Titus Titus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 ) was Roman Emperor from 79 to 81 . A member of the Flavian dynasty , Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death , thus becoming the first Roman Emperor to come to the throne after his own father . Prior to becoming Emperor , Titus gained renown as a military commander , serving under his father in Judaea during the First Jewish - Roman War . The campaign came to a brief halt with the death of emperor Nero in 68 , launching Vespasian ' s bid for the imperial power during the Year of the Four Emperors . When Vespasian was declared Emperor on 1 July 69 , Titus was left in charge of ending the Jewish rebellion . In 70 , he besieged and captured Jerusalem , and destroyed the city and the Second Temple . For this achievement Titus was awarded a triumph ; the Arch of Titus commemorates his victory to this day . Under the rule of his father , Titus gained notoriety in Rome serving as prefect of the Praetorian Guard , and for carrying on a controversial relationship with the Jewish queen Berenice . Despite concerns over his character , Titus ruled to great acclaim following the death of Vespasian in 79 , and was considered a good emperor by Suetonius and other contemporary historians . As emperor , he is best known for completing the Colosseum and for his generosity in relieving the suffering caused by two disasters , the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 and a fire in Rome in 80 . After barely two years in office , Titus died of a fever on 13 September 81 . He was deified by the Roman Senate and succeeded by his younger brother Domitian . Early life . Titus was born in Rome , probably on 30 December 39 AD , as the eldest son of Titus Flavius Vespasianus — commonly known as Vespasian — and Domitilla the Elder . He had one younger sister , Domitilla the Younger ( born 45 ) , and one younger brother , also named Titus Flavius Domitianus ( born 51 ) , but commonly referred to as Domitian . Family background . Decades of civil war during the 1st century BC had contributed greatly to the demise of the old aristocracy of Rome , which was gradually replaced in prominence by a new provincial nobility during the early part of the 1st century . One such family was the " gens Flavia " , which rose from relative obscurity to prominence in just four generations , acquiring wealth and status under the Emperors of the Julio - Claudian dynasty . Titus ' s great - grandfather , Titus Flavius Petro , had served as a centurion under Pompey during Caesar ' s civil war . His military career ended in disgrace when he fled the battlefield at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC . Nevertheless , Petro managed to improve his status by marrying the extremely wealthy Tertulla , whose fortune guaranteed the upwards mobility of Petro ' s son Titus Flavius Sabinus I , Titus ' s grandfather . Sabinus himself amassed further wealth and possible equestrian status through his services as tax collector in Asia and banker in Helvetia . By marrying Vespasia Polla he allied himself to the more prestigious patrician " gens Vespasia " , ensuring the elevation of his sons Titus Flavius Sabinus II and Vespasian to the senatorial rank . The political career of Vespasian included the offices of quaestor , aedile and praetor , and culminated with a consulship in 51 , the year Domitian was born . As a military commander , he gained early renown by participating in the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 . What little is known of Titus ' s early life has been handed down to us by Suetonius , who records that he was brought up at the imperial court in the company of Britannicus , the son of emperor Claudius , who would be murdered by Nero in 55 . The story was even told that Titus was reclining next to Britannicus , the night he was murdered , and sipped of the poison that was handed to him . Further details on his education are scarce , but it seems he showed early promise in the military arts and was a skilled poet and orator both in Greek and Latin . Adult life . From c . 57 to 59 he was a military tribune in Germania . He also served in Britannia , perhaps arriving c . 60 with reinforcements needed after the revolt of Boudica . In c . 63 he returned to Rome and married Arrecina Tertulla , daughter of a former Prefect of the Praetorian Guard . She died c . 65 . Titus then took a new wife of a much more distinguished family , Marcia Furnilla . However , Marcia ' s family was closely linked to the opposition to Nero . Her uncle Barea Soranus and his daughter Servilia were among those who perished after the failed Pisonian conspiracy of 65 . Some modern historians theorize that Titus divorced his wife because of her family ' s connection to the conspiracy . Titus never re - married . Titus appears to have had multiple daughters , at least one of them by Marcia Furnilla . The only one known to have survived to adulthood was Julia Flavia , perhaps Titus ' s child by Arrecina , whose mother was also named Julia . During this period Titus also practiced law and attained the rank of quaestor . Judaean campaigns . In 66 the Jews of the J udaea Province revolted against the Roman Empire . Cestius Gallus , the legate of Syria , was defeated at the battle of Beth - Horon and forced to retreat from Jerusalem . The pro - Roman king Agrippa II and his sister Berenice fled the city to Galilee where they later gave themselves up to the Romans . Nero appointed Vespasian to put down the rebellion , who was dispatched to the region at once with the Fifth Legion and Tenth Legion . He was later joined at Ptolemais by Titus with the Fifteenth Legion . With a strength of 60 , 000 professional soldiers , the Romans prepared to sweep across Galilee and march on Jerusalem . The history of the war was covered in dramatic detail by the Roman - Jewish historian Josephus in his work " The Wars of the Jews " . Josephus served as a commander in the city of Jotapata when the Roman army invaded Galilee in 67 . After an exhausting siege which lasted 47 days , the city fell , with an estimated 40 , 000 killed and the remaining Jews committing suicide . Surviving a group suicide , Josephus surrendered to Vespasian and became a prisoner . He later wrote that he provided the Romans with intelligence on the ongoing revolt . By 68 , the entire coast and the north of Judaea were subjugated by the Roman army , with decisive victories won at Taricheae and Gamala , where Titus distinguished himself as a skilled general . Year of the Four Emperors . The last and most significant fortress of Jewish resistance was Jerusalem . The campaign came to a sudden halt when news arrived of Nero ' s death . Almost simultaneously , the Roman Senate had declared Galba , then governor of Hispania , as Emperor of Rome . Vespasian decided to await further orders , and sent Titus to greet the new " princeps " . Before reaching Italy , Titus learnt that Galba had been murdered and replaced by Otho , governor of Lusitania , and that Vitellius and his armies in Germania were preparing to march on the capital , intent on overthrowing Otho . Not wanting to risk being taken hostage by one side or the other , he abandoned the journey to Rome and rejoined his father in Judaea . Meanwhile , Otho was defeated in the First Battle of Bedriacum and committed suicide . When the news reached the armies in Judaea and Ægyptus , they took matters into their own hands and declared Vespasian emperor on 1 July 69 . Vespasian accepted , and through negotiations by Titus , joined forces with Gaius Licinius Mucianus , governor of Syria . A strong force drawn from the Judaean and Syrian legions marched on Rome under the command of Mucianus , while Vespasian travelled to Alexandria , leaving Titus in charge to end the Jewish rebellion . By the end of 69 , the forces of Vitellius had been beaten , and Vespasian was officially declared emperor by the Senate on 21 December , thus ending the Year of the Four Emperors . Siege of Jerusalem . Meanwhile the Jews had become embroiled in a civil war of their own , splitting the resistance in Jerusalem between two factions : the Sicarii led by Simon Bar Giora , and the Zealots led by John of Gischala . Titus besieged Jerusalem . The Roman army was joined by the Twelfth Legion , which was previously defeated under Cestius Gallus , and from Alexandria Vespasian sent Tiberius Julius Alexander , governor of Ægyptus , to act as Titus ' s second in command . Titus surrounded the city , with three legions ( Vth , XIIth and XVth ) on the western side and one ( Xth ) on the Mount of Olives to the east . He put pressure on the food and water supplies of the inhabitants by allowing pilgrims to enter the city to celebrate Passover , and then refusing them egress . Jewish raids continuously harassed the Roman army , one of which nearly resulted in Titus being captured . After attempts by Josephus to negotiate a surrender had failed , the Romans resumed hostilities and quickly breached the first and second walls of the city . To intimidate the resistance , Titus ordered deserters from the Jewish side to be crucified around the city wall . By this time the Jews had been exhausted by famine , and when the weak third wall was breached , bitter street fighting ensued . The Romans finally captured the Antonia Fortress and began a frontal assault on the gates of the Temple . According to Josephus , Titus had ordered that the Temple should not be destroyed , but while the fighting around the gates continued , a soldier hurled a torch inside one of the windows , which quickly set the entire building ablaze . The later Christian chronicler Sulpicius Severus , possibly drawing on a lost portion of Tacitus ' " Histories " , claims that Titus favoured destruction of the Temple . The Temple was completely demolished , after which Titus ' s soldiers proclaimed him " imperator " in honor of the victory . Jerusalem was sacked and much of the population killed or dispersed . Josephus claims that 1 , 100 , 000 people were killed during the siege , of which a majority were Jewish . 97 , 000 were captured and enslaved , including Simon Bar Giora and John of Gischala . Many fled to areas around the Mediterranean . Titus reportedly refused to accept a wreath of victory , as he claimed that he had not won the victory on his own , but had been the vehicle through which their God had manifested his wrath against his people . Heir to Vespasian . Unable to sail to Italy during the winter , Titus celebrated elaborate games at Caesarea Maritima and Berytus , then travelled to Zeugma on the Euphrates , where he was presented with a crown by Vologases I of Parthia . While visiting Antioch he confirmed the traditional rights of the Jews in that city . On his way to Alexandria , he stopped in Memphis to consecrate the sacred bull Apis . According to Suetonius , this caused consternation : the ceremony required Titus to wear a diadem , which the Romans associated with monarchy , and the partisanship of Titus ' s legions had already led to fears that he might rebel against his father . Titus returned quickly to Rome – hoping , says Suetonius , to allay any suspicions about his conduct . Upon his arrival in Rome in 71 , Titus was awarded a triumph . Accompanied by Vespasian and Domitian he rode into the city , enthusiastically saluted by the Roman populace and preceded by a lavish parade containing treasures and captives from the war . Josephus describes a procession with large amounts of gold and silver carried along the route , followed by elaborate re - enactments of the war , Jewish prisoners , and finally the treasures taken from the Temple of Jerusalem , including the Menorah and the Pentateuch . Simon Bar Giora was executed in the Forum , after which the procession closed with religious sacrifices at the Temple of Jupiter . The triumphal Arch of Titus , which stands at one entrance to the Forum , memorializes the victory of Titus . With Vespasian declared emperor , Titus and his brother Domitian received the title of " Caesar " from the Senate . In addition to sharing tribunician power with his father , Titus held seven consulships during Vespasian ' s reign and acted as his secretary , appearing in the Senate on his behalf . More crucially , he was appointed Praetorian prefect ( commander of the Praetorian Guard ) , ensuring their loyalty to the Emperor and further solidifying Vespasian ' s position as a legitimate ruler . In this capacity he achieved considerable notoriety in Rome for his violent actions , frequently ordering the execution of suspected traitors on the spot . When in 79 , a plot by Aulus Caecina Alienus and Eprius Marcellus to overthrow Vespasian was uncovered , Titus invited Alienus to dinner and ordered him to be stabbed before he had even left the room . During the Jewish wars , Titus had begun a love affair with Berenice , 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 Romans were wary of the eastern queen and disapproved of their relationship . When the pair was publicly denounced by Cynics in the theatre , Titus caved in to the pressure and sent her away , but his reputation further suffered . Emperor ( 79 - 81 ) . Succession . Vespasian died of an infection on 23 June 79 AD , and was immediately succeeded by his son Titus . Because of his many [ alleged ] vices , many Romans feared that he would be another Nero . Against these expectations , however , Titus proved to be an effective Emperor and was well loved by the population , who praised him highly when they found that he possessed the greatest virtues instead of vices . One of his first acts as Emperor was to order a halt to trials based on treason charges , which had long plagued the principate . The law of treason , or Law of majestas , was originally intended to prosecute those who had corruptly ' impaired the people and majesty of Rome ' by any revolutionary action . Under Augustus , however , this custom had been revived and applied to cover slander and libel as well . This led to numerous trials and executions under Tiberius , Caligula and Nero , and the formation of networks of informers ( " Delator s " ) , which terrorized Rome ' s political system for decades . Titus put an end to this practice , against himself or anyone else , declaring : " 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 . " Consequently , no senators were put to death during his reign ; he thus kept to his promise that he would assume the office of Pontifex Maximus " for the purpose of keeping his hands unstained " . The informants were publicly punished and banished from the city . Titus further prevented abuses by making it unlawful for a person to be tried under different laws for the same offense . Finally , when Berenice returned to Rome , he sent her away . As Emperor he became known for his generosity , and Suetonius states that upon realising he had brought no benefit to anyone during a whole day he remarked , " Friends , I have lost a day . " Challenges . Although his administration was marked by a relative absence of major military or political conflicts , Titus faced a number of major disasters during his brief reign . On 24 August 79 , two months after his accession , Mount Vesuvius erupted . The eruption almost completely destroyed the cities and resort communities around the Bay of Naples . The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under metres of stone and lava , killing thousands of citizens . Titus appointed two ex - consuls to organise and coordinate the relief effort , while personally donating large amounts of money from the imperial treasury to aid the victims of the volcano . Additionally , he visited Pompeii once after the eruption and again the following year . During the second visit , in spring of AD 80 , a fire broke out in Rome , burning large parts of the city for three days and three nights . Although the extent of the damage was not as disastrous as during the Great Fire of 64 — crucially sparing the many districts of insulae — Cassius Dio records a long list of important public buildings that were destroyed , including Agrippa ' s Pantheon , the Temple of Jupiter , the Diribitorium , parts of the Theatre of Pompey , and the Saepta Julia among others . Once again , Titus personally compensated for the damaged regions . According to Suetonius , a Plague also broke out during the fire . The nature of the disease , however , or the death toll are unknown . Meanwhile war had resumed in Britannia , where Gnaeus Julius Agricola pushed further into Caledonia and managed to establish several forts there . As a result of his actions , Titus received the title of Imperator for the fifteenth time . His reign also saw the rebellion led by Terentius Maximus , one of several " false Neros " who appeared throughout the 70s . Although Nero was primarily known as a universally hated tyrant , there is evidence that for much of his reign , he remained highly popular in the eastern provinces . Reports that Nero had in fact survived his overthrow were fueled by the confusing circumstances of his death and several prophecies foretelling his return . According to Cassius Dio , Terentius Maximus resembled Nero in voice and appearance and , like him , sang to the lyre . Terentius established a following in Asia minor but was soon forced to flee beyond the Euphrates , taking refuge with the Parthians . In addition , sources state that Titus discovered that his brother Domitian was plotting against him but refused to have him killed or banished . Public works . Construction of the Flavian Amphitheatre , presently better known as the Colosseum , was begun in 70 under Vespasian and finally completed in 80 under Titus . In addition to providing spectacular entertainments to the Roman populace , the building was also conceived as a gigantic triumphal monument to commemorate the military achievements of the Flavians during the Jewish wars . The inaugural games lasted for a hundred days and were said to be extremely elaborate , including gladiatorial combat , fights between wild animals ( elephants and cranes ) , mock naval battle s for which the theatre was flooded , horse races and chariot races . During the games , wooden balls were dropped into the audience , inscribed with various prizes ( clothing , gold , or even slaves ) , which could then be traded for the designated item . Adjacent to the amphitheatre , within the precinct of Nero ' s Golden House , Titus had also ordered the construction of a new public bath - house , the Baths of Titus . Construction of this building was hastily finished to coincide with the completion of the Flavian Amphitheatre . Practice of the imperial cult was revived by Titus , though apparently it met with some difficulty as Vespasian was not deified until six months after his death . To further honor and glorify the Flavian dynasty , foundations were laid for what would later become the Temple of Vespasian and Titus , which was finished by Domitian . Death ( 81 ) . At the closing of the games , Titus officially dedicated the amphitheatre and the baths , which was to be his final recorded act as Emperor . He set out for the Sabine territories but fell ill at the first posting station where he died of a fever , reportedly in the same farm - house as his father . Allegedly , the last words he uttered before passing away were : " I have made but one mistake " . Titus had ruled the Roman Empire for just over two years , from the death of his father in 79 to his own on 13 September 81 . He was succeeded by Domitian , whose first act as emperor was to deify his brother . Historians have speculated on the exact nature of his death , and to which mistake Titus alluded in his final words . Philostratus writes that he was poisoned by Domitian with a sea hare ( " Aplysia depilans " ) , and that his death had been foretold to him by Apollonius of Tyana . Suetonius and Cassius Dio maintain he died of natural causes , but both accuse Domitian of having left the ailing Titus for dead . Consequently , Dio believes Titus ' s mistake refers to his failure to have his brother executed when he was found to be openly plotting against him . According to the Babylonian Talmud ( Gittin 56b ) , an insect flew into Titus ' s nose and picked at his brain for seven years . He noticed that the sound of a blacksmith hammering caused the ensuing pain to abate , so he paid for blacksmiths to hammer near him ; however , the effect wore off and the insect resumed its gnawing . When he died , they opened his skull and found the insect had grown to the size of a bird . The Talmud gives this as the cause of his death and interprets it as divine retribution for his wicked actions . Legacy . Historiography . Titus ' s record among ancient historians stands as one of the most exemplary of any emperor . All the surviving accounts from this period , many of them written by his own contemporaries , present a highly favorable view towards Titus . His character has especially prospered in comparison with that of his brother Domitian . " The Wars of the Jews " offers a first - hand , eye - witness account of the Jewish rebellion and the character of Titus . The neutrality of Josephus ' writings has come into question however as he was heavily indebted to the Flavians . In 71 , he arrived in Rome in the entourage of Titus , became a Roman citizen and took on the Roman nomen Flavius and praenomen Titus from his patrons . He received an annual pension and lived in the palace . It was while in Rome , and under Flavian patronage , that Josephus wrote all of his known works . " The War of the Jews " is heavily slanted against the leaders of the revolt , portraying the rebellion as weak and unorganized , and even blaming the Jews for causing the war . The credibility of Josephus as a historian has subsequently come under fire . Another contemporary of Titus was Publius Cornelius Tacitus , who started his public career in 80 or 81 and credits the Flavian dynasty with his elevation . " The Histories " — his account of this period — was published during the reign of Trajan . Unfortunately only the first five books from this work have survived until the present day , with the text on Titus ' s and Domitian ' s reign entirely lost . Suetonius Tranquilius gives a short but highly favourable account on Titus ' s reign in " The Lives of Twelve Caesars " , emphasizing his military achievements and his generosity as Emperor , in short describing him as follows : Titus , of the same surname as his father , was the delight and darling of the human race ; such surpassing ability had he , by nature , art , or good fortune , to win the affections of all men , and that , too , which is no easy task , while he was emperor . Finally , Cassius Dio wrote his " Roman History " over a hundred years after the death of Titus . He shares a similar outlook as Suetonius , possibly even using the latter as a source , but is more reserved , noting : His satisfactory record may also have been due to the fact that he survived his accession but a very short time , for he was thus given no opportunity for wrongdoing . For he lived after this only two years , two months and twenty days — in addition to the thirty - nine years , five months and twenty - five days he had already lived at that time . In this respect , indeed , he is regarded as having equalled the long reign of Augustus , since it is maintained that Augustus would never have been loved had he lived a shorter time , nor Titus had he lived longer . For Augustus , though at the outset he showed himself rather harsh because of the wars and the factional strife , was later able , in the course of time , to achieve a brilliant reputation for his kindly deeds ; Titus , on the other hand , ruled with mildness and died at the height of his glory , whereas , if he had lived a long time , it might have been shown that he owes his present fame more to good fortune than to merit . Pliny the Elder , who later died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius , dedicated his " Naturalis Historia " to Titus . In contrast to the ideal portrayal of Titus in Roman histories , in Jewish memory " Titus the Wicked " is remembered as an evil oppressor and destroyer of the Temple . For example , one legend in the Babylonian Talmud describes Titus as having had sex with a whore on a Torah scroll inside the Temple during its destruction . Titus in later arts . The war in Judaea and the life of Titus , particularly his relationship with Berenice , have inspired writers and artists through the centuries . The bas - relief in the Arch of Titus has been influential in the depiction of the destruction of Jerusalem , with the Menorah frequently being used to symbolise the looting of the Second Temple .