The "avarice" of Tacitus and Suetonius seems to have been an enlightened economy, which, in the disordered state of the Roman finances, was an absolute necessity. Vespasian could be liberal when he chose, as Quintilian's pension shows. Pliny's great work, the Natural History, was written during Vespasian's reign and dedicated to his son Titus. Of the philosophers who en couraged conspiracy by republican theorizing only one, Helvidius Priscus, was put to death, and he had affronted the emperor by studied insults. "I will not kill a dog that barks at me," were words honestly expressing the temper of Vespasian.
Much money was spent on public works and the restoration and beautifying of Rome—a new forum, the splendid temple of peace, the public baths and the vast Colosseum being begun under Vespasian. The roads and aqueducts were repaired, and the limits of the pomerium extended.
The most important of his changes in the provinces was the reorganization of the eastern provinces, whereby Judaea became a province of its own, Syria absorbed the vassal kingdom of Corn magene and had its legionary forces strengthened and centred at Samosata, and Cappadocia and lesser Armenia were absorbed in Galatia, whose governor also was given legionary troops to hold the upper river, stationed at Melitene ; second to this comes the annexation of the agri decumates, the first step to cutting out the salient in the Rhine-Danube frontier. Mention may be made of
his extension of Latin rights to Baetica.
To the last Vespasian was a blunt soldier, with strength of char acter, and with a steady purpose to establish good order and secure the prosperity and welfare of his subjects. In his habits he was punctual and regular, transacting his business early in the morn ing, and enjoying his siesta after a drive. He was free in his conversation, and his humour was apt to take the form of rather coarse jokes. There is something very characteristic in the ex clamation he is said to have uttered in his last illness, "An emperor ought to die standing." See Tacitus, Histories; Suetonius, Vespasian; Duo Cassius lxvi., Merivale, Hist. of the Romans under the Empire, chs. 57-60; H. Schiller, Geschichte der romischen Kaiserzeit, i., pt. 2; B. W. Hender son, Civil War and Rebellion in the Roman Empire, A.D. 69-7o (1908) ; Five Roman Emperors (1927) ; M. I. Rostovtseff, Social and Economic History of the Roman Empire (1926).