SEF/Art Resource, NY

Like father, like son. The Roman emperors Vespasian (ruled 69 to 79) and his son and successor Titus (ruled 79 to 81) shared at least one common goal: to build a grand amphitheater in Rome. Vespasian completed the first three tiers of the building and Titus added two more. According to author Feldman, it was Vespasian who ordered a dedication to be fixed above an entranceway, telling all who came that he had built the amphitheater. When Titus augmented the building, he added a T, an abbreviation of his name, to his father’s inscription.