Titvs Carico Vaspasianvs (Ætas ab Brian)
From Alternative History
History of Rome-After Ætas ab Brian
| Gender: | Male |
| Born: | 769(16) |
| Died: | 832(79) |
| Aged | 63 |
| Place of birth: | |
| Known relatives: | Cruuxius Tiberius Carico(adopted father) |
| Legal status: | Citizen of the Roman Empire |
| Occupation: | 3rd Cæsar |
| Ruled: | 803(50)-832(79) |
Vespasian was born on April 7th, 769(16) in Fanum Fortunae, in the Marche country near Pesaro. His father, Titus Flavius Marcus, was an equestrian who worked as a money-lender on a small scale in Aventicum (755-774), and later a customs official in the province of Asia where Vespasian lived for some time. His mother, Vespasia Pollio, was the sister of a Senator.
In late May 782(29) Caesar Carico was touring Asia when he publicly announced the lottery for his heir-to-be following the disappearance of Ieff Brian. Vespasian at age 13 had little to distinguish himself from the other candidates but his mother was an incessant opportunist and entered him in it.
Vespasian won, and was immediately moved to Venetia where his training for the Caesarship started. His parents were given comfortable pensions, but frequently they had to be strictly dealt with for their ceaseless attempts to influence Vespasian. His witness to how his parents had become scheming rats greatly disenchanted Vespasian’s opinion of Carico’s method of succession. In Venetia Vespasian developed a strong love of science and alchemy, studying late in the Venetian Library.
Carico constantly had Vespasian question conventional views, theories, and philosophies, much the same way he had with Jeff. This indirectly inspired Vespasian to make his unofficial life’s work to have science based in mathematic principles, the scientific method emerged, a principle that would be the core of the future Antonius Research Academies.
Vespasian entered public office in 795(42) serving the Board of 26 (under the Commission of 10), then elected Aedile on his first attempt in 798(45). He was elected Praetor in 799(46) on his first try. By this time his direct training by Carico had finished and all that was really left was for Carico’s reign to end.
In the meantime, he married Domitilla Maior in 791(38), the daughter of an equestrian clerk from Ferentium. They had two sons, Titus Carico Vespasianus (795(42)) and Titus Carico Domitianus (799(46)), and a daughter, Thetilla (804(51)). Both Domitilla and Thetilla died in the birth. Thereafter Vespasian’s mistress, Fellis, was his de facto wife until she died in 826(73).
[edit] Jewish Revolt
Carico had made plans to invade Britain and had expected Vespasian to carry it out soon after his ascension in 803(50), however, he was reluctant to do so. Briton tribute was still flowing easily to Rome. Vespasian was beginning to consider the invasion when in 832(66), religious tension between the Jews and Romans in Judea triggered a revolt. The war in Judea was threatening unrest throughout the East. A revolt there had killed the previous governor but Gnaeus Statlilius Ecdicius, the short-tempered governor of Syria, successfully put down the revolt, destroying the Jewish state. Thousands of Jews were killed and sold to slavery, and many towns were destroyed. Jerusalem was recaptured and full control of Judea was regained in 823(70). Despite the destruction, Jodus Ophir, a Jewish writer, would eventually write his peoples history and record it in the Venetian Library.
Vespasian at this point still had some interest in invading Britain, but almost immediately after the Jewish revolt was put down, a self-proclaimed emperor Arvina Caesar in Gaul rebelled. That rebellion lasted less than a year, handled by Vespasian and his son Titus, but he had now lost all interest in expanding the empire. His opinion was that it was already at its maximum extent and that it would be best to concentrate on consolidation and internal prosperity.
Vespasian gave financial rewards to ancient writers. The ancient historians spoke relatively well of Vespasian and the emperors that came before him, continuing to fill the libraries with works. He was known to have intensely hated Vulgar Latin and chided Carico after his death for writing much of his private letters in what appeared to be V.L.
Vespasian began construction of the Great Amphitheatre, better known as the Colosseum. It was finished just after his death.
Between 824(71) and 832(79), Vespasian's reign was mostly concerned with building infrastructure and avoiding assassinations.
In early 832 Vespasian founded Vespasian’s national school for scribes.
On August 27th, Vespasian died in his sleep, his last words before going to bed were “Stultorum calami carbones moenia chartae” essentially saying, graffiti is the work of idiots.
