TITUS, who had the same cognomen with his father, was the darling and the delight
					of mankind; so much did the natural genius, address, or good fortune he
					possessed tend to conciliate the favour of all. This was, indeed, extremely
					difficult, after he became emperor, as before that time, and even during the
					reign of his father, he lay under public odium and censure. He was born upon the
					third of the calends of January [30th Dec.], in the year remarkable for the
					death of Caius, Caligula. Titus was born A. U. C. 794;
						about A. D. 49 . near the Septizonium, The Septizonium was a circular building of seven stories.
						The remains of that of Septimis Severus, which stood on the side of the
						Palatine Hill, remained till the time of Pope Sixtus V., who removed it, and
						employed thirty-eight of its columns in ornamenting the church of St. Peter.
						It does not appear whether the Septizonium here mentioned as existing in the
						time of Titus, stood on the same spot. in a mean house, and a very
					small and dark room, which still exists, and is shown to the curious. He was educated in the palace with Britannicus, and instructed in the same
					branches of learning, and under the same masters. During this time, they say,
					that a physiognomist being introduced by Narcissus, the freedman of Claudius, to
					examine the features of Britannicus, Britannicus, the son
						of Claudius and Messalina. positively affirmed that he would never
					become emperor, but that Titus, who stood by, would. They were so familiar, that
					Titus being next him at table, is thought to have tasted of the fatal potion
					which put an end to Britannicus's life, and to have contracted from it a
					distemper which hung about him a long time. In remembrance of all these
					circumstances, he afterwards erected a golden statue of him in the Palatium, and
					dedicated to him an equestrian statue of ivory; attending it in the Circensian
					procession, in which it is still carried to this day. While yet a boy, he was remarkable for his noble endowments both of body and
					mind; and as he advanced in years, they became still more conspicuous. He had a
					fine person, combining an equal mixture of majesty and grace; was very strong,
					though not tall, and somewhat corpulent. Gifted with an excellent memory, and a
					capacity for all the arts of peace and war; he was a perfect master of the use
					of arms and riding; very ready in the Latin and Greek tongues, both in verse and
					prose; and such was the facility he possessed in both, that he would harangue
					and versify extempore. Nor was he unacquainted with music, but could both sing
					and play upon the harp sweetly and scientifically. I have likewise been informed
					by many persons, that he was remarkably quick in writing short-hand, would in
					merriment and jest engage with his secretaries in the imitation of any
					hand-writing he saw, and often say, " that he was admirably qualified for
					forgery." He filled with distinction the rank of a military tribune both in Germany and
					Britain, in which he conducted himself with the utmost activity, and no less
					modesty and reputation; as appears evident from the great number of statues,
					with honourable inscriptions, erected to him in various parts of both those
					provinces. After serving in the wars, he frequented the courts of law, but with
					less assiduity than applause. About the same time, he married Arricidia, the
					daughter of Tertullus, who was only a knight, but had formerly been prefect of
					the pretorian guards. After her decease, he married Marcia Furnilla, of a very
					noble family, but afterwards divorced her, taking from her the daughter he had
					by her. Upon the expiration of his quaestorship, he was raised to the rank of
					commander of a legion, A.U.C. 820 and took the two
					strong cities of Tarichaea and Gamala, in Judaea; and having his horse killed
					under him in a battle, he mounted another, whose rider he had encountered and
					slain. Soon afterwards, when Galba came to be emperor, he was sent to congratulate him,
					and turned the eyes of all people upon himself, wherever he came: it being the
					general opinion amongst them, that the emperor had sent for him with a design to
					adopt him for his son. But finding all things again in confusion, he turned back
					upon the road; and going to consult the oracle of Venus at Paphos about his
					voyage, he received assurances of obtaining the empire for himself. These hopes
					were speedily strengthened, and being left to finish the reduction of Judea, in
					the final assault of Jerusalem, he slew seven of its defenders, with the like
					number of arrows, and took it upon his daughter's birth-day. Jerusalem was taken, sacked, and burnt, by Titus, after a
						two years' siege, on the 8th of September, A U. C. 821, A.
							D. 69 ; it being the Sabbath. It was in the second year of the
						reign of Vespasian, when the emperor was sixty years old, and Titus himself,
						as he informs us, thirty. For particulars of the siege, see Josephus, De
						Bell. Jud. vi. and vii.; Hegesippus, Excid. Hierosol. v.; Dio, lxvi.;
						Tacitus Hist. v.; Orosius, vii. 9. So great was the joy and
					attachment of the soldiers, that, in their congratulations, they unanimously
					saluted him by the title of Emperor; For the sense in which
						Titus was saluted with the title of Emperor by the troops, see JULIUS
						CAESAR, c. lxxvi. and, upon his quitting the province soon
					afterwards, would needs have detained him, earnestly begging him, and that not
					without threats, "either to stay, or take them all with him." This occurrence
					gave rise to the suspicion of his being engaged in a design to rebel against his
					father, and claim for himself the government of the East; and the suspicion
					increased, when, on his way to Alexandria, he wore a diadem at the consecration
					of the ox Apis at Memphis; and, though he did it only in compliance with an
					ancient religious usage of the country, yet there were some who put a bad
					construction upon it. Making, therefore, what haste he could into Italy, he
					arrived first at Rhegium, and sailing thence in a merchant ship to Puteoli, went
					to Rome with all possible expedition. Presenting himself unexpectedly to his
					father, he said, by way of contradicting the strange reports raised concerning
					him, "I am come, father, I am come."