Introduction | Early years | Climbing the greasy pole
Military commander | Desperate straits | The Judaean adventure
The year of the four emperors | The new dynasty | Find out more

Desperate straits

Governor of Africa
Despite Agrippina's animosity towards his patron, Vespasian achieved his consulship in AD 51, which was as he might have expected. However, he had to wait until AD 62 for his next significant post: proconsul (governor) of Africa, the highest rung on the senatorial ladder.

Meanwhile, there had been another change of emperor. In October 54, Agrippina had Claudius poisoned and her son Nero made emperor, just short of his 17th birthday. Claudius's trusted adviser – and Vespasian's patron – Narcissus committed suicide.

Agrippina was punished for her crime – five years after his accession, Nero had her assassinated. (The servile Senate sent him their congratulations.) Her absence from the political scene undoubtedly helped Vespasian eventually get his promotion.

As ruler of the vast and rich province of (north) Africa, he represented the emperor, with power over life and death. More importantly, from a personal perspective, he had the power to raise taxes, not just for Rome, but for himself. This was in addition to the one million sesterces that he received as salary for the year. (Soldiers received about 900 sesterces annually.)

Because the posting was for only one year, it was understood that the governor would line his own pockets before retiring gracefully to Rome. There were certainly rich pickings here: north Africa generated 500 million sesterces every year, exporting olive oil to Rome and acting as a vital bread basket to the city.

A good investment
Yet, financially, Vespasian was in desperate straits. He had impoverished himself buying favour with Caligula and never quite recovered. He brought to the governorship in Africa a personal frugality that manifested itself as policy: financial prudence verging on meanness. Far from lining his pockets, by applying what he thought of as good Roman values he seems to have made himself even more poor.

At the same time, he learned how essential to Rome was the efficient administration and prosperity of its provinces, and, perhaps more importantly, how control could be exercised at the limits of empire. Unlike Britain and the northern provinces, here was a sophisticated population with a civilisation that predated Rome. These people merely needed to be Romanised.

After a year, Vespasian's governorship was over. In the time that he was supposed to have made money, he had made friends instead. It was to be a canny investment. Where others had earned sesterces, Vespasian had earned respect.

Muleteer and emperor's companion
Desperate for cash, Vespasian went into business in his hometown of Reate as a mule dealer. Nowadays he would be thought of as, at best, a haulier, at worst a second-hand car dealer. But mules were the local speciality, and Vespasian, with his regional accent and simple tastes, was still a local boy who just happened to have been in charge of Africa. To fund his business ventures, he even mortgaged his estate to his own brother, who was clearly unwilling to advance him a loan.

Then, against all the odds, Nero took him up. The young emperor seemed to appreciate the company of the curmudgeonly old soldier and, in AD 66, invited him along on a cultural tour of Greece.

Nero was not a man to go on holiday with. He had killed his mother, his stepbrother, two of his wives and several of his colleagues. Others he had 'requested' to commit suicide – even Corbulo, one of his most successful generals. However, to displease Nero was to die and so his invitations were rarely refused.

The autumn of 66 found Vespasian touring with Nero as they did the rounds of Greek festivals. The 'highlight' of each of these was often the emperor himself singing to his own accompaniment in performances that could last all day and well into the night. It was compulsory for all to attend, to pay close attention and to applaud. But at one, Vespasian fell asleep. The next day he was refused admission to the emperor's court. The implications were clear.

If Vespasian's career had so far been a game of snakes and ladders, he had definitely landed on a snake. He retired to a tiny village in the country and awaited the dreaded 'request'.

In due course, a messenger came ... but not with the message that Vespasian had been expecting.

Top