Select Observations of Roman Emperors, Life 12
Flavius Domitianus.
HE was called Domitian from his Mother Domitilla, as Titus (his Brother) was called Vespasian from his Father.Titus cognomine paterno dictus Vespasianus, alter frater cognomine materno à Domitilla Domitianus est appellatus.
He was Associate to his Brother Titus in government during his life, and after his death was his Successor.Casaub.
Perceiving many of his Predecessors to be hated, asked one, how he might so rule as not to be hated? the Party answered, Tu fac contra, Do thou contrary to that they have done.
Yet he neither resembled his Father Vespasian nor his Brother Titus. Neroni, Eutropius:aut Caligulae, Licet patris fratrisque dissimilis memoriam nominis sui in expiabili detestatione perfudit, tamen receptissima inclaruit lege, qua minaciter interdixerat, ne intra terminos jurisdictionis Romanae Castraret quisquam puerum quod ni contigisset, quis eorum ferret examina, quorum paucitas difficilè toleratur? Am: Marcel: l. 15.qut Tiberio similior, quam Patri vel Fratri suo.
He was tall of stature, his countenance modest, and given much to redness; his eyes full and great, but his sight very dim. He was fair and of comely presence, especially in his youth; all his body was well shaped throughout, excepting his feet, the toes whereof were of the shortest; afterwards he became disfigured, and blemished with baldness, with a fat grand panch, and slender shanks.
In the beginning of his Empire his manner was to retire himself daily into a secret place for one hour, and there to do nothing else but cratch flyes, and with the sharp point of a bodkin prick them through; in so much as when one enquired whether any body were with Caesar within? Crispus made answer not impertinently, Ne Musca quidam, No, not so much as a Flye.Stylis ridicule remotis omnibus, muscarum agmina persequebatur.
Terribili armatus ferula volitantia Caesar
Agmina muscarum provocat, urget, agit.
Emanuelis Thesauri Caesares.
Aurel. Vict.Hostibus musca, muscis Hostis ad fuit.
Hippocrates reckons up this for one sign of Melancholy, when men catch flyes;And because he commanded the Vines to be cut down, he addes,
Scilicet humano se post quam sanguine Caesar
Proluit, ista sitit pocula, vina fugit.
In the Administration of the Empire, he behaved himself for a good while variable as one made of an equal mixture and temper of Vice and Vertues,Muscas captare atrae bilis indicium. Sueton.until at length he turned his vertues also into vices.
He neglected all Liberal Studies in the beginning of his Empire, albeit he took order to repair the Libraries consumed with fire, sending as far as *At Alexandria in Egypt was that famous Library of King Ptolomeus Philadelphus, & the other Ptolomies Progenitors, containing the number well near of 700000 Books, Aul. Gel. Noct. Attic. l. 7. c. 1.Alexandria for copies of Books.
His ordinary speech was not unelegant,Vellem tam formosus esse quàm Metius sibi videtur. sometimes he would deliver Apophthegms; as for example, he wished, That he had been as fair and well-favoured as Metius did think himself to be: another time he said,Conditionem Principum miserrimam aiebat, quibus de conjuratione comperta non crederetur, nisi occisis. That the condition of Princes was most miserable, who could not be credited touching a Conspiracy plainly detected, unless they were first slain.
This speech was used also by Adrian, Misera conditio Imperatorum, quibus, de affectata tyrandine, Sueton.nisi occisis non potest credi. Vulcat. Gallic. in Avidio Cassio.
He had no affection to bear Arms, or wield weapons,Sagittarum tam doctus fuit, ut inter patentes digitos extentae manus viri procul posite spicula ejus transvolarent. but delighted especially to shoot Arrows. He would drive his Arrows point blank, so just against the Palm of a mans right hand, standing a far off, and holding it forth stretched open for a mark, as they should all directly passe through the voyd spaces between the fingers, and do him no harm at all.Aurel. Vict.Suetonius.
Simile quid audivi à fide dignis & foreign fact umde duce Brundewizensi, qui suis pedissequis ac pueris honorariis imperavit, inter digitorum extensorum intervalla retinerent dalerum Imperialem, quem sumpto selopo minore, è patentibus digitis globulo innoxiè exemit. Paulus Voetius in Herodiani Marcum & Commodum. p. 178. & 179.During his abode at Alba, many have seen him shoot at an hundred wild beasts at a time, and purposely so to hit some of them in the head, that his shafts appeared there like a pair of horns.
It was rumoured abroad, that in his Infancy Dragons were found about him in manner of a Guard, which is but a Fable; for he himself,Tacitus. l. 11. Annal. who never derogated from himself, was wont to report but of one Serpent which was seen in his Chamber.
When he was mounted once to the Imperial state, he made his boast in the very Senate,Suetonius. that it was he who had given unto his Father and Brother both the Empire, and they had but delivered it up to him again.
Martial writeth thus to him in his Epigrams.
Magna licet toties tribuas, majora daturus
Dona, Ducum victor, victor & ipse tui:
Diligeris populo non propter premia, Caesar;
Propter te populus, praemia, Caesar, amat.
He was precise and industrious in ministring Justice, he reserved many times definitive sentences given for favour, and obtained by flattery; he did so chastise those that were faulty in that kind, that the Officers were never more temperate, or just in their places.
He repressed false informations, and sharply punished such informers, using this saying, Princeps qui delatores non castigat, irritat. The Prince that chastened not Promoters, setteth them on to promote.
At the first he so abhorred all Bloodshed and slaughter, that he purposed to publish an Edict, forbidding to kill and sacrifice any Oxe; and he scarce gave the least suspicion of Covetousness. But he continued not long in this strain, but fell after both to Cruelty and Avarice.
He was not only cruel, but very subtil and crafty in cloking of his cruelty.
Nunquam tristiorem sententiam sine praefatione clementiae pronuntiabit, Suetonius.ut non aliud jam certius atrocis exitus signum esset, quam Principis lenitas. He never pronounced any heavy bloody Sentence without some preamble and preface of clemency, so that there was not now a surer signe of some horrible end and conclusion, than a mild beginning and gentle Exordium.
It is reported of him, that, Eum se impensissimè diligere simulabat, quem maximè interemptum vellet. He would seem to love them most, whom he willed least should live.
It was sufficient, if any deed or word whatsoever was objected against any one, to make it high Treason against the Prince. Inheritances (though they belonged to the greatest strangers) were held confiscate, and adjudged to the Emperors Coffers, in case but one would come forth & depose, that he heard the party deceased say whiles he lived,Sue…onius. that Caesar was his heir.
Primus Domitianus Dominum se & Deum appellari jussit.He was the first Emperor who commanded himself to be called Lord, and God. He sent out his writs in this form, Dominus & Deus noster fic fieri jubet, Our Lord and God thus commandeth.Eusebius in Chronicis. Whereupon afterward this order was taken up, that neither in the writing or speech of any man,Sueton. he should be otherwise called.Eutropius.
Aurel. Vict.Edictum Domini Deique nostri. Martial.
Virgil called Augustus God, Deus nobis haec etia fecit.A true fore-runner of his successor the Pope, who in the Extravagants (and well it deserves to be put there) is styled Dominus Deus noster Papa, and his Decrees are styled Oracles.Vnde institutum posthac, ut ne scripto quidem nec sermone eujusquam appellaretur aliter. Suetonius. An Oracle signifieth the answer of God. Rom. 3.2.
Dominus meus Vnus est, Deus, omnipotens & aeternus. Qui pater patriae est, quomodo Dominus est? Sed & gratius nomen est pictatis quam potestatis; etiam familiae magis patres, quam Domini vocantur: tanto abest, ut Imperator Deus debeat dici, quod non potest credi non modo turpissima sed & perniciosa adulatione Tertul. Apol. 35.Euseb. Eccle. Hist. l. 3. c. 15.
Portio Neronis de crudelitate; for his cruelty a piece of Nero. Tertul. He was reproachfully called by the people bald Nero, because he was like him in cruelty but bald. Et calvo serviret Roma Neroni. Juvenal.The second persecution was under him in the twelth year of his reign; he most cruelly persecuted the Christians, because they would not give the Title of Lord to any but Christ,Nec omitti debet in maximis ejus facinoribus, Christianorum vexatio afflictioque. nor worship any but God. In this second great persecution, the beloved Disciple of Christ, the Evangelist Iohn (when he taught the Church of Ephesus) was banished to the Isle of Patmos for the Word of God;Boeclerus. where he wrote the Revelation.
Cletus, Nicomedes, Pontia, Theodora, Domicilla were then famous Martyrs.
There were many learned Scholars in his time; Iuvenal, Martial, Valerius Flaccus, Silius Italicus, Poets: Epictetus the Philosopher, and Apollonius Tyanaeus a famous Magician: Cornelius Tacitus the Historian, Iulius Solinus, Quintilian, Iosephus the Writer of Jewish Antiquities.
Boeclerus in his Political Dissertation saith, He was an enemy to learning, punishing Historians for their most true praises of great men. He thought that wise men above others observed and disliked the hainous offences of Tyrants, and would record them.
He was proud like Nero, and persecuted innocent Christians as he did.
Tertullian called him Neronis portionem, In vita Agricolae. Praecipua sub Domitiano miseriarum pars erat, videre & aspici.Eusebius, haeredem; the one a part, the other, the Heir of Nero:Nero tantum subtraxit oculos, jussitque scelera, non spectavit. and Tacitus puts only this difference between them, that Nero indeed commanded cruel murders, but Domitian not only commanded them, but beheld them himself; and so he was Bis Parricida (as Valerius *L. 9. c. 11.Maximus saith of another) Concilio prius, iterum spectaculo.
He caused the line of David to be diligently sought out, and extinguished, for fear lest he were yet to come out of the House of David which should enjoy the Kingdom.
He was so fearful, that he walked almost continually in his Gallery,Valde solicitus, quod sciret ultimum vitae diem, saith Suetonius. He was much tortured in mind, because he fore-knew his end. Sueton. which he caused to be set with the stone Phengites, that by the brightness thereof as in a glass, (Plin. l. 36. c. 22.) he might see what was done behind him.
That is admirable which Writers have related concerning Apollonius Tyanaeus, a Pythagorick Philosopher, and famous Magician, who suddenly, as amazed, cried out at Ephesus when Domitian was slain, O Stephen, strike the Tyrant: and a little after he said, It is well, thou hast struck him, thou hast wounded him, thou hast killed him.
Nactus est tandem Domitianus exitum suis facinoribus dignum. Boeclerus. He saith also, Qui hanc Historiam cum exitu Commodi Imperatoris comparaverit, non ovum ovo similius reperiet, quam utriusque tyranni casum.
As his life was like unto the life of Nero, so was he not unlike him in his death; for his own Wife Domitia and friends conspired against him,Suetonius. Aurel. Vict. Carion. and slew him: his Body was carried to the grave by Porters, and buried without honour; the Senate of Rome also decreed, that his name should be rased, that all his Acts should be rescinded, and his memorial abolished quite for ever.
He perished in the 54th year of his life,Aurel. Vict. & Eutropius. Carion. Chron. about the 15th of his reign.
With whom both Tacitus and Suetonius end their History.