Domitan (51 AD to 96 AD)

The future Roman emperor Domitan was born on October 24 in the year 51 AD and was the youngest son of Vespasian and Domitilla 1. Unlike his brother, Domitan did not have the luxury of being educated at the court of the emperor and led a solitary early years due to the death of his mother and the constant absence of his brother and father. Because of this constant loneliness ,Domitan inherited a trait of preferred solitude which would adversely affect him when he became emperor.

Under his father, Domitan did not have a major public life whereas his older brother held many high and privileged offices because he was being groomed as Vespasians successor. Domitan did inherit the hereditary name of Caesar and held numerous lessor consular and priestly positions but he had no major power like his elder brother. Domitan faced basically the same position under the short reign of his brother and ,as a result, he was never really close to Titus and held a sort of contempt to him.

Upon the death of his brother in September 81 AD, Domitan became emperor and accepted the titles of Pontifex Maximus ,and pater patriae (father of his country). Upon becoming emperor, Domitan raised the value of the Roman Denarius but eventually lowered it because of  Rome's debt and the inability of the imperial treasury to cover that debt. To remedy this financial problem, Domitan had to tax the empire heavily and confiscation became more widespread. Though this increased taxation was unpopular with the people, it did leave the Roman treasury with a surplus of funds upon Domitan's assination.

Domitan's reign was also filled with many grand building projects in Rome. During his reign, Domitan repaired many of the buildings destroyed or badly damaged during the great fires of 64 and 80 AD as well as during the civil war years before. His reign was marked by the erecting replacing and repairing of some 50 buildings including  the restoration of the Temple of Jupiter and the construction of a grand palace for himself. His building scheme is one which was not matched by any of the succeeding emperors.

Domitan also made himself censor perpetuus or censor for life. This move was a largely symbolic one which showed his interest in all aspects of the Roman society .Domitan was also an avid  supporter of traditional Roman religion and even went as far to identify himself with the gods Minerva and Jupiter. To further link these gods to his reign, Domitan introduced the Capolitine Games which were celebrated every four years and featured chariot races, athletic events and music. Domitan also held many Gladiatorial fights and ,during some of these fights, he threw food to the audience.

Domitan taxed the provinces heavily and he was not afraid to impose his authority on them. During his reign, Domitan changed the organization of many provinces and established the office of curator to investigate financial mismanagement in the provincial cities. Also, Domitan made many civil improvements to the provinces and most notable of these are road improvements on the Rhine and Sardinia and military defense improvements in North Africa.

Unlike the military achievements of his father and brother, those of Domitan were not genuine and as grand as he believed. He claimed a triumph for subduing an uprising in Gaul which was premature because victory would not come until six years later. Also, Domitan fought a number of wars in the troubled Danube area of which not much is known of except that one legion was lost.

Domitan became very unpopular with the senate in the later part of his reign due to the fact that ,unlike previous emperors, he showed them that he was in total control and that they had no real power. Through this attitude ,Domitan showed his Despotic way of rule and because of it he was brought down. Domitan was assinated in the year 96 AD because of a plot by his wife and the senate and was succeeded by an old senator named M. Cocceius Nerva after a reign of fifteen years.