Watch List notes:

The Roman Empire
Domitian augustus, 81 – 96

Sestertius 87, Æ 26.38 g. IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XIII CENS PER PP Laureate bust r., with aegis. Rev. Domitian riding r., striking with spear at falling German; in exergue, S C. C 486. BMC –. RIC 530. CBN –.
Very rare. Dark green patina gently smoothed, otherwise good very fine

Privately purchased from CNG.

As the son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, Domitian was the overlooked member of the Flavian Dynasty until he became emperor in A.D. 81. Indeed, until that day arrived he remained obscure – the consummate underachiever within a remarkably successful family.

While Vespasian and Titus were earning glory leading Roman armies in Judaea and putting an end to the Roman civil war, Domitian remained in Rome in a precarious position. He was at least ten years younger than his brother and at this time was largely powerless to master his own fate. As the tides of revolution and counter-revolution raged in the capital, Domitian was a marked man who struggled for survival.

In fact, before he had reached his 18th year Domitian and his uncle Flavius Sabinus were forced to take refuge in the Temple of Capitoline Jupiter, which came under siege by partisans of Vitellius. As the temple was razed to the ground Flavius, then the city prefect, was captured and executed; Domitian narrowly escaped that fate by donning a disguise to make his escape.

Even after calm had been restored by Vespasian, Domitian continued to live in obscurity for the next decade with his father ruling the empire with Titus as his chief associate. Though Domitian bore the title of Caesar, his responsibilities were minimal and his public profile was virtually non-existent. The status quo persisted during the brief reign of his brother. Thus, when Domitian became emperor he spared no effort in redeeming himself through campaigns by which he hoped to achieve military glory that would rival that of his father and brother.

His campaigns were focused on the northern frontiers, which to some degree may have stemmed from memories of his first military command, in Germany. After the Civil War had ended, Vespasian put down the nationalist revolt of Julius Civilis in Germany and Gaul. Domitian had been given a junior command in this campaign, but it seems that by the time he arrived with reinforcements the uprising had been crushed.

Domitian's reign was extremely active militarily, which offers a striking contrast to the reigns of his father and brother. Domitian busied himself and his subordinates with campaigns along the Rhine and Danube. They occurred in Germany, Gaul, Pannonia, Moesia and Dacia, where the Romans battled Chatti, Dacians, Suebi, Marcomanni, Sarmatians and Quadi.

It is difficult to know which of Domitian's campaigns were created needlessly, and which were beneficial to Rome's security. Some were necessary responses to aggressions from Rome's northern neighbours, including when Dacians invaded Moesia and killed the governor of that province. However after a long reign devoted to warfare Domitian had achieved little that stood the test of time, and certainly nothing that rivalled the accomplishments of Vespasian and Titus. This may have been a reflection of the times or, perhaps, an indication that Domitian's personal desire to wage war had trumped any sense of overall strategy.