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- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the grandeur of Rome — the aqueducts, the legions, the baths. But today I want to start with a man who was none of those things at first. A man who came from a family of nobody tax collectors and country folk, and who somehow ended up wearing the purple. Luna: I'm guessing this is about Vespasian? Because you mentioned the Colosseum in the intro. Lucas: Exactly. Titus Flavius Vespasianus — Vespasian. He's the one who built the Colosseum, but his path to the throne is one of the most unlikely in all of Roman history. He wasn't a patrician, he wasn't even a senator by birth. His grandfather was a centurion, his father was a tax collector in the Sabine hills, and he only entered the senate thanks to his brother's success. Lucas: And yet, in 69 AD — the Year of the Four Emperors — after Nero's suicide and a bloody civil war that saw Galba, Otho, and Vitellius each claim the throne, it was this practical, blunt-speaking military man from the countryside who ended up with the empire. And he'd do it not by bloody conquest or aristocratic charm, but by a combination of luck, timing, and a lot of common sense. Luna: Common sense? That's not usually the first word you think of when you picture Roman emperors. Lucas: Right, and that's exactly why he's so fascinating. He was the anti-Nero. No artistic pretensions, no grandiosity, no obsession with his own image. He was known for his dry wit — there's a famous story that when he was about to die he said 'I think I'm becoming a god' — but that humor was part of his survival strategy. Lucas: Before he was emperor, he had to survive Nero. And that was no small feat. Nero had a habit of eliminating anyone who seemed too popular or too competent. Vespasian managed it by being so unthreatening that Nero basically dismissed him as a harmless old buffoon. He even fell asleep during one of Nero's performances, which would have been a death sentence for most — but Nero just laughed it off. Luna: He fell asleep during an imperial concert? That's either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Lucas: It was probably both, but it worked. Nero sent him off to Judaea to put down the Jewish revolt, which was a serious assignment but also a way to get him out of the way. Vespasian took his two legions, but he was in no hurry to end the war — he knew that as long as he was useful and distant, he was safe. Lucas: And then, in 68 AD, Nero died, and the whole edifice of the Julio-Claudian dynasty collapsed. Galba took the throne, but he was old, stingy, and unpopular. Otho overthrew him, but then Vitellius came up from the Rhine and beat Otho. Meanwhile, Vespasian was in Judaea with his legions, and he had the support of the governors in Syria and Egypt. Luna: So he wasn't the first choice — he was the last man standing after the others wiped each other out. Lucas: Pretty much. But he also made smart alliances. He had the loyalty of the legions in the east, which was crucial. And he had the backing of the prefect of Egypt, which meant control of the grain supply to Rome. Without grain, the city starves. That was his leverage. Lucas: When he finally marched on Rome, his forces defeated Vitellius's army at the Battle of Cremona — one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war. And Vitellius himself was killed by a mob in the streets of Rome. Vespasian didn't even have to be there. He arrived later, after his brother and son had already secured the city. Luna: So he became emperor without even being present for the final fight. That's a pretty good work-from-home arrangement. Lucas: Ha, exactly. But once he was in, he had to actually fix the mess. The treasury was empty after Nero's spending sprees and the civil war. The empire was in chaos. And Vespasian, the tax collector's son, turned out to be the perfect man for the job. He restored the finances with a series of pragmatic and sometimes ruthless reforms. Lucas: He increased taxes, he revalued the currency, he sold off imperial properties that were just costing money. There's a famous story where his son Titus complained that the urine tax was too petty and insulting — Vespasian held up a coin and said 'Money does not stink.' That's the man. Luna: I've heard that phrase before. So that's where it comes from. Lucas: And he wasn't just about squeezing coins. He also commissioned the census of 73 AD, which was a massive undertaking to reassess property and citizenship across the whole empire. That census, along with his fiscal reforms, essentially rebuilt the state's capacity to fund public works. And that's what paid for the Colosseum and the Temple of Peace. Lucas: The Colosseum was his signature project — he built it on the site of Nero's private lake, transforming a symbol of imperial excess into a public amenity for the people of Rome. It was a brilliant piece of political messaging. He was literally giving back the land that Nero had stolen for his own pleasure. Luna: So the Colosseum wasn't just about spectacle — it was a political statement. Lucas: Absolutely. And the Temple of Peace was another one. It was a massive complex that housed all the treasures and art that Vespasian and Titus had looted from the Temple in Jerusalem after the Jewish War. It was a symbol of Roman power and stability, but also a way of showcasing the empire's wealth and cultural superiority. Lucas: Titus, his eldest son, actually finished the Colosseum, and he was given the credit for it — the inscription on the Colosseum originally read 'Vespasian' and 'Titus' together. But Vespasian's real legacy was more than buildings. He established the Flavian dynasty, which would rule for twenty-seven years. From 69 to 96 AD, his sons Titus and Domitian would follow him. Luna: But the dynasty didn't end well, did it? I remember Domitian was assassinated. Lucas: Right, Domitian was a different kind of ruler — more autocratic, more paranoid. But that's another episode. What's interesting is that Vespasian himself always remained remarkably grounded. He didn't try to erase the memory of the civil war or pretend he was divine like Augustus did. He just wanted to be remembered as the man who put the empire back together. Lucas: A lot of the time when we talk about Roman emperors, we're talking about individuals whose personal flaws brought down the state. Vespasian is the opposite — his personal virtues are exactly what the empire needed at that moment. He was frugal, he was diligent, he was honest, and he had a sense of humor that kept him from taking himself too seriously. Luna: A sensible emperor. That's rare in any era. Lucas: It is. And it's worth remembering that he came from a background that most senators would have looked down on. His rise shows that the Roman system, even at its most corrupt, still allowed talent to climb. Not always, and not for everyone, but sometimes. And when it did, it could produce someone like Vespasian. Lucas: Speaking of climbing from humble origins — that's kind of what this show does for me, too. I mean, we get to dig through the archives and find these stories that most people never hear. It's a labor of love, and it wouldn't be possible without the listeners who support us. If you've enjoyed these conversations — like this one about Vespasian — and you want to help keep the show ad-free and independent, you can do that at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Just a small token goes a long way. Luna: Yeah, it really does. Even a few cents helps cover the cost of research and hosting. We appreciate every single one of you. Lucas: And back to Vespasian — one last thought. He died in 79 AD from a fever, but his legacy is all around us. The Colosseum still stands, the Temple of Peace may be gone but its layout influenced future forums, and his fiscal policies kept the empire solvent for decades. He wasn't a glamorous emperor, but he was a necessary one. Lucas: So next time you're in Rome and you see the Colosseum, remember the man who started it — a short, stocky, blunt-speaking soldier from the Sabine hills, who never wanted to be king but ended up being one of the best emperors Rome ever had. And ask yourself: how many times has the right person appeared at the right moment? Maybe more often than we think.