§1Titus, cognomine paterno, amor ac deliciae generis humani—tantum illi ad promerendam omnium uoluntatem uel ingenii uel artis uel fortunae superfuit, et, quod difficillimum est, in imperio, quando priuatus atque etiam sub patre principe ne odio quidem, nedum uituperatione publica caruit—natus est III. Kal. Ian. insigni anno Gaiana nece, prope Septizonium sordidis aedibus, cubiculo uero perparuo et obscuro, nam manet adhuc et ostenditur; §2educatus in aula cum Britannico simul ac paribus disciplinis et apud eosdem magistros institutus.
Titus, with his father's cognomen, the love and delight of the human race—so much did he possess of either talent or skill or fortune to win the goodwill of all, and, what is most difficult, during his reign, since as a private citizen and even under his father as emperor he did not lack hatred, let alone public censure—was born on the third day before the Kalends of January, in the notable year of Gaius's assassination, near the Septizonium in a mean house, indeed in a very small and dark bedroom, which still remains and is shown; he was educated at court together with Britannicus, and trained in the same subjects and under the same teachers.
quo quidem tempore aiunt metoposcopum a Narcisso Claudi liberto adhibitum, ut Britannicum inspiceret, constantissime affirmasse illum quidem nullo modo, ceterum Titum, qui tunc prope astabat, utique imperaturum.
At that very time, they say that a physiognomist brought in by Narcissus, the freedman of Claudius, to inspect Britannicus, asserted most firmly that he indeed would by no means become emperor, but that Titus, who was then standing nearby, certainly would.
erant autem adeo familiares, ut de potione, qua Britannicus hausta periit, Titus quoque iuxta cubans gustasse credatur grauique morbo adflictatus diu.
Moreover, they were so close that Titus, who was reclining next to him, is believed to have also tasted of the drink from which Britannicus died after drinking it, and to have been afflicted with a heavy illness for a long time.
quorum omnium mox memor statuam ei auream in Palatio posuit et alteram ex ebore equestrem, quae circensi pompa hodieque praefertur, dedicauit prosecutusque est.
Soon, mindful of all these things, he erected a golden statue to him on the Palatine and dedicated another equestrian statue of ivory, which is still carried in the Circensian procession today, and accompanied it.
§3in puero statim corporis animique dotes explenduerunt, magisque ac magis deinceps per aetatis gradus: forma egregia et cui non minus auctoritatis inesset quam gratiae, praecipuum robur, quanquam neque procera statura et uentre paulo proiectiore; memoria singularis, docilitas ad omnis fere tum belli tum pacis artes.
In the boy, the gifts of body and mind shone forth at once, and more and more thereafter through the stages of his age: an outstanding form in which there was no less authority than grace, exceptional strength, though he was not of tall stature and had a slightly protruding belly; a singular memory, and a readiness for almost all the arts of both war and peace.
armorum et equitandi peritissimus, Latine Graeceque uel in orando uel in fingendis poematibus promptus et facilis ad extemporalitatem usque; sed ne musicae quidem rudis, ut qui cantaret et psalleret iucunde scienterque.
He was most skilled in weapons and riding, quick and fluent in both speaking and composing poems in Latin and Greek, even to the point of improvisation; but he was not even untutored in music, being one who sang and played the lyre pleasantly and skillfully.
e pluribus comperi, notis quoque excipere uelocissime solitum, cum amanuensibus suis per ludum iocumque certantem, imitarique chirographa quaecumque uidisset, ac saepe profiteri maximum falsarium esse potuisse.
I have learned from many that he was also accustomed to take down dictation in shorthand very rapidly, competing with his secretaries in play and jest, and to copy any handwriting he had seen, and often to declare that he could have been a greatest forger.
§4Tribunus militum et in Germania et in Britannia meruit summa industriae nec minore modestiae fama, sicut apparet statuarum et imaginum eius multitudine ac titulis per utramque prouinciam.
As a military tribune, he served with the highest reputation for industry and no less for modesty in both Germany and Britain, as is apparent from the multitude of his statues and portraits and the inscriptions throughout both provinces.
Post stipendia foro operam dedit honestam magis quam assiduam, eodemque tempore Arrecinam Tertullam, patre eq. R. sed praefecto quondam praetorianarum cohortium, duxit uxorem et in defunctae locum Marciam Furnillam splendidi generis; cum qua sublata filia diuortium fecit.
After his military service, he gave his attention to the forum, which was honorable rather than constant, and at the same time he married Arrecina Tertulla, whose father was a Roman knight but had formerly been a prefect of the praetorian cohorts, and, in place of the deceased, Marcia Furnilla of noble birth; with whom, after a daughter was born, he made a divorce.
Ex quaesturae deinde honore legioni praepositus Tarichaeas et Gamalam urbes Iudaeae ualidissimas in potestatem redegit, equo quadam acie sub feminibus amisso alteroque inscenso, cuius rector circa se dimicans occubuerat.
Then, from the honor of the quaestorship, he was put in charge of a legion, and reduced the very strong cities of Judea, Tarichaeae and Gamala, into submission, having his horse killed under his thighs in a certain battle and mounting another, whose rider had fallen fighting around him.
§5Galba mox tenente rem p. missus ad gratulandum, quaqua iret conuertit homines, quasi adoptionis gratia arcesseretur.
Soon, when Galba held the state, being sent to congratulate him, he turned the heads of men wherever he went, as if he were being summoned for the purpose of adoption.
sed ubi turbari rursus cuncta sensit, redit ex itinere, aditoque Paphiae Veneris oraculo, dum de nauigatione consulit, etiam de imperii spe confirmatus est.
But when he perceived that everything was in turmoil again, he returned from his journey, and having visited the oracle of Paphian Venus, while he consulted about his voyage, he was also confirmed in his hope of the empire.
cuius breui compos et ad perdomandam Iudaeam relictus, nouissima Hierosolymorum oppugnatione duodecim propugnatores totidem sagittarum confecit ictibus, cepitque ea natali filiae suae tanto militum gaudio ac fauore, ut in gratulatione imperatorem eum consalutauerint et subinde decedentem prouincia detinuerint, suppliciter nec non et minaciter efflagitantes, aut remaneret aut secum omnis pariter abduceret.
Having soon obtained this, and being left to subdue Judea, in the final siege of Jerusalem he killed twelve defenders with as many shots of arrows, and captured it on his daughter's birthday with such great joy and favor of the soldiers that in their congratulation they saluted him as Imperator, and when he was subsequently leaving the province they detained him, entreating him suppliantly and even threateningly, either to remain or to take them all away with him.
unde nata suspicio est, quasi desciscere a patre Orientisque sibi regnum uindicare temptasset; quam suspicionem auxit, postquam Alexandriam petens in consecrando apud Memphim boue Apide diadema gestauit, de more quidem rituque priscae religionis; sed non deerant qui sequius interpretarentur.
From this arose the suspicion, as if he had attempted to revolt from his father and claim the kingdom of the East for himself; which suspicion increased after he, while heading for Alexandria, wore a diadem at the consecration of the bull Apis at Memphis, according to the custom and ritual of the ancient religion indeed; but there were not wanting those who interpreted it otherwise.
quare festinans in Italiam, cum Regium, dein Puteolos oneraria naue appulisset, Romam inde contendit expeditissimus inopinantique patri, uelut arguens rumorum de se temeritatem: 'ueni,' inquit, 'pater, ueni. ' §6neque ex eo destitit participem atque etiam tutorem imperii agere.
Therefore, hastening to Italy, when he had brought his merchant ship to Regium, then to Puteoli, he hastened from there to Rome as quickly as possible, and appearing before his unsuspecting father, as if refuting the rashness of the rumors about him, he said, 'I have come, father, I have come.' Nor did he cease from then on to act as a partner and even protector of the empire.
Triumphauit cum patre censuramque gessit una, eidem collega et in tribunicia potestate et in septem consulatibus fuit; receptaque ad se prope omnium officiorum cura, cum patris nomine et epistulas ipse dictaret et edicta conscriberet orationesque in senatu recitaret etiam quaestoris uice, praefecturam quoque praetori suscepit numquam ad id tempus nisi ab eq. R. administratam, egitque aliquanto inciuilius et uiolentius, siquidem suspectissimum quemque sibi summissis qui per theatra et castra quasi consensu ad poenam deposcerent, haud cunctanter oppressit.
He triumphed with his father and held the censorship together; he was his colleague both in the tribunician power and in seven consulships; and having taken upon himself the care of almost all offices, when in his father's name he himself dictated letters, wrote edicts, and read speeches in the Senate, even in place of the quaestor, he also undertook the prefecture of the praetorians, which up to that time had never been administered except by a Roman knight, and conducted it somewhat more severely and violently, since he, having suborned men to demand the punishment of anyone most suspected through the theatres and camps as if by consensus, crushed them without hesitation.
in his Aulum Caecinam consularem uocatum ad cenam ac uixdum triclinio egressum confodi iussit, sane urgente discrimine, cum etiam chirographum eius praeparatae apud milites contionis deprehendisset.
Among these, he ordered Aulus Caecina, a consular, who had been invited to dinner, to be stabbed to death when he had scarcely left the dining room, to be sure under the pressure of imminent danger, since he had also detected his handwriting of a speech prepared for the soldiers.
quibus rebus sicut in posterum securitati satis cauit, ita ad praesens plurimum contraxit inuidiae, ut non temere quis tam aduerso rumore magisque inuitis omnibus transierit ad principatum.
By which things, just as he sufficiently provided for his security for the future, so for the present he incurred a great deal of hatred, so that hardly anyone ever succeeded to the principate with such an adverse rumor and against the will of all.