a.d. 39-81
Roman emperor
The eldest son of the emperor Vespasian, Titus Flavius Vespasianus succeeded to the throne in A.D. 79. Although he ruled for only two years, his reign was a happy one for the Roman people. Titus earned their respect and loyalty through his capable administration and his concern for their welfare.
Titus served as a military officer in Germany and Britain in the early years of his career. In A.D. 67 he joined his father (who was not yet emperor) in Judaea, where Vespasian was trying to quell a Jewish rebellion. When Vespasian became emperor in A.D. 69 and returned to Rome, Titus remained in Judaea to continue the war against the Jewish rebels. In A.D. 70 he captured the city of Jerusalem, an event recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus. Titus returned to Rome in A.D. 71 and received a triumph* in honor of his victory over the Jews. This victory is commemorated in the Arch of Titus, which still stands in the Roman Forum.
Titus served as consul under his father and was given the power of a tribune. He also shared the office of censor with Vespasian. On his father’s death in A.D. 79, Titus became emperor. His reign was popular and productive. He maintained good relations with the Roman Senate and sponsored lavish games and public spectacles for the people. Titus enriched the city of Rome by building baths and completing the construction of the Colosseum, which had been started by his father.
During Titus’s reign, the empire suffered three great disasters: the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79 and a great fire and plague in Rome the following year. Titus responded to these disasters by offering government relief to those who had suffered. When Titus died in A.D. 81, the Romans truly mourned him. The Roman biographer Suetonius called Titus the “delight and darling of the human race.” (See also Rome, History of.)
* triumph Roman victor/ celebration consisting of a procession by the victorious general and other notables to the temple of Jupiter