Domitian's government exhibited totalitarian characteristics ; he saw himself as the new Augustus, an enlightened despot destined to guide the Roman Empire into a new era of brilliance.

After his death, Domitian's memory was condemned to oblivion by the Roman Senate, while senatorial authors such as Tacitus, Pliny the Younger and Suetonius published histories propagating the view of Domitian as a cruel and paranoid tyrant.

By 6, Domitian's mother and sister had long died, while his father and brother were continuously active in the Roman military, commanding armies in Germania and Judaea.

Jones estimates Domitian's annual income at more than 1, 200 million sestertii, of which over one-third would presumably have been spent maintaining the Roman army.

The army command may have resented Domitian's decision to retreat, but to him the Caledonian territories never represented anything more than a loss to the Roman treasury.

For the remainder of Domitian's reign Dacia remained a relatively peaceful client kingdom, but Decebalus used the Roman money to fortify his defences.

The reverse depicts the Roman goddess Minerva, who was Domitian's favoured deity, and appeared on numerous coin types throughout his reign.

Domitian's foreign policy was realistic, rejecting expansionist warfare and negotiating peace at a time when Roman military tradition dictated aggressive conquest.

The new Roman emperor was greeted by the people of Rome with great enthusiasm, which he justified by governing well and without the bloodiness that had marked Domitian's reign.

It was as a military commander that Trajan is best known to history, particularly for his conquests in the Near East, but initially for the two wars against Dacia — the reduction to client kingdom ( 101 – 102 ), followed by actual incorporation into the Empire of the trans-Danube border kingdom of Dacia — an area that had troubled Roman thought for over a decade with the unfavourable ( and to some, shameful ) peace negotiated by Domitian's ministers.

In size, it is approximately equivalent to Nero's Golden House in Rome or to the Roman villa at Piazza Armerina in Sicily, and in plan it closely mirrors the basic organisation of the emperor Domitian's palace, the Domus Flavia, completed in AD 92 upon the Palatine Hill in Rome.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started in 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign ( 81 – 96 ).

It is related that, during his stay in Rome, Akiva became intimately acquainted with the Jewish proselyte ḳeṭia ' bar Shalom, a very influential Roman — according to some scholars identical with Flavius Clemens, Domitian's nephew, who, before his execution for pleading the cause of the Jews, bequeathed to Akiba all his possessions ( Ab.

Tacitus ' statement Perdomita Britannia et statim missa ( Britain was completely conquered and immediately let go ), denotes his bitter disapproval of Domitian's failure to unify the whole island under Roman rule after Agricola's successful campaign.

Thus, it is no surprise that the mountain pass beside the Saalburg was first fortified by Roman troops during Domitian's wars against the Chatti ( AD 81-96 ), when two simple earthen enclosures were erected ( Schanzen A and B, located between the restored fort and the modern road ).

Gouais Blanc has been proposed as a candidate for the grape given to the Gauls by Marcus Aurelius Probus ( Roman Emperor 276 – 282 ), who was from Pannonia and who overturned Domitian's decree banning grape growing north of the Alps.

According to Suetonius, the people of Rome met the news of Domitian's death with indifference, but the army was much grieved, calling for his deification immediately after the assassination, and in several provinces rioting.

Along the Rhine River, he took part in the Emperor Domitian's wars while under Domitian's successor, Nerva, who was unpopular with the army and needed to do something to gain their support.

The site of the oblong piazza is Domitian's ancient stadium, which was probably used for horse and chariot races.

According to early tradition, this book was composed near the end of Domitian's reign, around the year 95 AD.

Domitian's reign came to an end in 96 when he was assassinated by court officials.

Domitian's authority was merely nominal, however, foreshadowing what was to be his role for at least ten more years.

In 80, Domitia and Domitian's only attested son was born.

Little is known of Domitia's activities as Empress, or how much influence she wielded in Domitian's government, but it seems her role was limited.

Prior to becoming Emperor, Domitian's role in the Flavian government was largely ceremonial.

The reality of Domitian's autocracy was further highlighted by the fact that, more than any emperor since Tiberius, he spent significant periods of time away from the capital.

Domitian's tendency towards micromanagement was nowhere more evident than in his financial policy.

Domitian's rigorous taxation policy ensured that this standard was sustained for the following eleven years.

At the time of Domitian's accession the city was still suffering from the damage caused by the Great Fire of 64, the civil war of 69 and the fire in 79.

Much more than a renovation project however, Domitian's building program was intended to be the crowning achievement of an Empire-wide cultural renaissance.

Among the most important new structures were an odeon, a stadium, and an expansive palace on the Palatine Hill known as the Flavian Palace which was designed by Domitian's master architect Rabirius.

In order to appease the people of Rome an estimated 135 million sestertii was spent on donatives, or congiaria, throughout Domitian's reign.

Domitian's supposed victory was much scorned by ancient authors, who described the campaign as " uncalled for ", and a " mock triumph ".

A highly detailed account of the plot and the assassination is provided by Suetonius, who alleges that Domitian's chamberlain Parthenius was the chief instigator behind the conspiracy, citing the recent execution of Domitian's secretary Epaphroditus as the primary motive.

The murder itself was carried out by a freedman of Parthenius named Maximus, and a steward of Domitian's niece Flavia Domitilla, named Stephanus.

Nerva was old and childless, and had spent much of his career out of the public light, prompting both ancient and modern authors to speculate on his involvement in Domitian's assassination.

He was forced to submit to their demands, agreeing to hand over those responsible for Domitian's death and even giving a speech thanking the rebellious Praetorians.

Nevertheless, Petro managed to improve his status by marrying the extremely wealthy Tertulla, whose fortune guaranteed the upwards mobility of Petro's son Titus Flavius Sabinus I, Domitian's grandfather.

A detailed description of Domitian's appearance and character is provided by Suetonius, who devotes a substantial part of his biography to his personality.

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.

Equally curtailed by Mucianus were Domitian's military ambitions.

4th century writings by Eusebius of Caesarea maintains that Jews and Christians were heavily persecuted toward the end of Domitian's reign.

Domitian's aggressive claim to divinity would have been rejected and resisted by Christians.

A reinterpretation of the ground plan and finds assemblage by Dr Miles Russell of Bournemouth University has suggested that, given the extremely close parallels with Domitian's imperial palace in Rome, its construction may more plausibly date to after AD 92.

) is the name given to the religious romance which purports to contain a record made by one Clement ( whom the narrative identifies as both Pope Clement I, and Domitian's cousin Titus Flavius Clemens ) of discourses involving the apostle Peter, together with an account of the circumstances under which Clement came to be Peter's travelling companion, and of other details of Clement's family history.

He is used to good effect in stage 37 of the Cambridge Schools Classics Project as a ' factional ' character in Domitian's council discussing Agricola's position in Britain, and so is slightly known by the many thousands who have studied this course over the last forty-plus years.

* Santuario di Santa Maria della Rotonda, inspired by the Pantheon and built over the ruins of Domitian's villa.

Julia was deified and her ashes were later mixed and smoked with Domitian's by an old nurse secretly in the Temple of the Flavians.