Although he was not educated in court, Domitian had as fine an education as any Roman boy from the upper strata of Roman society. Ten years younger than Titus, Domitian spent a number of years without his father or older brother. He too had several military successes and when his father was emperor he was given several offices (none of which, however, carried much power). Did the ugly head of jealousy rear itself again? Was Titus killed by his brother? All we know for certain is that Domitian delivered the funeral oration and had Titus deified.
As emperor Domitian was a hands-on ruler. He manipulated the value of the denarius to meet his military and public expenses. When this was not sufficient he confiscated properties and tried to control grain supplies to manipulate costs. Since Rome was still in need of much rebuilding, he continued and added to the projects begun by his father and brother. In the provinces he established the office of curator to investigate financial mismanagement; taxed heavily; and continued road building and defensive improvements.
Domitian did not trust the aristocracy, and it showed. He too left the treasury with a surplus, but he had a reputation as an egotistical, cruel, arrogant person consumed with power. In 83 he had three Vestal Virgins executed for immorality and in 90 he had the chief Vestal condemned to be buried alive. Contrary to the usual custom of deifying emperors only after death, Domitian insisted on being recognized and addressed as a god while still alive. Many Christians were persecuted during his reign; whether it was organized or whether it was a popular reaction against Christians that was simply tolerated by the government is debatable. But religious persecution did slow down considerably after his death.
Domitian died by assassination, and both he and his reign were widely condemned.
Meet the emperors face-to-face here in A Portrait Gallery
Sources:
The Oxford Classical Dictionary
http://www.roman-emperors.org
-- J.Jahnige, November 2003 (revised 2006)
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