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Titus

Imperator Titus Caesar Vespasianus Augustus

Reign 79 AD – 81 AD
Dynasty Flavian
Born 39 AD
Died 81 AD

Elder son of Vespasian, Titus earned fame as the conqueror of Jerusalem before becoming emperor. Despite fears that he would be another Nero, his brief reign was marked by generosity and effective crisis management during the eruption of Vesuvius and a devastating fire and plague in Rome.

Titus's brief but effective reign demonstrated the successful dynastic succession within the Flavian house. His handling of the Vesuvius disaster and his completion of the Colosseum cemented his reputation as one of Rome's most benevolent rulers.

Key Events

70 AD Captured and destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple
79 AD Accession as emperor; eruption of Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum
80 AD Inaugurated the Colosseum with 100 days of games; devastating fire struck Rome
81 AD Died suddenly, possibly of fever; mourned as 'the delight of mankind'

Coinage

Titus's coinage as emperor is relatively scarce due to his short reign, but his issues as Caesar under Vespasian are abundant. The IVDAEA CAPTA types continue from his father's reign, and his Colosseum inaugural types are among the most prized Flavian coins.

Denominations

Aureus Denarius Sestertius Dupondius As

Notable Types

  • IVDAEA CAPTA continuation types
  • Colosseum sestertius
  • Elephant denarius

Common Reverses

TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P IVDAEA CAPTA ANNONA AVG BONVS EVENTVS AVGVSTI

Active Mints

Rome

Further Reading

  • Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II, Part 1 (2nd ed.) — Ian Carradice & T.V. Buttrey
  • The Twelve Caesars — Suetonius (trans. Robert Graves)
← Predecessor Vespasian Successor → Domitian