The traditional theory holds that John the Apostle — considered to have written the Gospel and the epistles of John — was exiled on Patmos in the Aegean archipelago during the reign of Domitian, and there wrote Revelation.

Domitian was assassinated in September 96.

Irenaeus mentions that the Apocalypse was seen " no very long time ago almost in our own age, toward the end of the reign of Domitian ".

Domitian (; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96 ) was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96.

Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.

While Titus held a great many offices under the rule of his father, Domitian was left with honours but no responsibilities.

The following day Domitian was declared Emperor by the Praetorian Guard, commencing a reign which lasted fifteen years – longer than any man who had ruled since Tiberius.

Significant wars were fought in Britain, where his general Agricola attempted to conquer Caledonia ( Scotland ), and in Dacia, where Domitian was unable to procure a decisive victory against king Decebalus.

As a consequence, Domitian was popular with the people and army but considered a tyrant by members of the Roman Senate.

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.

Domitian was born in Rome on 24 October 51, the youngest son of Titus Flavius Vespasianus — commonly known as Vespasian — and Flavia Domitilla Major.

For Domitian, this meant that a significant part of his adolescence was spent in the absence of his near relatives.

During the Jewish-Roman wars, he was likely taken under the care of his uncle Titus Flavius Sabinus II, at the time serving as city prefect of Rome ; or possibly even Marcus Cocceius Nerva, a loyal friend of the Flavians and the future successor to Domitian.

Unlike his brother Titus, Domitian was not educated at court.

In Rome meanwhile, Domitian was placed under house arrest by Vitellius, as a safeguard against future Flavian aggression.

During the night, he was joined by his relatives, including Domitian.

With nothing more to be feared from the enemy, Domitian came forward to meet the invading forces ; he was universally saluted by the title of Caesar, and the mass of troops conducted him to his father's house.

During the Batavian rebellion, Domitian eagerly sought the opportunity to attain military glory, but was denied command of a legion by superior officers.

By all accounts, Mucianus held the real power in Vespasian's absence and he was careful to ensure that Domitian, still only eighteen years old, did not overstep the boundaries of his function.

According to Tacitus, Mucianus was not keen on this prospect but since he considered Domitian a liability in any capacity that was entrusted to him, he preferred to keep him close at hand rather than in Rome.

Domitian then wrote to Cerialis personally, suggesting he hand over command of his army but, once again, he was snubbed.

With the return of Vespasian in late September, his political role was rendered all but obsolete and Domitian withdrew from government devoting his time to arts and literature.

Vespasian attempted to arrange a dynastic marriage between his youngest son and the daughter of Titus, Julia Flavia, but Domitian was adamant in his love for Domitia Longina, going so far as to persuade her husband, Lucius Aelius Lamia, to divorce her so that Domitian could marry her himself.

When Domitian found out, he allegedly murdered Paris in the street and promptly divorced his wife, with Suetonius further adding that once Domitia was exiled, Domitian took Julia as his mistress, who later died during a failed abortion.

When Domitian found out, he allegedly murdered Paris in the street, and promptly divorced his wife.

Rochegude-The village was allegedly established during the reign of emperor Domitian ( 51-96 ) and Jefferson is said to have presented wines from here to Washington himself!

Domitian made himself extremely unpopular by his autocratic manner, which was a departure from the traditional fiction that the Emperor was merely first among equals ( primus inter pares ).

Domitian also revived the practice of the imperial cult, which had fallen somewhat out of use under Vespasian.

Under the rulers of the Nervan-Antonian dynasty, senatorial authors published histories which elaborated on the view of Domitian as a tyrant.

According to Suetonius, some were convicted for corruption or treason, others on trivial charges, which Domitian justified through his suspicion:

In many instances, existing portraits of Domitian, such as those found on the Cancelleria Reliefs, were simply recarved to fit the likeness of Nerva, which allowed quick production of new images and recycling of previous material.

The classic view of Domitian is usually negative, since most of the antique sources were related to the Senatorial or aristocratic class, with which Domitian had a notoriously difficult relation.

His views on Domitian survive through brief comments in its first five books, and the short but highly negative characterisation in Agricola in which he severely criticises Domitian's military endeavours.

Much more than a " gloomy coda to the ... 1st century " the Roman Empire prospered between 81 and 96, in a reign which Theodor Mommsen described as the sombre but intelligent despotism of Domitian.

Graham Stanton rejects Petrine authorship because 1 Peter was most likely written during the reign of Domitian in AD 81, which is when he believes widespread Christian persecution began, which is long after the death of Peter.

The Tridentine Calendar also had on 6 May a feast of " St John before the Latin Gate ", associated with a tradition recounted by Saint Jerome that St John was brought to Rome during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, and was thrown in a vat of boiling oil, from which he was miraculously preserved unharmed.

In 87 AD Emperor Domitian sent six legions into Dacia, which were defeated at Tapae.

Roman Emperor Augustus referred to his relation to the deified adoptive father, Julius Caesar as " son of a god " via the term divi filius which was later also used by Domitian and is distinct from the use of Son of God in the New Testament.

* Domitian appoints himself censor for life, which gives him the right to control the Senate.

* Emperor Domitian rebuilds and rededicates the Curia Julia ( meeting place of the Roman Senate ), which had burned down in 64.

Until 1960, another feast day which appeared in the General Roman Calendar is that of " St John Before the Latin Gate " on May 6, celebrating a tradition recounted by Jerome that St John was brought to Rome during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, and was thrown in a vat of boiling oil, from which he was miraculously preserved unharmed.

Until 1960, another feast day which appeared in the General Roman Calendar is that of " St John Before the Latin Gate " on May 6, celebrating a tradition recounted by Jerome that St John was brought to Rome during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, and was thrown in a vat of boiling oil, from which he was miraculously preserved unharmed.

While in the mid-19th century it was customary to identify him as a freedman of Titus Flavius Clemens, who was consul with his cousin, the Emperor Domitian, this identification, which no ancient sources suggest, then lost support.

To further honor and glorify the Flavian dynasty, foundations were laid for what would later become the Temple of Vespasian and Titus, which was finished by Domitian.

The painting anachronistically features the Arch of Titus, which was not completed until the reign of Domitian.

For the Alban Festival, Statius composed a poem on the German and Dacian campaigns of Domitian which Juvenal lampoons in his seventh satire.