Emperor Titus: the underrated Roman emperor that history forgot

Who was Titus?

A member of the Flavian dynasty of Roman rulers, Titus was born in AD 39 to Vespasian and Domitilla the Elder.

A career soldier who established his reputation in the First Roman-Jewish War, he was the emperor who had deal with cataclysmic eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, and oversaw the completion of the Colosseum.

Information about Titus’s early life is sparse, but the contemporary historian Suetonius records that he was raised and tutored in the imperial court alongside the children of other leading Romans, showing talent in the study of war, oratory and languages. He had two siblings: a brother, the future emperor Domitian, and a sister, Flavia Domitilla.

• Read more | The politics of the Roman Republic explained

By the age of 20, Titus was in active service in the Roman army as a tribune, travelling across Germania, and then later in Britannia at a time coinciding with Boudica’s revolt.

By approximately AD 63, Titus had returned to Rome and married Arrecina Tertulla, who then died in AD 65. Soon after, he took a new wife, Marcia Furnilla, though they were divorced within three years.

A turning point in Titus’s life and military career came when he joined his father, Vespasian, in Judea in AD 66. The region had been simmering with rebellion for some time, and a full-scale war, known as the First Jewish-Roman War, had broken out. Tasked with leading the 15th Roman legion, Titus proved himself to be a capable and ruthless commander under his father's guidance.

The Romans steadily defeated the Jewish resistance over a handful of years, culminating in the destructive siege of Jerusalem in AD 70, by which time Titus was in command of the entire Roman army. Titus played a pivotal role in this brutal siege, which eventually destroyed the city and within a few years crushed the rebellion. The fall of Jerusalem was a decisive victory for Rome, and it remains Titus's most famous military achievement.

• Read more | Who are the most underrated Roman emperors?

Back in Rome, Titus was hailed a hero. He was awarded a triumph alongside his father Vespasian, a lavish parade showcasing the spoils of war and celebrating their victory. The Arch of Titus, which still stands today near the Roman Forum, was built by his successor Domitian to commemorate this martial success.

Titus’s relationship with Vespasian and Domitian

In Those About To Die, Titus is portrayed as a powerful, leading military figure, and Vespasian’s preferred candidate to succeed him as the next Roman emperor.

When Vespasian became Roman emperor, he appointed Titus as Praetorian prefect, commander of the Praetorian Guard. Serving as his father’s enforcer, this was a vital position for ensuring the emperor's safety and loyalty of the military.

Titus’s dedication to his father was also demonstrated through his military campaigns. Through his leadership in the war in Judea, he contributed to Vespasian's military successes, in turn strengthening Vespasian’s position, allowing his father to focus on securing the throne in Rome without worrying about threats in the East.

However, the exact details of Titus’s relationship with his brother, Domitian, are harder to deduce from the historical record.

• Read more | The death of Domitian: how aristocrats conspired against the Roman emperor

Those About To Die positions Domitian as a scheming, conniving, wannabe-ruler with grand ambitions to become the emperor which, necessarily, strains his relationship with Titus, who is Vespasian’s chosen successor.

In reality, little has been recorded about the relationship between the two brothers. Partly, this could be attributed to the fact that Titus was over a decade older than Domitian, meaning the two would have had limited interaction: Titus would have been beginning a fully-fledged military career just as Domitian was 10 years old.

Titus also neglected to elevate Domitian to a more senior role during his short tenure as emperor. He was not given any major political office, remaining out of the spotlight while Titus dealt with various crises – including the eruption that buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Did Titus have an affair with Berenice, Queen of Judea?

Titus first crossed paths with Berenice during his time as a military commander during the Jewish-Roman war. Berenice was the sister of King Herod Agrippa II, the ruler of the Judean region and the last to rule from the Herodian dynasty.

Agrippa II was a Roman client, collaborating with the Roman empire. He fled Judea alongside Berenice as the Jewish-Roman war began, fearing that he might become the target of the Jewish populace’s rebellion for his complicity with the Roman regime.

During this period, the historical account suggests that Titus and Berenice did begin a romantic relationship. However, once the Jewish-Roman war had come to an end, Titus returned to Rome and Berenice remained in Judea.

Nearly half a decade later, Berenice came to Rome and rejoined Titus, resuming their relationship. During this time, she acted essentially — and controversially — as Titus’s queen, wielding significant power. However, she was perceived with suspicion by the public, and viewed as an outsider.

Perhaps in a bid to bolster his reputation and status, Titus sent Berenice away from Rome, ending their relationship. What happened to her after this remains a mystery.

How and when did Titus become emperor?

Titus became Roman emperor in June AD 79, immediately after his father Vespasian died following a brief illness.

Vespasian had ruled for a decade, bringing much needed political stability – and economic and military success – to the Roman empire after a tumultuous period that culminated in the so-called Year of the Four Emperors.

Titus’s ascendancy was a continuation of this stability. He was also the first emperor to ascend to power directly after his biological father.

How long did Titus reign as emperor – and how did he die?

Titus reigned as emperor for a brief two years, beginning in 79 AD and ending with his death following a fever in September 81 AD.

Titus was succeeded as emperor by his brother, Domitian, continuing the rule of Vespasian’s Flavian dynasty.

What were Emperor Titus’s key achievements?

Emperor Titus stands as an overlooked – and possibly underrated – figure within the history of the Roman empire, says Colin Elliott, associate professor in the Department of History at Indiana University Bloomington, and author of the book Pox Romana: The Plague That Shook the Roman World.

Speaking on an episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, Elliott describes Titus as an “often forgotten” emperor despite his substantial achievements during his short reign, which was marked with incredible challenges – including a plague, the destruction of Pompeii, and the completion of the Colosseum.

Emperor Titus’s plague

One of Titus’s first major challenges was dealing with an outbreak of a mysterious deadly disease thought to have originated in Rome, referred to now as Titus’s plague. “We're told that [the disease] is very, very severe, killing up to 10,000 people a day,” he explains.

The sparse evidence for the disease comes from a contemporary author named Jerome, as well as “catacombs where there appear to be plague victims buried along with coins that date to the reign of Titus”.

Titus reacted to the disease authoritatively – and with grace. According to Elliott, he “spent his own money lavishly to provide various forms of relief to the city of Rome during the disease outbreak. We're told that he seeks the gods on behalf of his people; this was an important role for emperors to play.”

He continues, “He's not necessarily saying he committed the impiety [that triggered the outbreak], but he's recognising that’s his job to appease the gods.”

This compares favourably with how other Roman emperors may have dealt with disease during their tenures, including Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ response to the Antonine Plague.

Under Aurelius, Elliott says, “there's a sense in which the empire is just left reeling and people are very religiously unsure of how they're supposed to respond, and so you get these charlatans cropping up everywhere. We don't see any evidence of that under Titus.”

Summarising the short reign of the emperor, Elliott concludes, “Titus, with the little we know about him, seems to do a pretty good job.”

• Read more | Countdown to disaster: a timeline of the last hours of Pompeii

Emperor Titus and Vesuvius

Then comes the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 – and with it the annihilation of the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

His reaction is recorded as being generous; he travelled to the area and donated money from the imperial treasury to survivors. He also acted quickly to send out commissioners to redistribute the land from those who had died without heirs.

Titus and the Colosseum

On top of these two catastrophes, Titus also completed the construction of the Colosseum – a monumental project. The celebratory inaugural games lasted 100 days.

The Colosseum – or Flavian Amphitheatre, as it was originally known – was commissioned by Titus’s father Vespasian. Work began in AD 70 following the conquest of Judea. The project aimed to replace the largely wooden amphitheatre built by Nero and to serve as a permanent symbol of Rome's enduring power and glory.

Spanning a decade, the Colosseum's construction showcased Roman engineering genius. Its elliptical design, intricate network of vaults and arches, and innovative use of concrete all contributed to its size and durability.

• Read more | Who were the gladiators of ancient Rome?

The Colosseum's sheer scale was staggering. With a diameter of 189 meters and a capacity of an estimated 50,000 spectators, it dwarfed any existing venues, allowing for lavish public spectacles – gladiatorial contests, staged battles, animal hunts, and even theatrical performances.

The Colosseum's inaugural games, held in AD 80 by Titus to celebrate the building's completion, were a spectacular display of imperial wealth and logistics. Lasting for 100 days, the games featured an array of spectacles – gladiatorial combats, wild beast hunts featuring elephants, rhinos, and even hippopotamuses, and staged naval battles that flooded the arena floor.

And so the Colosseum came to become a display of Roman power and dominance, and a potent symbol of Roman engineering prowess; a testament to the Flavian dynasty's power under Titus, and a highlight of his reign.

Caesar: Death of a Dictator

Member exclusive | On the Ides of March 44 BC, the most famous Roman in history was murdered. Julius Caesar's assassination transformed Rome forever, and the image of his bloody toga has haunted monarchs and tyrants ever since.

Listen to all episodes now

Those About to Die is streaming on Prime Video now. Looking for something else to watch, here are the best historical dramas to stream tonight