TITUS: He only made one MISTAKE.

Titus marble head (British Museum)

The expression "Jekyll and Hyde" entering the vernacular to denote people with an unpredictable double nature: outwardly good, but sometimes terribly bad. This is the case with Titus; he was Mr.Hyde as a prince, and weirdly he became Dr.Jekyll the moment he was named Emperor.

"I have made but one mistake" were the last words of Emperor Titus before he died, September 13th 81 AD. What was his "one mistake" ? Before answering this question, let's take a look at the life of this 11th of 12 Caesars.
Titus Flavius Vespasianus was born in 39 AD into a family of notables and received a thorough education. He is experiencing a rapid rise in society. First military tribune in Germany and Brittany in 57, he seconded his father, Vespasian, who became emperor in 69. He left for Judea to contain the insurrection of the Jews and demonstrated impressive military mastery. He remains famous for his capture of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Back in Rome, he supports his father and multiplies responsibilities: he becomes tribune in 71, then censor in 73, he also works as consul. In 72, he became praetorian prefect, that is to say head of the imperial guard, and took the opportunity to execute men who were too ambitious for his taste. Titus is also known for his nights of debauchery and the organization of big parties during this same period. During the Jewish Wars, Titus had begun a love affair with Berenice, the sister of Agrippa II. The Herodians had collaborated with the Romans during the rebellion, and Berenice herself had supported Vespasian in his campaign to become emperor. In 75, she returned to Titus and openly lived with him in the palace as his promised wife. The people of Rome were wary of the eastern queen and disapproved of their relationship.


Vatican Museum

When Vespasian died in 79 AD and bequeathed the throne to him, Titus took his responsibilities and sent Berenice back to Judea. Because of his many vices, many Romans feared that he would be another Nero. But that's not what happened at all. He undertook many works in Rome, notably on the Colosseum. Titus had also ordered the construction of a new public bath house, the Baths of Titus. But successive great catastrophes occurred during his reign. In August 79 AD, the Vesuvius erupted and Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried.



The following year, Rome was hit by a fire which burned large parts of the city for three days and three nights, and a great plague epidemic also broke out during the fire. Titus shows himself close to his citizens and generous. He himself died of the plague in 81 and was nicknamed after his death by his people "the delights of mankind". And what about his "only mistake" ? Here are some hypothesis:

• The historian Philostratus (3rd century AD) wrote that Domitian had poisoned his brother to assume the throne, so maybe Titus regretted not having his brother executed when he had the chance for openly conspiring against him. Cassius Dio ( 2nd century AD) believed the same thing.
• Some think he regretted sleeping with his brother's wife Domitia Longina (she denied it).
• The romantics want to believe he referred to Berenice, that the only regret he had was giving into the pressure, for choosing his country over true love...
• Jewish tradition says that Titus was cursed by God for destroying the Temple in Jerusalem, then he may have felt remorse for having attacked this holy building.

Hand drawing by Hubertus Goltzius 1557

So on this day of his death, please show us your favorite Titus' specimen !

Titus As

Titus Sestertius

 

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Great write-up, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix ! I posted one in @David Atherton 's similarly-themed thread, so I'll show this one:


Titus, AD 79-81.
Roman AR denarius,3.31 g, 18.3 mm.
Rome, AD 80
Obv: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M, Laureate head, right.
Rev: TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P, Ornamented semi-circular diadem on draped seat or table; 3 crescent like objects above.
Refs: RIC 24a; BMCRE 58; RSC 313; RCV 2514; CBN 47.

 

..wow...i wish i could say i only made one mistake....and i ain't dying(at the moment anyway) or an emperor

 

Great write up , thanks

I like the desert patina on this one:

 

Two questions:

Was this italicized section a quote you failed to attribute or your opinion. I see nothing in your write-up to suggest such a change. My Provincial coin from Stobei supposedly shows Titus and Domitian. The Domitian seems OK but the Titus looks nothing like him (almost Nerva-like?). MY specimen shows the mistake in the form of a piece of the chain he should have used on Domitian.

 

TITUS
AE Diassarion. 8.67g, 22.2mm. CAPPADOCIA, Caesarea-Eusebia, RY 10 (AD 77/8). M. Hirrius Fronto Neratius Pansa, legatus augusti. RPC II 1682. O: AYTOKPA•TITOC•KAIC•CЄBATOC, laureate head of Titus to right. R: ЄΠI / ΠANCA / ΠPЄCBЄY / TOY / ЄT I, all within laurel wreath.

 

Judea, Askalon. Titus AE24
Obv: ΣEBAΣTOΣ, laureate head right.
Rev: AΣKAΛΩ, Tyche standing left on prow, holding standard and aphlaston, altar to left, dove standing left over ΔΠΡ (year 184) in right field.
RPC II 2209; BMC 117.
Dated AD 80-81.

 

Titus, A.D. 79-81

Billon Tetradrachm, 25mm, 9.3 grams, 12h

EGYPT, Alexandria. Year 3 = A.D. 81

Obverse: AVTOK TITOY KAIE
OVEEPAEIANOY EEB; Laureate head right.

Reverse: OMO-NOIA; Homonoia seated left, holding out branch, LT in lower left field.

Reference: RPC 2467; Dattari 423

 

My only Titus

 

Years ago (2017) I posted a moderately detailed writeup of Titus when I illustrated my collection of Titus's coins (dupondius, sestertius, denarius, and aureus). It's long so I won't repeat it -- you can find it here: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/12-caesars-titus.303451/ -- but I found one of Titus's most notable virtues to be this one:

...when Titus succeeded his father in 79 AD, he proved to be the effective and thoughtful leader that Rome deserved. One of his first acts as Emperor was to stop the practice of using trials based on treason charges to arrest and execute political opponents; these trials had been used extensively under Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero, but Titus declared:

“It is impossible for me to be insulted or abused in any way. For I do naught that deserves censure, and I care not for what is reported falsely. As for the emperors who are dead and gone, they will avenge themselves in case anyone does them a wrong, if in very truth they are demigods and possess any power.”

 

Super write-up, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix . I like the AE's, and wish I had some of Titus.

TITUS

(I druther animals, creatures, mythical characters, etc. on coins...)


RI Titus 79-81 CE AR Denarius Sow piglets

 

Probably a minor note, but Vesuvius is no longer believed to have erupted in August 79 AD, but rather in October/November, as evidenced by things such as the clothing being worn, the foods being sold, etc.

 

Interesting write-up and speculation on his "only mistake."



Titus as Caesar (79-81 AD). Denarius. Rome mint, 80 AD. IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG PM, Laureate head right / TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P, Tripod with fillets, upon which sit two ravens and a wreath surmounted by a dolphin. 18 mm. 3.07 g.

 

It was a quote... of my opinion...based on what many historians wrote about his "pre-Emperor" life. For example Suetonius :

"This was, indeed, extremely difficult, after he became emperor, as before that time, and even during the reign of his father, he lay under public odium and censure."

"Besides his cruelty, he lay under the suspicion of giving way to habits of luxury, as he often prolonged his revels till midnight with the most riotous of his acquaintance."

"He was supposed, besides, to be of a rapacious disposition; for it is certain, that, in causes which came before his father, he used to offer his interest for sale, and take bribes. In short, people publicly expressed an unfavourable opinion of him, and said he would prove another Nero."

 

I missed that you were saying he changed for the better when he became emperor. When I think of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I think of becoming a monster rather than becoming better.