Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century/Vespasianus, Titus Flavius
Vespasianus, Titus Flavius, emperor July 1,
69, to June 24, 79, and his son Titus, emperor
June 24, 79, to Sept. 13, 81. As a great part
of the imperial power was exercised by Titus
during his father's reign, of which his own
short reign may be regarded as the continuation,
it seems convenient to treat them together.
The influences of these princes on
Christianity was wholly indirect. The destruction
of Jerusalem and the temple tended
to hasten the complete separation of Judaism
and Christianity. This distinction, however,
had not as yet become apparent to the Roman
authorities, and as far as they had any knowledge
of the existence of Christians, they
regarded them as merely a Jewish sect. A
long and almost unbroken chain of Christian
authorities bear witness to the favourable
condition of Christianity under these emperors.
Melito of Sardis, writing in the reign of M.
Aurelius (Eus. H. E. iv. 26), knows of no
imperial persecutors except Nero and Domitian.
Tertullian (Apol. 5) expressly denies
that Vespasian was a persecutor. Lactantius
(Mortes 2, 3) knows of no persecution between
Nero and Domitian. Eusebius (H. E. iii. 17)
expressly asserts that Vespasian did no harm
to the Christians. Hilary of Poictiers, writing
after 360, is the first to make any charge of
persecution against Vespasian. In a rhetorical
passage (contra Arianos, 3, in Migne, Patr.
Lat. x. 611), contrary to all previous Christian
testimony, he couples Vespasian with Nero
and Decius. Sulpicius Severus (H. E. ii. 30
in Patr. Lat. xx. 146), in a passage whose style
suggests it was borrowed from one of the lost
books of Tacitus, states that the motive of
Titus in destroying the temple was to abolish
not only Judaism but Christianity, but he
does not mention any hostile act on the part
of Vespasian or his son against the Christians.
We may consider that the reigns of these first two Flavian emperors were a period of tranquillity for the church. For their relation to the church see Tillemont, Mém. eccl. ii. 102, 152, 555; Aubé, Hist. des persec. c. 4; Görres, Zeitsch. für wissent. Theol. xxi. 492. M. Double (L’Empereur Titus) ingeniously that maintains, contrary to the usual opinion, he was a monster of wickedness.
[F.D.]