As Emperor he became known for his generosity , and Suetonius states that upon realising he had brought no benefit to anyone during a whole day he remarked , " Friends , I have lost a day . " Although his administration was marked by a relative absence of major military or political conflicts , Titus faced a number of major disasters during his brief reign . On 24 October 79 , four months after his accession , Mount Vesuvius erupted . The eruption almost completely destroyed the cities and resort communities around the Bay of Naples . The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under metres of stone and lava , killing thousands . Titus appointed two ex-consuls to organize and coordinate the relief effort , while personally donating large amounts of money from the imperial treasury to aid the victims of the volcano . Additionally , he visited Pompeii once after the eruption and again the following year
Mount Vesuvius erupted
Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79
Titus