Domitian

Lives of the Twelve Caesars: vol
12, Domitian, The

The Project Gutenberg EBook The Lives Of The Caesars, by Suetonius,
V12 #12 in our series by C. Suetonious Tranquillus
Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the
copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing
this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project
Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the
header without written permission. Please read the "legal small print,"
and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the
bottom of this file. Included is important information about your
specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can
also find out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and
how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since
1971**
*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers*****
Title: The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars, Volume 12. [DOMITIAN]
Author: C. Suetonius Tranquillus
Release Date: August, 2004 [EBook #6397] [Yes, we are more than

one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on December 3,
2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIVES OF
THE CAESARS, SUETONIUS, V12 ***

This eBook was produced by Tapio Riikonen and David Widger


THE LIVES OF THE TWELVE CAESARS
By C. Suetonius Tranquillus;
To which are added,
HIS LIVES OF THE GRAMMARIANS, RHETORICIANS, AND
POETS.
The Translation of Alexander Thomson, M.D.
revised and corrected by T.Forester, Esq., A.M.

(479)

TITUS FLAVIUS DOMITIANUS.

I. Domitian was born upon the ninth of the calends of November [24th
October] [795], when his father was consul elect, (being to enter upon
his office the month following,) in the sixth region of the city, at the
Pomegranate [796], in the house which he afterwards converted into a
temple of the Flavian family. He is said to have spent the time of his
youth in so much want and infamy, that he had not one piece of plate
belonging to him; and it is well known, that Clodius Pollio, a man of
pretorian rank, against whom there is a poem of Nero's extant, entitled
Luscio, kept a note in his hand-writing, which he sometimes produced,
in which Domitian made an assignation with him for the foulest
purposes. Some, likewise, have said, that he prostituted himself to
Nerva, who succeeded him. In the war with Vitellius, he fled into the
Capitol with his uncle Sabinus, and a part of the troops they had in the
city [797]. But the enemy breaking in, and the temple being set on fire,
he hid himself all night with the sacristan; and next morning, assuming
the disguise of a worshipper of Isis, and mixing with the priests of that
idle superstition, he got over the Tiber [798], with only one attendant,
to the house of a woman who was the mother of one of his
school-fellows, and lurked there so close, that, though the enemy, who
were at his heels, searched very strictly after him, they could not
discover him. At last, after the success of his party, appearing in public,
and being unanimously saluted by the title of Caesar, he assumed the
office of praetor of the City, with consular authority, but in fact had
nothing but the name; for the jurisdiction he transferred to his next
colleague. He used, however, his absolute (480) power so licentiously,
that even then he plainly discovered what sort of prince he was likely to
prove. Not to go into details, after he had made free with the wives of
many men of distinction, he took Domitia Longina from her husband,
Aelias Lamia, and married her; and in one day disposed of above
twenty offices in the city and the provinces; upon which Vespasian said
several times, "he wondered he did not send him a successor too."
II. He likewise designed an expedition into Gaul and Germany [799],
without the least necessity for it, and contrary to the advice of all his
father's friends; and this he did only with the view of equalling his
brother in military achievements and glory. But for this he was severely
reprimanded, and that he might the more effectually be reminded of his

age and position, was made to live with his father, and his litter had to
follow his father's and brother's carriage, as often as they went abroad;
but he attended them in their triumph for the conquest of Judaea [800],
mounted on a white horse. Of the six consulships which he held, only
one was ordinary; and that he obtained by