Vespaian was the first middle class Emperor. He gave the empire a period of stable and efficient government .

He had commanded the second legion in the conquest of Britain. Under Nero, he became one of his official companions on the emperor's concert tours, but incurred the imperial wrath when he fell asleep at one of his lute recitals. Later he successfully put down a revolt in Judea with the help of Titus, his son.

He was something of a skinflint. Or perhaps it was just that he had set himself the goal of raising 400 million sesterces to ease the suffering treasury. He taxed everyone and everything. Even the public urinals.

But he was one of the good ones. He was deified after his death. His famous last words revealed his humor. As he lay dying he proclaimed: "By Jove! I think I'm becoming a god."