Domitian | Page 3

Jupiter, Juno, and
Minerva; with the flamen of Jupiter, and the college of priests sitting by
his side in the same dress; excepting only that their crowns had also his
own image on them. He celebrated also upon the Alban mount every
year the festival of Minerva, for whom he had appointed a college of
priests, out of which were chosen by lot persons to preside as governors
over the college; who were obliged to entertain the people with
extraordinary chases of wild- beasts, and stage-plays, besides contests
for prizes in oratory and poetry. He thrice bestowed upon the people a
largess of three hundred sesterces each man; and, at a public show of
gladiators, a very plentiful feast. At the festival of the Seven Hills [803],
he distributed large hampers of provisions (483) to the senatorian and
equestrian orders, and small baskets to the common people, and
encouraged them to eat by setting them the example. The day after, he
scattered among the people a variety of cakes and other delicacies to be
scrambled for; and on the greater part of them falling amidst the seats
of the crowd, he ordered five hundred tickets to be thrown into each
range of benches belonging to the senatorian and equestrian orders.
V. He rebuilt many noble edifices which had been destroyed by fire,
and amongst them the Capitol, which had been burnt down a second
time [804]; but all the inscriptions were in his own name, without the
least mention of the original founders. He likewise erected a new
temple in the Capitol to Jupiter Custos, and a forum, which is now
called Nerva's [805], as also the temple of the Flavian family [806], a
stadium [807], an odeum [808], and a naumachia [809]; out of the stone
dug from which, the sides of the Circus Maximus, which had been
burnt down, were rebuilt.
VI. He undertook several expeditions, some from choice, and some
from necessity. That against the Catti [810] was unprovoked, but that
against the Sarmatians was necessary; an entire legion, with its
commander, having been cut off by them. He sent two expeditions
against the Dacians; the first upon the defeat of Oppius Sabinus, a man
of consular rank; and (484) the other, upon that of Cornelius Fuscus,
prefect of the pretorian cohorts, to whom he had entrusted the conduct

of that war. After several battles with the Catti and Daci, he celebrated
a double triumph. But for his successes against the Sarmatians, he only
bore in procession the laurel crown to Jupiter Capitolinus. The civil war,
begun by Lucius Antonius, governor of Upper Germany, he quelled,
without being obliged to be personally present at it, with remarkable
good fortune. For, at the very moment of joining battle, the Rhine
suddenly thawing, the troops of the barbarians which were ready to join
L. Antonius, were prevented from crossing the river. Of this victory he
had notice by some presages, before the messengers who brought the
news of it arrived. For upon the very day the battle was fought, a
splendid eagle spread its wings round his statue at Rome, making most
joyful cries. And shortly after, a rumour became common, that
Antonius was slain; nay, many positively affirmed, that they saw his
head brought to the city.
VII. He made many innovations in common practices. He abolished the
Sportula [811], and revived the old practice of regular suppers. To the
four former parties in the Circensian games, he added two new, who
were gold and scarlet. He prohibited the players from acting in the
theatre, but permitted them the practice of their art in private houses.
He forbad the castration of males; and reduced the price of the eunuchs
who were still left in the hands of the dealers in slaves. On the occasion
of a great abundance of wine, accompanied by a scarcity of corn,
supposing that the tillage of the ground was neglected for the sake of
attending too much to the cultivation of vineyards, he published a
proclamation forbidding the planting of any new vines in Italy, and
ordering the vines in the provinces to be cut down, nowhere permitting
more than one half of them to remain [812]. But he did not persist in
the execution of this project. Some of the greatest offices he conferred
upon his freedmen and soldiers. He forbad two legions to be quartered
in the same camp, and more than a thousand sesterces to be deposited
by any soldier with the standards; because it was thought that Lucius
Antonius had been encouraged in his late project by the large sum
deposited in the military chest by the two legions which he had in the
same winter- quarters. He made an addition to the soldiers' pay, of three
gold pieces a