Vespasian | Page 9

who were helping him up, upon
the eighth of the calends of July [24th June] [774], being sixty-nine

years, one month, and seven days old.
XXV. All are agreed that he had such confidence in the calculations on
his own nativity and that of his sons, that, after several conspiracies
against him, he told the senate, that either his sons would succeed him,
or nobody. It is said likewise, that he once saw in a dream a balance in
the middle of the porch of the Palatine house exactly poised; in one
(462) scale of which stood Claudius and Nero, in the other, himself and
his sons. The event corresponded to the symbol; for the reigns of the
two parties were precisely of the same duration. [775]
* * * * * *
Neither consanguinity nor adoption, as formerly, but great influence in
the army having now become the road to the imperial throne, no person
could claim a better title to that elevation than Titus Flavius Vespasian.
He had not only served with great reputation in the wars both in Britain
and Judaea, but seemed as yet untainted with any vice which could
pervert his conduct in the civil administration of the empire. It appears,
however, that he was prompted more by the persuasion of friends, than
by his own ambition, to prosecute the attainment of the imperial dignity.
To render this enterprise more successful, recourse was had to a new
and peculiar artifice, which, while well accommodated to the
superstitious credulity of the Romans, impressed them with an idea,
that Vespasian's destiny to the throne was confirmed by supernatural
indications. But, after his elevation, we hear no more of his miraculous
achievements.
The prosecution of the war in Britain, which had been suspended for
some years, was resumed by Vespasian; and he sent thither Petilius
Cerealis, who by his bravery extended the limits of the Roman province.
Under Julius Frontinus, successor to that general, the invaders
continued to make farther progress in the reduction of the island: but
the commander who finally established the dominion of the Romans in
Britain, was Julius Agricola, not less distinguished for his military
achievements, than for his prudent regard to the civil administration of
the country. He began his operations with the conquest of North Wales,
whence passing over into the island of Anglesey, which had revolted

since the time of Suetonius Paulinus, he again reduced it to subjection.
Then proceeding northwards with his victorious army, he defeated the
Britons in every engagement, took possession of all the territories in the
southern parts of the island, and driving before him all who refused to
submit to the Roman arms, penetrated even into the forests and
mountains of Caledonia. He defeated the natives under Galgacus, their
leader, in a decisive battle; and fixing a line of garrisons between the
friths of Clyde and Forth, he secured the Roman province from the
incursions of the people who occupied the parts of the island (463)
beyond that boundary. Wherever he established the Roman power, he
introduced laws and civilization amongst the inhabitants, and employed
every means of conciliating their affection, as well as of securing their
obedience.
The war in Judaea, which had been commenced under the former reign,
was continued in that of Vespasian; but he left the siege of Jerusalem to
be conducted by his son Titus, who displayed great valour and military
talents in the prosecution of the enterprise. After an obstinate defence
by the Jews, that city, so much celebrated in the sacred writings, was
finally demolished, and the glorious temple itself, the admiration of the
world, reduced to ashes; contrary, however, to the will of Titus, who
exerted his utmost efforts to extinguish the flames.
The manners of the Romans had now attained to an enormous pitch of
depravity, through the unbounded licentiousness of the tines; and, to
the honour of Vespasian, he discovered great zeal in his endeavours to
effect a national reformation. Vigilant, active, and persevering, he was
indefatigable in the management of public affairs, and rose in the
winter before day-break, to give audience to his officers of state. But if
we give credit to the whimsical imposition of a tax upon urine, we
cannot entertain any high opinion, either of his talents as a financier, or
of the resources of the Roman empire. By his encouragement of science,
he displayed a liberality, of which there occurs no example under all
the preceding emperors, since the time of Augustus. Pliny the elder was
now in the height of reputation, as well as in great favour with
Vespasian; and it was probably owing not a little to the advice of that
minister, that the emperor showed himself so much the patron of

literary men. A writer mentioned frequently by Pliny, and