Vespasian and Constantine

by Damien F. Mackey Constantine was a Flavian just like Vespasian was, Titus Flavius Vespasianus. Parallel Lives Having detected some fairly striking parallels between the ancient historians: Josephus and Eusebius (1) Josephus and Eusebius let us see now how well may compare the emperors whom they so faithfully served and admired, Vespasian in the case of Josephus, and Constantine in the case of Eusebius. For Constantine, here, I am simply (for the main part) taking my information from Wikipedia’s account of him, in its article “Constantine the Great”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_the_Great and then comparing this with the life of Vespasian, taken mainly from UNRV.com. Name and religious tolerance Constantine I … (Latin: Flavius Valerius Constantinus … also known as Constantine the Great, was …the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. …. My comment: Well, well, well, Constantine was a Flavian just like Vespasian was, Titus Flavius Vespasianus. I learned that only today (21st January, 2025). https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15379a.htm Still more important to the subsequent progress of civilization was the period of tranquility for the infant Church which began in [Vespasian’s] reign. The official classes of Rome then regarded the Christians vaguely as a Jewish sect, and as such the latter was subject to the impost of half a shekel for rebuilding the Capitoline temple, which had been destroyed when Rome was stormed for Vespasian; but this tax does not seem to have been the occasion of any general harsh treatment. Tertullian (Apologia) and Eusebius (Church History) agree in acquitting Vespasian of persecution. Military career (Including Britannia) …. Constantine was the son of Flavius Constantius, a Roman army officer …. https://oxfordre.com/classics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-6751#acrefore-9780199381135-e-6751 [Vespasian’s] father, Flavius Sabinus … was a tax-gatherer …. …. Constantine served with distinction under the Roman emperors Diocletian and Galerius. He began his career by campaigning in the eastern provinces (against the Persians) before being recalled in the west … to fight alongside his father in the province of Britannia. https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/vespasian.php Though much of the details of Vespasian's youth are unknown, it is widely accepted that his path followed the cursus honorum, and therefore a direct line into the Senate. By the reign of Caligula, Vespasian had been a Military Tribune, a Quaestor, an Aedile and a Praetor, in which capacity he impressed Caligula by calling for games to honor his 'victories' in Germania. …. When Claudius looked to Britannia for imperial expansion, Vespasian, with his imperial ties, became a natural choice as a Legate in the campaign. He was first sent to Argentoratum along the Rhine to take command of Legio II Augusta, which was to be one of four Roman legions making the crossing to Britain. Proclaimed emperor …. After his father's death … Constantine was proclaimed as augustus (emperor) by his army at Eboracum (York, England). He eventually emerged victorious in the civil wars against emperors Maxentius and Licinius to become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire …. https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/vespasian.php On 22 December 69 AD, Vespasian was afforded full imperial honors, matching those of the predeceasing Julio-Claudians. Governmental reform (gold coins) Upon his ascension, Constantine enacted numerous reforms to strengthen the empire. He restructured the government, separating civil and military authorities. To combat inflation, he introduced the solidus, a new gold coin that became the standard for Byzantine and European currencies for more than a thousand years. Vespasian likewise produced gold coins. https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/vespasian.php Immediately upon his Senatorial confirmation as 'Emperor' in December of 69 AD, Vespasian moved with extreme purpose on several fronts, but perhaps none more so than to legitimize his reign. …. With a strong presence, Vespasian could not only restore Roman glory, but secure his position from the pitfalls of recent imperial rivals. Though he risked angering supporters and the Senate alike, Vespasian clearly marked his eldest son, Titus, as his heir, making him a partner in administrative affairs and naming him Caesar in 71 AD. This designation (marking the first use of the name "Caesar" clearly as a title) angered the Senate, who certainly wished to avoid the Caligulas and Neros of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, but they had little choice in the matter. Additionally, Vespasian openly promoted various omens that predicted his rise, assuming the Consulship on several occasions. He also tied his own legitimacy to the Julio-Claudians through Claudius, by erecting a temple in his honor on the Caelian Hill. While Vespasian undertook several building projects, none are as noteworthy as the Flavian Ampitheatre. The Colosseum, so named for the nearby Colossus of Nero, was not only a grand legacy to the culture of Roman 'bread and circuses', but was intended as a showcased gift from the Flavians to the Roman people. Reforming the army The Roman army was reorganised to consist of mobile units (comitatenses), often around the Emperor, to serve on campaigns against external enemies or Roman rebels, and frontier-garrison troops (limitanei) which were capable of countering barbarian raids, but less and less capable, over time, of countering full-scale barbarian invasions. Constantine pursued successful campaigns against the tribes on the Roman frontiers—such as the Franks, the Alemanni, the Goths, and the Sarmatians—and resettled territories abandoned by his predecessors during the Crisis of the Third Century with citizens of Roman culture. https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/vespasian.php Perhaps Vespasian's greatest contribution was the reformation of the Roman army. It was not a reformation in the sense of massive change, but in restoring its sense of imperial loyalty. (After Vespasian, the legions would remain relatively loyal to the reigning emperor until the death of Commodus some 120 years later). He did punish Vitellius' men by dismissing many from service, but for the most part left the legions intact from their previous positions. In Britannia, more northern territory was brought under Roman rule, and there were considerable pacification efforts in the Rhine and Danube regions. He increased the number of legions in the east, in part to help Titus finish the capitulation of Judaea, and to stop 'barbaric' invasions into Cappadocia. Admirers Eusebius and Flavius Josephus Constantine was a ruler of major importance and has always been a controversial figure.[7] The fluctuations in his reputation reflect the nature of the ancient sources for his reign. These are abundant and detailed,[8] but they have been strongly influenced by the official propaganda of the period[9] and are often one-sided;[10] no contemporaneous histories or biographies dealing with his life and rule have survived.[11] The nearest replacement is Eusebius's Vita Constantini—a mixture of eulogy and hagiography[12] written between 335 and c. 339[13]—that extols Constantine's moral and religious virtues.[14] The Vita creates a contentiously positive image of Constantine,[15] and modern historians have frequently challenged its reliability.[16] The fullest secular life of Constantine is the anonymous Origo Constantini,[17] a work of uncertain date[18] which focuses on military and political events to the neglect of cultural and religious matters.[19] https://www.unrv.com/early-empire/vespasian.php Flavius Josephus, the great Jewish historian, was originally a Roman captive following Vespasian's campaigns in Judaea. He eventually became such an ardent supporter of Vespasian and Titus that he took the name 'Flavius' in their honor. Alexandria (Egypt) https://www.fourthcentury.com/urkunde-25/ Following the Council of Nicaea, the emperor sent a letter to the congregation in Alexandria proclaiming what had been decreed at the council. He declares that Arius and his heresy had been rejected and urges the Alexandrians to renounce any adherence or favor towards Arianism and to accept wholeheartedly the Nicene Council’s decrees. Constantine adds that he will soon visit Alexandria personally and rejoice with them on account of the victory over heresy. …. https://www.sullacoins.com/post/vespasian-in-alexandria#:~:text=Vespasian%20was%20in%20Alexandria%20in,in%20Rome%20when%20h Vespasian was in Alexandria in the Fall of 70 and returned home to Rome … October.