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Wild-wild West
Vespasian is related to the Latin "vespera" meaning evening and "west" (from the association to the sunset). Vesper itself is a Latin form of the Greek "hespera" meaning the same.
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The latest buzz...Yes, I thought of associating Vespasian with the word vesper, too, but it could also be derived from the Latin word "vespa", meaning "wasp". Considering how a lot of Roman names often had uncomplimentary or even comical meanings, it could be that an early ancestor of Vespasian's was waspish.-- Nanaea
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