The Emperors Vespasian and Titus in Josephus’ Writings

Abstract This chapter approaches the question of Josephus’ relationships with Vespasian and Titus by carefully analyzing his narratives of his interactions with them in his roles as enemy general in Galilee to prisoner-of-war in the Roman camp to historian in the city of Rome. Throughout, Josephus’ claims will be evaluated considering his rhetorical compositions, against the backdrop of the ancient world, and within the immediate context where he was writing, namely, Flavian Rome. The investigation underlines Josephus’ relative social distance from the Roman emperors and demonstrates that his narratives are carefully crafted compositions that serve his own aims in writing and should not be understood as Flavian propaganda, as has often been the case in the past.