From the AP via The Huffington Post:
ROME — Archaeologists have unearthed a sprawling country villa believed to be the birthplace of Vespasian, the Roman emperor who built the Colosseum, they said Friday. The 2,000-year-old ruins were found about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Rome, near Cittareale, lead archaeologist Filippo Coarelli said.
....
The 1st-century residence featured "a well-preserved huge floor, decorated with luxurious marble coming from the whole Mediterranean area," he said.
"It's clear that such things could only belong to someone with a high social position and wealth. And in this place, it was the Flavians," the dynasty to which Vespasian belonged.
....
Born in A.D. 9 into a family of low-tier country nobility, Vespasian rose through the army ranks, becoming the general in charge of putting down a Jewish revolt in Judea.
After being acclaimed emperor by his troops in A.D. 69 and eliminating his rivals, Vespasian found Rome facing a deep economic crisis and still recovering from the fire that consumed it under Nero.
Using riches plundered from Jerusalem and proceeds from increased taxes, he launched a major public works program and started building the Colosseum – the most ambitious and best-preserved of his projects.
After Vespasian left for Rome, he put his son Titus in charge of completing the task of putting down the revolt.
The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote of the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem:
While the holy house (The Temple) was on fire, everything was plundered that came to hand, and ten thousand of those that were caught were slain; nor was there a commiseration of any age...but children and old men...and priests, were all slain in the same manner....The flame was also carried a long way, and made an echo, together with the groans of those who were slain...one would have thought the whole city would have been on fire. Nor can one imagine anything greater and more terrible than this noise.
The Fast of Tisha B'Av (Ninth day of the month Av) fell on July 30 this year.
ReplyDelete"Using riches plundered from Jerusalem and proceeds from increased taxes,"
The Romans were the epitome of imperialism--conquering and looting other countries to enrich themselves and gain military glory. That's why tax collectors were seen as lowlifes in the New Testament era: they not only cooperated with a foreign occupier, but they participated in the organized robbery and extortion that was the Roman tax scheme. Add to that the cultural blindness which kept the Romans devaluing Jewish sentiments, and you ended up with an explosive mess. Vespasian and Titus don't get bad press from the Rabbis for three reasons: first, they allowed the rabbinic culture to start growing at Yavneh under the leadership of R. Yochanan ben Zakkai, around which post Temple Judaism coalesced; second, the destruction of the Temple was seen as divine punishment (and linked specifically to "causeless hatred", let them who wish to read lessons for our times do so); third, and most important, they were better than Hadrian, who attempted to wipe out Judaism, and who was possibly the worst anti-Semite in history before a certain Austrian "came and did what he did".
And what occurred under these Roman emperors can reasonably be described as the direct cause of all the problems in the Holy Land in our own day. History has a long reach.
And as a palate cleanser, so to speak:
Here's a story I came across last week.
http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2009/07/crossing-virginia-sustained-by.html
Oops moment.
ReplyDeleteI left out the fact that Tisha B'Av is the date of the destruction of the Temples (both the First by the Babylonians and the Second by the Romans). It is the severest fast in the Jewish year, dedicated to strict lamenting and mourning, unlike Yom Kippur with its overtones of joy (the forgiveness of sins)
Kishnevi, I thought you might weigh in on this one. Thanks for the added information.
ReplyDeleteYour link leads to quite a story. Thank you.
Here's it is in a more accessible format.
I loved that you link to that post of Rocco's.
ReplyDeleteThat would be "Here it is".
ReplyDeleteVespasian's dying words, "I think I am becoming a god."
ReplyDeleteCounterlight, I'll remember that. It's a good final line.
ReplyDeleteAnother memorable comment by Vespasian came when he picked fairly lowborn general( who had risen on his own merits through the ranks) for the Senate. Someone complained that the new senator had no illustrious ancestors. Said Vespasian: "he is is own illustrious ancestor".
ReplyDeleteCarl Johan XIV Baptist (Jules) Bernadotte said the same: L'Ancêtre, c'est moi!
ReplyDelete