Nach Neros Tod und den Bürgerkriegswirren 68/9 n. Chr. brachte erst Vespasian wieder Stabilität und Kontinuität in den politischen Alltag. Anders als seine Vorgänger stammte er aus der munizipalen Aristokratie und hatte einen normalen senatorischen cursus durchlaufen, so dass sich die Frage nach der Legitimation seiner Herrschaft in besonderem Maße stellte. Vor diesem Hintergrund untersucht die Arbeit den Umgang mit Vergangenheit unter Vespasian wie auch seinen Söhnen in drei Schritten: zunächst das Ringen um den Principat während des Bürgerkriegs, dann die Verstetigung des Principats im Austarieren des Machtgefüges zwischen Senatoren und Princeps, schließlich die Ausgestaltung des Principats mit der Orientierung an den iulisch-claudischen Principes.

After Nero's death and the following civil wars in 68-69 A.D., it was the victor Vespasian, who re-established stability and continuity. What set him apart from his Julio-Claudian predecessors was his origin from a municipal family and his status as a normal member of the senatorial order until his revolt. In this context the legitimisation and presentation of his new position of power was vital for him. The question therefore is how Vespasian and his sons, who succeeded him and came to power under very different circumstances, used the past for their own purposes. This study concentrates on these references to the past with a view to three main aspects: gaining power, which meant dealing with the pretenders of the civil wars on the one and presenting the victory over the Jewish Rebels on the other hand; consolidating the principate, which focuses on the relation between senators and the princeps and the impact of this process on the creation of the 'republican' idea; last, shaping the principate, which concentrates on the role-model-character of the Julio-Claudian principes for Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian.