Words for Board: Vespasian, Adoptive Succession, Titus, Domitian

Oh Boy!! You have another of those fantastic experiences heading your way!! Exam # 3 is coming soon at your nearest classroom. (That is if you're still with us!) This time there are only 2 possible essay questions. But, boy are they dillies:
# 1 is a poverty question -- trace the development of the Roman poverty problem including the causes and solutions (generals, etc.).
# 2 is about one-man government -- the strengths and weaknesses. You have to be able to trace through the emperors in order of succession and talk about hereditary and one-man succession.

Nero was the last emperor we knew of. In 68-69 AD, there was a fast shuffle of emperors. Whoever had the biggest army among the generals was the emperor of the moment. Finally Vespasian got the job in 69. He's the general Nero sent to put down the Jews. He was 60 when he got the job of emperor. He was solid, respectable and had lots of trouble during his reign. He had to settle down the people, finish the Jewish war and had to contend with the bankruptcy that Nero left. There was a new theory of government loose in Rome. The old theory of succession was the hereditary type where the job was kept in the family -- preferably from father to son. This led to bad leaders. Sons of rulers are usually spoiled and too headstrong to listen to good advice. People wanted a more rational system. The new theory says that when the emperor gets on in years, he should pick somebody from around him who's fully grown and has been doing a good job. That way, you should get somebody responsible. The theory is called Adoptive Succession cuz the emperor adopts his successor. Vespasian didn't like the idea cuz he had 2 sons.

The Jewish war was lingering on. Vespasian turned over the Jews to his son Titus. That way, Titus could earn his own military reputation. Titus knocked over the Jews -- well over one million people perished. Titus got his reputation.

Vespasian did accomplish some things. He saved money and had one big building project. He died in 79 and Titus was next. There was another big fire in Rome and a big volcano blew up (more later) under Titus. He died of natural causes in 81. His younger brother Domitian was next. He didn't get along with the Senate and there were plots to kill him. It made him paranoid. He published lots of death lists of his enemies. In 96, his wife found her name on a death list and decided to get him before he got her. She got the Praetorian Guard to kill him. None of this fast shuffle of emperors affected most of the empire. The only people bothered were the upper 10%. The rest just muddled on.

Turn to the next lecture to read about the neat volcano!