Page "Domitian" Paragraph 12

Domitian was allegedly extremely sensitive regarding his baldness, which he disguised in later life by wearing wigs.

According to Suetonius, he even wrote a book on the subject of hair care.

With regard to Domitian's personality, however, the account of Suetonius alternates sharply between portraying Domitian as the emperor-tyrant, a man both physically and intellectually lazy, and the intelligent, refined personality drawn elsewhere.

Brian Jones concludes in The Emperor Domitian that assessing the true nature of Domitian's personality is inherently complicated by the bias of the surviving sources.

Common threads nonetheless emerge from the available evidence.

He appears to have lacked the natural charisma of his brother and father.

He was prone to suspicion, displayed an odd, sometimes self-deprecating sense of humour, and often communicated in cryptic ways.

This ambiguity of character was further exacerbated by his remoteness, and as he grew older, he increasingly displayed a preference for solitude, which may have stemmed from his isolated upbringing.

Indeed, by the age of eighteen nearly all of his closest relatives had died by war or disease.

Having spent the greater part of his early life in the twilight of Nero's reign, his formative years would have been strongly influenced by the political turmoil of the 60s, culminating with the civil war of 69, which brought his family to power.