Potior utroque Vespasianus : Vespasian and His Predecessors in Tacitus's Histories

Damon argues that in Tacitus's Histories, the inclusion of parallel incidents (on a small scale, rather than "must-have" episodes) in two or more principates encourages the reader to measure one princeps against others. This set of comparisons focuses on imperial freedmen awarded extraordinary honours by their emperors, on emperors' attempts to spare their enemies and control key supporters, on the effectiveness (or otherwise) of an emperor in refusing the soldiers' demands, and on how emperors treat senators. Vespasian emerges from the analysis with more to his credit than any of his predecessors in the civil wars. This paper does not suggest that the first Flavian emperor is a paragon, but rather offers ways to explain the dynasty's successful beginning.