Domitien

Domitien (Latin: IMPERATOR•CAESAR•DOMITIANVS•AVGVSTVS•GERMANICVS) (October 24th 51 - September 18th 96), is Roman Emperor of 81 with 96. Its reign one of is more disputed imperial history.

Origins

Domitien was born the October 24th 51 (year 804 of Rome). He is the son junior by Vespasien and Domitille, the brother and successor of Titus. Suétone describes it in these terms:

Domitien had the high size, a face modest and reddening, of large eyes, but a rather weak sight; Moreover it beautiful, was well proportioned, especially during its youth later, it was made ugly by the fall of the hair, its obesity, and the thinness of its legs, which had still increased following a long illness | Suétone, Life of the twelve Césars , Domitien, XVIII.

Domitien becomes bald person early, which makes it call by Juvénal the Néron bald person , Calvus Nero .

Domitien has solids qualities: intelligence, eagerness with work, direction of the businesses, direction of the organization, acute vision of the needs for the moment. But it has also some tough defects. It is proud, being wary, jealous, and cruel. At the end of its life, it makes plate the walls of its palate of mirrors enabling him to see all that occurs around and behind him to counter a possible attack.

Marginalized by his/her father and his brother

The political career of Domitien starts at 21 years when, present at Rome with his/her uncle Flavius Sabinus it taken refuge in the Capitole pursued by the partisans of Vitellius. He escapes death miraculeusement while his/her uncle and the partisans of the Flaviens die in the fire of the building. Domitien receives the title of César in December 69, therefore of heir to the Empire, at the same time as his/her Titus brother. He is proclaimed Princeps Iuventutis (Prince of Youth). In 70 it represents Vespasien, which did not yet return from the East, near the Senate and takes taste with the capacity. However it is quickly marginalized by his father. Whereas Vespasien put all on Titus by giving him best possible education, it gives to Domitien only one very summary formation. If this one receives all the honors due to its row, his/her father does not like its unmethodical and rancorous character who draws aside it from the control of the businesses. One thus makes him make no training neither of the administration, nor of the army. It is “on the heap” that he learns his trade from emperor. Vespasien refuses all the important military commands to him and does not entrust to him, whereas it makes the request, the possibility of it of directing the troops in responsibility of repress the revolt of Civilis and the Bataves, nor to go to carry help to the king of the Parthes threatened by the Alains.

Under the government of his/her brother Titus (79 - 81) Domitien intrigues again and sees still isolated capacity. But Titus dies rather quickly, probably of disease and not poisoned by Domitien as its adversaries will affirm it. What is certain, it is that Domitien does not waste time and is made recognize princeps (the September 13rd 81) whereas his/her brother still fails. It is 30 years old.

Towards 71 he marries Domitia Longina, which gives him, in 73, a first wire, Vespasien, which dies young person. He then drives out it for misconduct, then takes again the common life and makes him, in 90, a second wire again fore-mentioned Vespasien. This second child dies young person, him also, at the five years age.

A reign dominated by the war over the Danube

The reign of Domitien is dominated by the fights against the people of Germanie and especially of the area of the the Danube. While in Brittany Agricola with brilliance the conquest of the Domitien island continues visits the Gaulle in 83 and launches, with the head of 8 legions, an offensive surprised against the German people of the the most powerful Rhine at the time, the Chatte S. The latter are overcome and the Roman presence in the area seriously reinforced At that time Domitien reveals already its ombrageux character. Thus Agricola, of which Domitien is certainly jealous, is raised of its functions in 84. But very quickly the situation is degraded on the Danube. The Dace S, divided into 5 different kingdoms, have been just linked under the control of an energetic and pitiless chief, Décébale. In 85 the governor of Messiah, Oppius Sabinus, is killed while fighting against them. Domitien intervenes in person with the Praetorian guard and drives out Daces towards their mountains of Transylvania. Domitien turns over then to Rome and load the Préfet of the court, Cornélius Fuscus to continue pacification. Fuscus, whose Juvénal draws up a pathetic portrait is opportunist but a poor soldier. In 86, it is overcome and killed in the valley of Tapæ by Décébale itself.

Domitien sends an experienced soldier then, Tettius Julianus, which in 69 had overcome in Mésie the Roxolans and which thus knows perfectly this area. It receives two legions, one of Brittany, the other of Dalmatie and immediately makes register with its men their name and that of their centurion on their shield in order to distinguish the good soldiers from the cowards. It constrained Décébale with the retirement by its victory in 89 with the Doors of Iron but made half-turn before reaching the capital dace because resistance is sharp and the usurpation of 89 modifies the internal political situation with the empire. Domitien prefers to treat and makes peace with Décébale. This one becomes a king customer and perceives subsidies. This situation goes perdurer until the reign of Trajan.

The attempt at usurpation of 89 and the Fields Décumates

In 89 the legate of Germanie Antonius Saturninus tries to usurp the capacity with the support of two legions, that of the senators whose relations with Domitiens are conflict, and associates the alliance of the She-cats. This attempt turns short rather quickly. The second legate of Germanic, Lappius Maximus, without very awaiting the support of Trajan and his legion of Spain, is victorious of the usurper. Domitien concludes a fast peace with the Daces then is avenged pitilessly for all those which he suspects of having dependant part with the attempt of Saturninus. Some senators are often carried out with cruelty. It makes carry out the emissary of the Suèves (Quades and Marcomans) which had refused their assistance in the war against Décébale. It reorganizes the province of Germanic in the form of two Roman provinces distinct: the higher Germanic and the lower Germanic with each one four legions. Three legions are sent of Germanic towards the Pannonia, border more dangerous, including both which had followed the insurrection. The war against the Sarmates and the Suèves hard until in 93 and a legion, the XXI Rapax , is destroyed by the latter.

Domitien reacts with celerity vis-a-vis the threatening situation. It raises a new legion in Germanie, the I Minervia , to replace that which has just been destroyed and especially it launches the construction of the files of the Champs Décumates which make it possible to make a junction strengthened between the possessions of the Rhine and the Danube.

The interior policy

Occulted by the military difficulties and the bloody end of the reign the interior work of Domitien is not less considerable and precedes the reign of Trajan for it. It reforms the Roman administration, raises Rome of the ruins caused by the fires of 64 and 80. For that it embellishes Rome of several buildings (the vast residence of the Palais Flavien on the Palatin, the temple of Jupiter Capitolin, the Forum of Vespasien, the Arc of Titus) and restores the library of Auguste who had burned. He also seeks to develop Italian agriculture and legislates on the grounds given up in 82. He supports the Italian vine growing by a protective edict. Finally it sticks the fidelity of the soldiers while increasing balances it approximately 25% what answers an old claim which goes back to the revolt of the year 6. In 86, the Jeux Capitolins are organized for the first time. In 87, the secular Jeux are celebrated with ostentation.

The death of Domitien

At the beginning of the Domitien reign is liberal and right. It is rented for its direction of justice, of the religion Cependant its naturalness anxious, its tendency to see plots everywhere, its violence and its authoritarianism obscures the end of its reign. Its disproportion, it is made call lord and god , very holy emperor and even sometimes Jupiter , upsets the Senate. This tendency worsens after the conspiracy of 89. It puts at dead some senators and distinguished Romains, Helvidius Priscus, Cerealis, Arulenus Rusticus, like his/her own cousins Sabinus, Clemens, and seizes their goods. It orders a cruel persecution against the Christian , which refuse to contribute to the rebuilding of the temple of Capitole. It proscribes the philosophers, inter alia Épictète and Dion Chrysostome, as well as the historians, of which it fears the severe judgments.

In this context disturbed a plot ties itself and implies the empress itself, as well as the prefect of the court Petronius Secundus, her chamberlain and some senators. Domitien is assassinated in its palate the September 18th 96. According to Suétone, with the news of its assassination, the Roman Sénat hastens to make disappear any trace from Domitien by pronouncing its Damnatio memoriae . Its death causes a military crisis besides engraves because it was popular in the army. Its successor, Nerva, named by the Senate, cannot prevent the Praetorian ones from killing his assassins (with whom however indirectly it owes his throne even if it is foreign with the plot) and must take into account revolts in the legions of Germanic and of the Danube. Its skill is then to name like successor an officer unanimously respected by the troop, Trajan.

Anecdotes

This emperor likes himself, according to Suétone, to make tremble his subjects, at the time same as it saves them. One day it invites to a feast the principal senators and receives them in a tended room of black, where coffins are prepared as many as guests. After being itself made a play of their fright, it lets them leave. Full with contempt for the senate, he convenes it once to decide in which vase one was to make cook a turbot. In its moments of leisure, he has fun to bore flies with a punch, which gave opportunity to Vibius Priscus, to which one asked whether there were nobody with the emperor, to answer: " muscaquidem" , " not even a fly " , word which costs him the life. It is necessary however to take care not to cash take for money these lies, often taken again by Suétone whose impartiality is not quality first. Will of Domitien to lower the Senate, and the real cruelty of the average employees, are worth to him strong enmities in the authors of the time. Trajan which even more strongly draws aside the Senate of the capacity, but with the manner, is entitled to a more favorable treatment. The two emperors will be unceasingly compared with an aim of putting Trajan ahead whereas this one often will be pressed on the work of its predecessor (on the Danube for example where the files of Domitien is an effective home base for Trajan).

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