antonian dynasty.
Domitian’s memory underwent a damnatio memoriae by the Senate, with whom he clashed fiercely during his unpopular reign. Ancient writers, such as Suetonius, Pliny the Younger, and Tacitus, wrote after Domitian’s death, portraying him as a cruel and tyrannical emperors. Modern historians reject this, and tend to see Domitian as an effective, even if heavy-handed, autocrat who laid the foundations for Rome’s peace going into the 2nd century AD. Although his much-acclaimed successors, Nerva and Trajan, were less restrictive, those emperors differed little in their policies compared to the maligned Domitian.