The Assassination of Domitian: How Much Paranoia is Too Much? 

A video on Domitian's paranoia that doesn't mention the "dinner party where he made everyone sit on gravestones with their name on it in a dark room" thing?

Another fantastic entry from my favorite growing youtube channel! I hope you keep selecting topics you are passionate about, regardless of era.

I thought exhausted the RU-vid algo looking for fresh history... Then I find this channel, I cannot believe you're not more popular. Insane. Past few months I've massively got into a weird celtic/Welsh folklore and Celtic history/pre roman British (and Post roman) stuff it's great to find quality on here with you it's hard to find and with references(!!!!!!) Really enjoyed an older video of yours, on homosexuality in ancient Greece too. Your videos are better than so many shitty books I've had to read just to get a nugget of what I was looking for, so diolch o galon, thanks!

My favourite part of this video is the just in frame plug sockets

Nice, I've been curious about Domitian's paranoia since you mentioned the mirrors in your Roman Emperors speedrun. And if you're thinking about branching out into medieval history, I'd be interested in anything about the governance of Great Britain after the Romans left and before William the Conqueror arrived: the remaining Celts, the Angles/Saxons/Jutes, the Norse, and anyone else I've missed. Or how the parts of Europe outside the empire got Christianized.

Great like the delivery and the chill nature of the video, can use more objectivity of both sides tho.

Fantastic video! I loved how you put yourself in Domitian's shoes! I hope your channel keeps growing and you find a larger audience. Are you aware of the podcast "Let's Talk about Myths, Baby"? It's mostly about Greek myths and literature, but lately it has been branching out into History and as well. I think you would make a great guest.

Just found your channel and I am hooked I love history and study it every day, but Roman history especially the Roman empire has always seemed so daunting to me you’re Roman emperors video was very well put together it’s been a long time since I’ve learned so much new information from a history video keep up the good work

Awesome! Keep ‘em coming!

As a fan of Lindsey Davis's comedy mysteries set in the Flavian dynasties from Vespasian to Domitian, concerning the cases of Marcus Didius Falco and his adopted Britannic daughter Flavia Albia, I watched your lecture with enjoyment. Davis wrote a standalone fictional novel based on Domitian's reign called 'MASTER AND GOD' including a believable description of his how his death could have been managed when it inevitably went wrong. I recommend Davis's books as she described many aspects of the Roman Empire from the standpoint of a Republican plebian with a skeptical attitude. Very funny and often outraging. I thank you for your lecture, so I subscribed and hit the like button in gratitude for your efforts.

Loving your channel! Would you consider doing a video on Thermisticles? He's one of my favourite historical figures and I'd love to hear your take on him. Either way, keep up the great work - I'm learning so much 😊

I love the video, I'd highly recommend Brian Jones' book 'The Emperor Domitian'. Its a true rehabilitation of Domitian's reputation using modern evidence gathered over the last century or so, it questions many of the stories told about Domitian, and gives him much of the credit that was taken from him by ancient sources with a grudge who's narratives live on. To me the wildest story is Dominus et Deus, Domitian insisting to be called Master and God, the most obvious part of Roman logic that makes this questionable is that we know Domitian was very religious, he would have known that the best he could hope for was to be considered Divus, not Deus, why would someone so strict on Roman religion believe something so outlandish to the point of enforcing it on everybody else? The only evidence to back the claim were statues of Domitian that did indeed refer to him as Dominus not never Deus, although when Domitian died, the senate condemned his memory, which would mean the statues of Domitian would have been destroyed along with inscriptions and all other public signs of his legacy, the statues that refer to Domitian as Dominus were instead likely made not by Domitian, but by former slaves who defied the will of the senate to remember Domitian and still referred to Domitian as the master, which says a lot about how the Senatorial class who wrote the history books view Domitian, compared to how everybody else must have viewed him His reform of the coinage, his handling of taxes and building programs truly laid the groundwork for the 5 good emperors, for example Suetonius credits Nero for much of the rebuilding of Rome after the fires, when really much was still left to build, then with all the civil wars plus the fires during Titus' reign, most of the work that went into rebuilding Rome should be credited to Domitian. The key to understanding Domitian's reign was not through his relationship with the senate, because Domitian did not rule through the senate, he ruled through Imperial Courts, making him the first Roman Emperor, to act as though the Republic was truly dead. To sum up most of the senate back then, their attitude was "this emperor is so crazy and paranoid, he thinks we are plotting to kill him" but if you followed up by asking "have you been trying to kill him?" the answer would be "yes, non stop for his entire reign, we even got close once but that only made him more crazy and paranoid towards the end of his reign". you'd think maybe if you survived more assassination attempts from the senate than any emperor before you, your paranoia is justified.

Learnt alot, thanks

Good video 10/10

Very relatable.

Domitian: solid 2.5/5 emperor

Hey. Decent video. I liked it. However I have some complaints about the sources you used. All those stories saying that Domitian was downplayed by his father are the results of later propaganda. In truth, Domitian was appointing officials even before Vespasian came back to Rome in 70. And during his father's rule, he always got one less consulship than his brother, which in turn got two less than Vespasian himself. Domitian even got granted his own rights to mint coins with his own image. And when he was a child it would have been difficult for him to join his brother or father in their military career. We have to remember that they were following orders and they couldn't just go where they pleased. Their lives belonged to the emperor. As for Stephanus, I wouldn't say his mistress Domitilla was involved in the conspiracy. Stephanus joined the conspiracy because he was just charged with embezzlement and that was his way of escaping justice. And he was avenged by the praetorians. Early in 97 the truth got out who really was the main conspirator. Two in fact. Parthenius, the head chamberlain of Domitian and Petronius Secundus, the praetorian prefect. So months after Domitians death it was still a very hot topic among praetorians and they rushed to kill both of them. Which tells us that Domitian really was missed. Anyway praetorians hold Nerva hostage and demand execution of Parthenius and Petronius. Emperor didn't agree but they went and kill them anyway. And as for leaving the nation in the better state, I can see your point, but we can't forget that Domitian laid down all bases for the future rules of Trajan and Hadrian, and those two took a lot of his work to their credit.

I recently checked how much views your shorts were getting, and then got sad because surely you wouldn't bother making longer vids anymore. But here you are :D

Nice bass

Wasn't much of the damage left by the Great Fire repaired by the time of Domitian' reign?

Why the last part of your vid under blanket? 😅

SO WHAT ABOUT HIS RELATIONS WITH THE CHRISTIANS?? there was a lot going on there still. he must have had some good inside information that we would love to have now..

1) Vestal virgins didn’t have a choice when they get chosen to be one and focused to leave the family 2) it was a punishment unused, and barbaric - what if they decimated the army again? It was tradition and still around even the time of Galba . Still insane to do it (assassinated by the way) 3) Domitian had affair left and right while he told others not to. Hypocrite I’m a fan of his actually but this point of yours about the vestal virgin I disagree and think it too harsh and barbaric