A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1246 VESPASIANUS. VESPASIANUS.
writing have clearly arisen from the confusion be- mother, Vespasia Polla, was the daughter of a Prae.
tween the first stroke of an m and the letter i. fectus Castrorum, and the sister of a Roman sena.
He is apparently the jurist who is cited by Maeci- tor. She was left a widow with two sons, Flayius
anus, lib. ix. Fideicom. (Dig. 35. tit. 2. s. 32. Sabinus and Vespasian. On laying aside the toga
~ 4) under the name of "' Vindius noster;" and virilis, Vespasian, with reluctance and at the urgent
if he be the same, Vinidius is probably the true solicitation of his mother, took the latus clavus. He
name. He was one of the jurists who were in the served as tribunus militum in Thrace, and was
consilium of Antoninus Pius, with Ulpius Mar- quaestor in Crete and Cyrene. He was afterwards
cellus, Volusius Maecianus, and others. He is Aedile and Praetor. About this time he took to
cited twice by Ulpian, and once by Paulus. He wife Flavia Domitilla, the daughter of a Roman
probably wrote something, but there is no excerpt eques, by whom he had two sons, both of whom
in the Digest. [G. L.] succeeded him. In the reign of Claudius, and by
VERUS, A'NNIUS, the son of the emperor the influence of Narcissus, he was sent into GerM. Aurelius and Faustina, was born A. D. 163, two many as legatus legionis; and in A. D. 43 he held
years after Commodus and his twin brother Anto- the same command in Britain, and reduced the Isle
ninus Geminus. Antoninus died in A. D. 165, and of Wight. (Sueton. Vespas. 4.) He was consul
the two surviving princes, Verus and Commodus, during the last two months of A. D. 51, and Prowere raised to the rank of Caesares, in October, consul of Africa under Nero, in which capacity
A. D. 166, at the request of L. Aurelius Verus on Tacitus says (Hist. ii. 97) that he was much dishis return from the East in that year. Annius liked. He was at this time very poor. and was
Verus did not enjoy his dignity long, for he died accused of getting money by dishonourable means.
at Praeneste, A. D. 170, in the seventh year of his Love of money indeed is said to have always been
age, in consequence of the excision of a tumour one of his faults. But he had a great military
under his ear, when his father was on the point of reputation, and he was liked by the soldiers. He
setting out on his expedition against the Marco- was frugal in his habits, temperate, and an enemy
manni. The annexed coin has on the obverse to all ostentation; of a kind disposition, without
the head of Annius Verus with ANNIVS VERVS the passions of hatred or revenge. He had many
CAES. ANTONINI AVG. FIL., and on the reverse, the great qualities, with some mean ones,-a combinahead of Commodus, with COMMODVS CAES. ANTO- tion not at all rare. His body was strong and his
NINI AVG. FIL. (Capitol. Antonin. Phil. 12, 21; health good; and it is recorded that he used to
Lamprid. Coenroed. 1, 11; Eckhel, vol. vii. p. 82, fast one day in every month. (Sueton. Vespas. 8.)
foll.) Nero, who did not like Vespasian because he
was no admirer of Nero's vocal powers, forbade
-.. Oo him to appear in his presence; but when he
__ge $ 4g'@~J1t~o wanted a general for the Jewish var, he thought
- nobody was fitter than Vespasian, and he sent him
to the East at the close of A. D. 66, at the head of::;a powerful army. [VTTELLIUS.] His conduct of
*o\0 " the Jewish war had raised his reputation, when the
>o Aid o~ @3CoA \1war broke out between Otho and Vitellius after
\,~.] the death of Galba. He was proclaimed emperor
at Alexandria on the first of July A. D. 69, in Ju.
daea, where he then was, on the third of the same
month, and soon after all through the East. He
COIN OF ANNIUS VERUS. arranged that Mucianus, governor of Syria, should
VERUS, L. AURE'LIUS, the colleague of march against Vitellius, and that his son Titus
M. Aurelius in the empire, A. D. 161-169. His should continue the war against the Jews. Titus,
original name was L. Ceionius Commodus, under however, did little until the following year; and
which head his life is given [CoMMoonus, No. 4, Antonius Primus defeated or gained over the troops
Vol. I. p. 817, a.]; but as a coin of him has been of Vitellius, who was put to death about the 20th
omitted in th place, it is inserted beha low ofpla December. Vespsian was in Egypt when he
heard the news of the victory which his troops had
gained at Cremona on the 25th of October; and
he entered Alexandria, where he saw Apollonius
[ >,~t $.P~ @of Tyana. Dion Cassius says that he made him/Ki He, iself odious to the Alexandrines by increasing the
taxes and imposing new ones, and the Alexandrines,
~I~~;t 2 ~ B X taccording to their fashion, retaliated by satire and
sarcasm. His object in going to Egypt was to cut
off the supplies of grain from Alexandria to Rome,
and so to compel Vitellius to yield; but this was unnecessary, for Domitian, the second son of Vespasian,
VESCULA'RIUS FLACCUS. [FLACCUS.] then at Rome, was proclaimed Caesar upon the
VESPA, TERE'NTIUS, whose witticism at death of Vitellius. (Tacit. Hist. iii. 86.) The
the expence of Titius is quoted by Cicero (de Orat. Senate conferred on Vespasian the imperial title,
ii. 62). with a specific enumeration of powers, and released
VESPASIA'NUS, T. FLA'VIUS SABI'- him from all the laws from which Augustus, TiNUS, Roman emperor, A. D. 70-79, was born in berius, and Claudius had been released; and the
the Sabine country on the 17th of November, Senatus-consultum was confirmed by a Lex. A
A. D. 9. His father was a man of mean condi- fragment of this Lex still remains. Titus was
tion, of Reate, in the country of the Sabinli. His made consul for the following year with his father.