Domitian summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Domitian.

Domitian , Latin Caesar Domitianus Augustus orig. Titus Flavius Domitianus, (born Oct. 24, ad 51—died Sept. 18, 96, Rome), Roman emperor (81–96). The son of Vespasian, he succeeded his brother Titus, whom he probably had killed. His administration was ostensibly egalitarian and based on precedent, but his laws were severe. Defeats in Britain and Germany undid his successes, though increased pay for the army kept it loyal. From 89 he became crueler, imposing a reign of terror over prominent senators and confiscating his victims’ property to cover imperial expenses. The group that killed him included his wife and possibly his successor, Nerva.

emperor Summary

Emperor, title designating the sovereign of an empire, conferred originally on rulers of the ancient Roman Empire and on various later European rulers, though the term is also applied descriptively to some non-European monarchs. In republican Rome (c. 509–27 bce), imperator denoted a victorious

Senate Summary

Senate, in ancient Rome, the governing and advisory council that proved to be the most permanent element in the Roman constitution. Under the early monarchy the Senate developed as an advisory council; in 509 bc it contained 300 members, and a distinction existed within it between the heads of the

government Summary

Government, the political system by which a country or community is administered and regulated. Most of the key words commonly used to describe governments—words such as monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy—are of Greek or Roman origin. They have been current for more than 2,000 years and have not