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These Elderly People Peaked During their Twilight Years and Changed History

Khalid Elhassan November 30, 2022 31 min

Old - An elderly Bishop Hugh Latimer on his way to the stake — An elderly Bishop Hugh Latimer on his way to the stake. Davenant Institute

From Forced Retirement to the Imperial Throne

Old - The Roman capture of Jerusalem, in the final stages of the Great Jewish Revolt — The Roman capture of Jerusalem, in the final stages of the Great Jewish Revolt. Pinterest

Vespasian reemerged from retirement after Emperor Claudius’ passing, and won favor with his successor, Nero. His restored career was derailed, however, when he fell asleep while Nero was giving a lyre recital. Things got so bad for Vespasian that he was forced to become a muleteer to make ends meet. His fortunes revived when he was yanked out of retirement to suppress the Jewish Rebellion in 67 AD. He was busily engaged in that when Nero was forced from power and driven to suicide in 68. In the subsequent scramble for power, rival governors and generals mounted the throne in quick succession.

By April of 69, the year was already known as “The Year of the Three Emperors”. Vespasian, by then sixty years old – long in the tooth by the era’s standards – reasoned why not four? He secured support in the Roman east, then declared himself emperor and sent his forces to Rome. By year’s end, his armies had triumphed, and won a final victory that secured the Empire for Vespasian. His rule was successful, as he restored stability and good governance, and launched a massive building and public works program.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.