Source edition
Suetonius. De Vita Caesarum Libri VIII. Ihm, Max, editor; Leipzig: Teubner, 1908.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a biography depicting the life of Domitian, the last emperor of the Flavian dynasty of the Roman Empire. The narrative begins with his birth, his dissolute youth, and the conspiracies fueled by his jealousy toward his father and brother. Upon ascending the throne, his early reign was a mixture of virtues and vices, marked by lavish spectacles, public works, and strict judicial and moral reforms. However, in the latter half of his reign, financial distress triggered his inherent cruelty and greed, leading to the ruthless execution of senators and relatives under the sway of extreme paranoia. Haunted by ominous omens and prophecies, he was ultimately assassinated in his bedchamber through a conspiracy led by his closest attendants. The biography concludes by contrasting the reactions to his death: while the soldiers sought to deify him, the Senate ordered the condemnation of his memory.