The many deaths of Domitian Scandal and image destruction in imperial Rome

The Roman emperor Domitian (r. 81–96 CE) appears to have been a capable administrator, but he scandalized part of the senatorial aristocracy through his self-aggrandizement, his openly autocratic style of rule, and his lack of respect for the Senate. Even though the Caesars possessed unrivalled monarchical power, they had to take account of the norms and expectations of key interest groups, including the senators. Domitian’s controversial reign ended with his assassination, followed by a damnatio memoriae, an official condemnation of his memory by senatorial decree. Statues of the emperor were destroyed, mutilated, or recarved and his name was removed from inscriptions in an attempt at state-induced character assassination. However, a revolt of the Praetorian Guard makes it clear that his violent removal and condemnation were polarizing issues in some circles. When the political situation stabilized again under Trajan, politicians and poets who had supported and praised Domitian realigned their loyalties to the new regime, leading to polarization of a different kind. There was a concerted effort to create the impression that Domitian had been universally reviled by the upper classes, just as Trajan was allegedly universally loved. Some of the moral outrage surrounding the toppled ruler thus appears to have been constructed after the fact to complete his character assassination.