The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-02-24

strife reached the legions In the east,
the soldiers under vespasian's COM
mand proclaimed him their emperor.
and called upon him to lead them IN
the capital. The movement for this
respected old general soon spread
among the other Roman troops, and
within a few months vespasian was
firmly seated upon the imperial
throne. This throne he held until the
time Of his death ten years later. In
deed. he was the first of the eight
emperors after Augustus to die q
natural death.
Reform In Rome
Vespasian speedily restored the In
tegrity Of the government. The great
est virtue Of this bluff old soldier was
that he attended to buspess. His
predecessors seem to have thought
that the chief duty Of an emperor was
to enjoy life and to show the world
how extravagant and wanton q Ro-
man emperor dared To be. Now Ves-
pasian did not put on airs enough TO
suit some Of the Roman mobiles. He
lived n simple, regular life. even tho
he was emperor. rising early, eating,
driving, and sleeping at regular times,
not at all after the fashion Of the de-
generate Roman court. Indeed. he Of
ten cracked jokes in his hearty.
jovial way more like a soldier than
an emperor. thought the critical no.
bles. But Vespasian believed that II
was his duty as emperor not TO be
mere pleasure-seeking fgurc-head, but
actually TO rule. He cleaned out the
Senate, replacing unworthy members
by honest and able statesmen. He
restored TO the army the stern dis
cipline Of former times and secured
peace for his great empire during the
ten years Of his regin. He introduced
such economy in public affairs that
the government was soon relieved
from the financial embarrassment
which weighed upon II at the tyne Of
his accession. In short. he restored
moral tone to the Roman State.
His Ways OF Spending Money
Some men accused him Of being
niggardly and avaricious. but that Is
a charge likely to be brought against
any man who insists upon economy
and business-like methods In an are
Of extravaganza and graft. A. q
matter Of fact, he was really very gen.
erous in spending for good causes. He
sent funds to aid suffering towns. just
as the Red Cross has done In our
own time. He was the first emperor
to provide salaries for university pro-
fessors out OF the public treasury. He
built many fine buildings not for his
own enjoyment but for the use Of the
people. Among these were included
baths, temples, a forum. and, most
interesting Of all, the Coliseum. that
VAST dfipuiNutdttt WHNu VoNtrtu SlA
acres Of ground In the heart Of Rome
and could seat 5000 spectators.
II was characteristic Of vespasian
that he died In the harness. saying
in his last hours, IAN emperor ought
10 die standing" He was the first
Roman emperor who left a son 10
succeed him. and II Is greatly TO YES
pasian's credit that he had trained up
his son to be worthy successor Of
his father.
The Work Of vespasiau
When Vespasian became emperor.
the throne was lettering from moral
decay. Vespasian, the old soldier en-
peror from the Sabine hills, restored
to the imperial government integrity.
decency, and order, which did not die
with him. By this example Of indus
try and uprightness. and his attention
to business at this crisis In public AZ
fairs, he saved Rome from that social
and political decay which was threat
ening its very existence.