Lex de imperio Vespasiani (Decreed Dec 69; Ratified Jan 70)
In December 69 and January 70, the Senate decreed and the people ratified the Lex de imperio Vespasiani, granting Vespasian “all that is usual for emperors.” Eight preserved clauses—including the right to convene the Senate—fixed emergency power into law [10][11][13].
What Happened
War closed on December 21; law followed. In late December 69, the Senate drafted the Lex de imperio Vespasiani, and in January 70 it was ratified as a lex by the people—a rare, explicit statement of imperial powers at a moment when Rome needed clarity [13].
A bronze tablet, now in the Musei Capitolini, preserves eight clauses. They include rights to convene the Senate and introduce motions—“Senatui… convocare referreque… quomodo divo Augusto… permissum est”—aligning Vespasian’s authority with Augustan precedent [10][11]. The color is green-brown patina; the sound would have been an iron chisel on bronze.
In the Curia Julia, senators recognized that victory needed legal architecture. The law confirmed powers to conclude treaties, endorse candidates, and even extend the pomerium. It bound a tumultuous year to constitutional language, inviting officials from Ostia to Antioch to read and abide.
This was not innovation so much as codification. Earlier emperors had exercised similar powers without a surviving inscription. The crisis of 69 demanded inscription—proof for posterity and for anxious contemporaries that the new emperor wielded more than a sword [11][13].
Copies or summaries likely traveled with governors; the original remained in Rome. Visitors to the Capitoline today can still see what civil war produced: a dynasty set in bronze, clause by clause, right by right.
Why This Matters
The Lex de imperio anchored Vespasian’s rule in a tangible legal text, unique in preservation and revealing in intent. It turned habits into clauses, presenting the Flavian regime as a restoration of Augustan norms rather than a rupture [10][11][13].
Within “Armies Crown, Senate Legitimizes,” the law is the Senate’s most articulate legitimizing act. It broadcast to soldiers, senators, and subjects that the new princeps held defined, recognized powers—constraining rivals’ narratives that he was merely a camp emperor.
For historians, the tablet is a window into imperial constitutional practice. It shows how a battered polity sought stability: by writing down what had often been assumed. After fires and executions, Rome reached for bronze and law.
Event in Context
See what happened before and after this event in the timeline
People Involved
Key figures who played a role in Lex de imperio Vespasiani (Decreed Dec 69; Ratified Jan 70)
Vespasian
Vespasian (born 9 CE), a battle-tested general from Sabine stock, won the purple in 69 not by racing to Rome but by mastering logistics and law. Acclaimed in Judaea on 1 July, he secured Egypt’s grain via Alexandria, coordinated with Gaius Licinius Mucianus, and drew the Danubian legions to his side. While his commanders took Rome, the Senate recognized him (21 December), and the lex de imperio Vespasiani codified his powers. He then stabilized the empire’s finances, finished the Jewish War through Titus, and began the Flavian building program that would culminate in the Colosseum.
Gaius Licinius Mucianus
Gaius Licinius Mucianus, an urbane eastern governor and twice consul, was the political architect of Vespasian’s rise. After years governing Syria, he brokered the alliance with Vespasian in 69, coordinated with Alexandria to secure Egypt’s grain, and marched west to steady the provinces while Danubian legions fought in Italy. In December the Senate recognized Vespasian, and the lex de imperio formalized his powers—outcomes Mucianus helped script. He then managed Rome in early 70, pruning Vitellian networks and rebooting finances. If Primus won the streets, Mucianus wrote the settlement.
Ask About This Event
Have questions about Lex de imperio Vespasiani (Decreed Dec 69; Ratified Jan 70)? Get AI-powered insights based on the event details.