There is a change in the nature of our available source material from the reign of Vespasian onwards. For the narrative history of the period we have to rely on the fragments of Dio preserved in Byzantine epitomes and it is frequently difficult to date events mentioned. Tacitus does write about the period but his observations are contained in the Agricola and the Dialogus, neither of which pretend to provide narrative histories of the period. Our other main guide is Suetonius, but the biographies of the Flavians are less detailed than those of earlier emperors. As a result, though we can perceive at least some of the more general developments, it is almost impossible to produce a detailed narrative of events during these years.
Vespasian associated his rule with his elder son, Titus. When the elderly Vespasian died, the succession was smooth. Titus took over as expected. Vespasian’s reign has been generally well received by posterity. Titus’ reign seems to have been regarded as almost a golden age. The reign, however, was short and he was replaced by his brother, the hated Domitian.
On accession, Vespasian was the fifth emperor in a two-year period and, although he had no obvious rivals, he did not have such political authority that he could assume that the Roman aristocracy or the soldiers would offer him their loyalty. The Flavians were not a particularly distinguished family. Vespasian had failed to secure the aedileship at his first attempt, a sign that he did not have powerful political backing. When he eventually became aedile, he was famously dropped in mud by Gaius for not keeping the streets of Rome clean. His career may not have prospered until the reign of Claudius when he served with distinction in Britain and Germany. He was rewarded with a consulship in AD 51 and later governed Africa. He was in Nero’s party that headed off to Greece, but supposedly slept through Nero’s dramatic performances. In spite of this obvious breach of taste, Nero chose him to command the troops in Judaea (Suetonius, Vespasian. 2-5). Vespasian achieved prominence with this command but he was certainly no more elevated socially than other provincial governors and was a less credible imperial candidate than Galba or Vitellius. Vespasian did, however, have powerful friends.
He was supported by Mucianus. Comparatively little is known about this man, though his authority and leadership were amply demonstrated by the way in which he took charge of Rome following Primus’ rather anarchic seizure of the capital. Mucianus appointed Vespasian’s first praetorian prefects and probably appointed Petilius Cerealis to the Batavian campaign. Mucianus’ role in Rome during the long period before Vespasian’s arrival demonstrates Vespasian’s trust in the man. He was rewarded with consulships in 70 and 72 after which time he remained in Rome, probably blending a political career with literary pursuits.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on History at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to History and other relevant topics.