#LatinForTheDay - 22 April

"Non legiones, non classis proinde firma imperii munimenta quam numerum liberorum; nam amicos tempore, fortuna, cupidinibus aliquando aut erroribus imminui, transferri, desinere: suum cuique sanguinem indiscretum...

"...sed maxime principibus, quorum prosperis et alii fruantur, adversa ad iunctissimos pertineant."

Tacitus, Histories 4.52

'Neither legions nor fleets are as sure fortifications for imperial power as a number of children....

'For while time, fortune and - yes, sometimes - even ambition and errors of judgement may weaken, erode or extinguish friendship, blood ties are inseverable, especially so for rulers. While friends may enjoy his good times with him, only family stand with him in his misfortunes.'

So says Titus to his father Vespasian at the moment when the latter was setting out to Rome. Titus reinforces the significance of family, as Vespasian was angered by the behaviour of, Domitian, who "seemed to be trespassing beyond the natural sphere of an emperor's youthful son".

The Image at the head of this thread is an aureus of AD 70: Vespasian advertising his nascent dynasty to the people of Rome, with portraits of Titus and Domitian on the Reverse.

RIC 2.1 Vespasian 15; Münzkabinett Wien (RÖ 6615). Link - http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2_1(2).ves.15

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