Suetonius Divus Vespasianus 9

ed. J. Eugene Reed, Alexander Thomson (Translator)

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He likewise erected several new public buildings, namely the temple of Peace¹ near the forum, that of Claudius on the Coelian mount, which had been begun by Agrippina, but almost entirely demolished by Nero;² and an amphitheatre³ in the middle of the city, upon finding that Augustus had projected such a work. He purified the senatorian and equestrian orders, which had been much reduced by the havoc made amongst them at several times, and was fallen into disrepute by neglect. Having expelled the most unworthy, he chose in their room the most honourable persons in Italy and the provinces. And to let it be known that those two orders differed not so much in privileges as in dignity, he declared publicly when some altercation passed between a senator and a Roman knight, "that senators ought not to be treated with scurrilous language, unless they were aggressors, and then it was fair and lawful to return it."

Divus Vespasianus. Suetonius. ed. J. Eugene Reed, Alexander Thomson (Translator). Philadelphia. 1883.

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Current edition Perseus

Vespasian (English) (Suetonius. The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Thomson, Alexander, M.D, translator; Reed, J.E., editor. Philadelphia: Gebbie, 1883.)

Editions (2)

Divus Vespasianus Perseus (Suetonius. De Vita Caesarum Libri VIII. Ihm, Max, editor; Leipzig: Teubner, 1908.) — 9.1 focus

[1] fecit et noua opera templum Pacis foro proximum Diuique Claudi in Caelio monte coeptum quidem ab Agrippina, sed a Nerone prope funditus destructum; item amphitheatrum urbe media, ut destinasse compererat Augustum.

[2]

Amplissimos ordines et exhaustos caede uaria et contaminatos ueteri neglegentia purgauit suppleuitque recenso senatu et equite, summotis indignissimis et honestissimo quoque Italicorum ac prouincialium allecto. atque uti notum esset, utrumque ordinem non tam libertate inter se quam dignitate differre, de iurgio quodam senatoris equitisque R. ita pronuntiauit, non oportere maledici senatoribus, remaledici ciuile fasque esse.

Latin (Mooney, 1930; two-witness OCR draft) Experimental (George W. Mooney, C. Suetoni Tranquilli De Vita Caesarum Libri VII–VIII, 1930. Two supplied HathiTrust OCR witnesses: inu.30000076323157 and pst.000005277278. Ihm-aligned chapters and sections; unresolved OCR retained and documented in the accompanying Mooney audit.)

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Translations (5)

Vespasian — English (Holland, 1899; selective 1606 variants) (OCR draft) Experimental (Reviewed existing structured XML; conservative source comparison and unresolved-note inventory, September 2026. English (Holland, 1899; selective 1606 variants))

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Vespasian — English (Rolfe, 1914; reviewed XML) (OCR draft) Experimental (Reviewed existing structured XML; conservative source comparison and unresolved-note inventory, September 2026. English (Rolfe, 1914; reviewed XML))

No corresponding passage available

English (Mooney, 1930; two-witness OCR draft) Experimental (George W. Mooney, C. Suetoni Tranquilli De Vita Caesarum Libri VII–VIII, 1930. Two supplied HathiTrust OCR witnesses: inu.30000076323157 and pst.000005277278. Ihm-aligned chapters and sections; unresolved OCR retained and documented in the accompanying Mooney audit.)

No corresponding passage available

Commentary (Mooney, 1930; English; OCR draft) Experimental (George W. Mooney, C. Suetoni Tranquilli De Vita Caesarum Libri VII–VIII, 1930. Two supplied HathiTrust OCR witnesses: inu.30000076323157 and pst.000005277278. Ihm-aligned chapters and sections; unresolved OCR retained and documented in the accompanying Mooney audit.)

No corresponding passage available

Commentary (Braithwaite, 1927; English; OCR draft) Experimental (A. W. Braithwaite, C. Suetoni Tranquilli Divus Vespasianus. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1927. Commentary prepared from one UIUG OCR witness, with Ihm chapter/section targets and mentioned/note lemma markup. OCR draft; see braithwaite1927-audit for provenance, decisions and unresolved issues.)

No corresponding passage available

Notes on the current edition

Vespasian

1. The temple of Peace, erected A. D. 71, on the conclusion of the wars with the Germans and the Jews, was the largest temple in Rome. Vespasian and Titus deposited in it the sacred vessels and other spoils which were carried in their triumph after the conquest of Jerusalem. They were consumed, and the temple much damaged, if not destroyed, by fire, towards the end of the reign of Commodus, in the year 191. It stood in the Forum, where some ruins on a prodigious scale, still remaining, were traditionally considered to be those of the Temple of Peace, until Piranesi contended that they are part of Nero's Golden House. Others suppose that they are the remains of a Basilica. A beautiful fluted Corinthian column, forty-seven feet high, which was removed from this spot, and now stands before the church of S. Maria Maggiore, gives a great idea of the splendour of the original structure.

2. This temple, converted into a Christian church by pope Simplicius, who flourished A. D. 464-483, preserves much of its ancient character. It is now called San Stefano in Rotondo, from its circular form; the thirty-four pillars, with arches springing from one to the other and intended to support the cupola, still remaining to prove its former magnificence.

3. This amphitheatre is the famous Colosseum begun by Vespasian and finished by Titus. It is needless to go into details respecting a building the gigantic ruins of which are so well known.