Titus (Emperor)

During the reign of Vitellius, in the east, General Vespasian is busy crushing a Jewish revolt and suddenly feels he needs a throne. Vespasian sends an army to Rome, leaving his son Titus to crush the revolt. Vespasian's forces defeat Vitellius and Vitellius tries to run away, but is captured and killed.

By this time, the royal treasury has been considerably depleted. So Vespasian creates new taxes, including one in public urinals. He sets Titus up as the Praetorian Prefect. Titus objects to the urinal tax, so Vespasian holds up his coins and says "See, my son, if they have any smell." After ten years of his reign, Vespasian dies.

Titus becomes emperor. Because of his terrible previous position, many brace themselves for a terrible emperor. But Titus turns out to be very generous. He abolishes the treason trials and spends a lot of money on relief efforts after a volcano (Mount Vesuvius) erupts near Pompeii in AD 79. Titus even strips decorations from his own mansion to redecorate damaged public buildings. But he gets sick and dies after only two years of being emperor.