Nevertheless, ancient sources allege poverty for the Flavian family at the time of Domitian's upbringing, even claiming Vespasian had fallen into disrepute under the emperors Caligula ( 37 – 41 ) and Nero ( 54 – 68 ).

With four legions at his disposal, Vespasian commanded a strength of nearly 80, 000 soldiers.

When Otho was defeated by Vitellius at the First Battle of Bedriacum however, the armies in Judaea and Egypt took matters into their own hands and declared Vespasian emperor on 1 July 69.

On 24 October 69 the forces of Vitellius and Vespasian clashed at the Second Battle of Bedriacum, which ended in a crushing defeat for the armies of Vitellius.

In the confusion, the leading men of the state gathered at Sabinus ' house, proclaiming Vespasian as Emperor, but the multitude dispersed when Vitellian cohorts clashed with the armed escort of Sabinus, who was forced to retreat to the Capitoline Hill.

After Vespasian did become Emperor in 69 he granted Josephus his freedom at which time Josephus assumed the emperor's family name of Flavius.

It was while being confined at Yodfat that Josephus claimed to have experienced a divine revelation, that later led to his speech predicting Vespasian would become emperor.

Vespasian failed at his first attempt to gain an aedileship but was successful in his second attempt, becoming an aedile in 38.

Nero appointed Vespasian to put down the rebellion, who was dispatched to the region at once with the fifth and tenth legions.

Vespasian, dressed as Pontifex Maximus, walks at the head of his family, followed by Domitian and his first wife Domitia Longina, who he had only recently married.

Philostratus also mentions emperors Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, and Nerva at various points throughout Apollonius ’ life.

This temple was at the Porta Capena, and later renovated by Vespasian.

Quintilian had also survived under several emperors ; the reigns of Vespasian and Titus were relatively peaceful, but Domitian was reputed to be difficult even at the best of times.

Although authors such as Anne Perry wrote in the genre during the next decade, it wasn't until about 1990 that the genre's popularity saw a fairly quick ascent with works such as Lindsey Davis's Falco novels, set in the Roman Empire of Vespasian ; Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody novels, in which the main character is not only a Victorian lady but an early feminist and an archaeologist working in early 20th century Egypt ; Steven Saylor's " Roma Sub Rosa " novels, set in the Roman Republic at the time of Julius Caesar ; John Maddox Roberts's SPQR series set during the Roman Republic ; and P. C. Doherty's various series, including The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan, the Hugh Corbett medieval mysteries, partly indebted to the hardboiled tradition, and the Canterbury Tales of Mystery and Murder.

and Vespasian, and, at a later date, translated its Hebrew name

Vespasian took a force westwards subduing tribes and capturing oppida as he went, going at least as far as Exeter and probably reaching Bodmin.

* Sulpicia Praetextata, the wife of Crassus, is mentioned at the commencement of the reign of Vespasian, in AD 70.

Future emperor Vespasian was the legion's commander at the time, and led the campaign against the Durotriges and Dumnonii tribes.

In the Year of the Four Emperors ( 69 ), after the death of Nero, the legion received the name I Italica and fought for Vitellius at the second Battle of Bedriacum, where the Vitellians were defeated by forces supporting Vespasian.

But at this point came the mutiny of Vespasian, commander of forces in Syria.

Vespasian was winning the war and Civilis was helping him to become emperor by preventing at least the two legions besieged in Xanten, loyal to Vitellius, from coming to his rescue.

The Emperor Vespasian reunited the legion in a single fortress at Theveste, most likely in 75.

Dupondius of Vespasian ( AD 69-79 ), struck at Lyon in about AD72-73.

Although it seems clear from the style of the script that the text was written at Monkwearmouth-Jarrow, it is possible that the binding was then added at Lindisfarne ; the form of the plant scrolls can be compared to those on the portable altar also found in Cuthbert's coffin, presumed to have been made there, though also to other works of the period, such as the shaft of an Anglo-Saxon cross from Penrith and the Vespasian Psalter.

He initially fought against the Romans during the First Jewish – Roman War as the head of Jewish forces in Galilee, until surrendering in 67 to Roman forces led by Vespasian after the six-week siege of Jotapata.

The coins issued 75 – 79 AD under Vespasian show Aeternitas holding a head in each hand representing Sol and Luna.

Tensions came to a head in the insurrection of the Jews of Cyrene under Vespasian ( 73 AD, the First Roman-Jewish War ) and especially Trajan ( 117 AD, the Kitos War ).

He reached Rome the day after the death of Vitellius, and found Domitian, Vespasian's son, at the head of affairs, but until the arrival of Vespasian the real master of Rome was Mucianus who never wavered in his allegiance to Vespasian, whose favour he retained in spite of his arrogance.

The family procession was headed by Vespasian and Titus, while Domitian, riding a magnificent white horse, followed with the remaining Flavian relatives.

Although he made no pretence regarding the significance of the Senate under his absolute rule, those senators he deemed unworthy were expelled from the Senate, and in the distribution of public offices he rarely favoured family members ; a policy which stood in contrast to the nepotism practiced by Vespasian and Titus.

To foster the worship of the imperial family, he erected a dynastic mausoleum on the site of Vespasian's former house on the Quirinal, and completed the Temple of Vespasian and Titus, a shrine dedicated to the worship of his deified father and brother.

Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

But his lack of political or family influence meant that Vespasian served as quaestor in one of the provincial posts in Crete, rather than as assistant to important men in Rome.

Nevertheless, ancient sources allege poverty for the Flavian family at the time of Domitian's upbringing, even claiming Vespasian had fallen into disrepute under the emperors Caligula ( 37 – 41 ) and Nero ( 54 – 68 ).

There followed the famous Year of Four Emperors, a brief period of civil war and instability, which was finally brought to an end by Vespasian, 9th Roman emperor, and founder of the Flavian dynasty.

During the disturbances that followed the death of Nero, he took up arms under pretence of siding with Vespasian and induced the inhabitants of his native country to rebel.

The Roman province by that name had been on hiatus from 27 BC and re-established by Emperor Vespasian only in 72 AD.

Vespasian died in 79 and was succeeded by Titus, whose own reign came to an unexpected end when he was struck by a fatal illness in 81.

As a military commander, Vespasian gained early renown by participating in the Roman invasion of Britain in 43.

Vespasian was assigned to lead the Roman army against the insurgents, with Titus — who had completed his military education by this time — in charge of a legion.

Order was properly restored by Mucianus in early 70 but Vespasian did not enter Rome until September of that year.

The most extensive account of the life of Domitian to survive was written by the historian Suetonius, who was born during the reign of Vespasian, and published his works under Emperor Hadrian ( 117 – 138 ).

* The Marcus Didius Falco series of crime novels ( 1989 — ) by Lindsey Davis, set during the reign of Vespasian.

It is not known how many Roman legions were sent ; only one legion, the II Augusta, commanded by the future emperor Vespasian, is directly attested to have taken part.

The Romans ( commanded by Flavius Vespasian and his son Titus, both subsequently Roman emperors ) asked the group to surrender, but they refused.

After the prediction became true he was released by Vespasian who considered his gift of prophecy to be divine.

The fate of the menorah used in the Second Temple is recorded by Josephus, who states that it was brought to Rome and carried along during the triumph of Vespasian and Titus.

His claim to the throne was soon challenged by legions stationed in the eastern provinces, who proclaimed their commander Vespasian emperor instead.

Once he realised his support was wavering, Vitellius prepared to abdicate in favour of Vespasian, but was executed in Rome by Vespasian's soldiers on 22 December 69.

On 20 December, Vitellius was defeated, and the following day Vespasian was declared Emperor by the Roman Senate.

Vespasian is remembered by Josephus, in his Antiquities of the Jews, as a fair and humane official, in contrast with the notorious Herod the Great whom Josephus goes to great lengths to demonize.

While under the emperor's patronage, Josephus wrote that after the Roman Legio X Fretensis, accompanied by Vespasian, destroyed Jericho on 21 June 68, Vespasian took a group of Jews who could not swim ( possibly Essenes from Qumran ), fettered them, and threw them into the Dead Sea to test the sea's legendary buoyancy.