Titus

Who is Titus?

Titus is one of the Thirty Tyrants, a list of Roman usurpers compiled by the author of the often unreliable Historia Augusta. Titus was said to have revolted against Maximinus Thrax, a Roman Emperor who ruled 235-238, after the revolt of Magnus.

Titus was a tribune of the Moors, who had been deposed by Maximinus and transferred to a civilian position. After the revolt of Magnus had been crushed, Titus, fearing for his life, reluctantly seized the power, having the purple compelled on him by his soldiers. He ruled for six months, and Historia stated he deserved praises both home and abroad, but in the end Maximinus suppressed the revolt and killed Titus.

Also noteworthy is Titus's wife, Calpurnia of the Caesonii, and who had been a priestess, whose statue, in marble and golden bronze, was located in the Temple of Venus. She reportedly owned the pearls that had belonged to Cleopatra VII of Egypt, and a famous one hundred-pound silver platter, with the histories of her noteworthy family.