Domitian

Barton would overall stress that Suetonius’ writings cannot be taken as a completely accurate historical account. While the emperors of Rome may have had character flaws, Suetonius clearly embellished upon them, employing an invective writing style. Historian James Chong-Gossard would concur with much of Barton’s thesis, as he furthers the idea that Suetonius’ writings were mere political propaganda. Chong-Gossard’s analysis of the thematic style of Suetonius’ The Twelve Caesars, reveals that the text was simply a way to boost the image of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty in comparison to the predeceasing emperors. Chong-Gossard examines that Suetonius’ text clearly delineates between the “bad” emperors of Rome; Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, and Domitian; and the “good emperors;” Augustus, Vespasian, and Titus. While the Julio-Claudian and Flavian emperors have many detailed, sexually charged and scandalous stories, those emperors of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty seem to have few, if any, scandals accounts. As Chong-Gossard explores, Suetonius used emperors’ sexual lives as implications for their character, and more importantly their ability as rulers. As seen with Edwards and Barton, emperors who assumed the passive role in sex, such as Nero and Caligula, were seen as relegating themselves to “social inferiors,” and again dubbed with the mollitia qualities. Chong-Gossard explores that some emperors who were criticized for their sexual exploits, such as Augustus for using sex as…

amphitheatre that could, and would, entertain thousands of people. Then, in 72 CE during the reign of Vespasian was when the construction of the Roman Colosseum had first began. In 80 CE, the Colosseum was officially opened, which was during the reign of Vespasian's son Titus, but there were many improvements made later during the reign of Vespasian's youngest son, Domitian. Emperor Vespasian, Titus, and Emperor Domitian all make up the Flavian Dynasty, which is why the Colosseum was originally…

The “five good emperors,” were Nerva, Trajan, and Hadrian and two Antonine emperors, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. This was the period of success which began under Vespasian, continued under these emperors. During this time Roman civilization at its best, its highest stage of development. Nerva Nerva was born in Narni, Italy he was a Roman emperor from 96 to 98 AD, he became an emperor at age 65. Little is known of his upbringing, but when he took office he made immediate changes. He…

The Colosseum otherwise known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, started construction in 70 A.D. and took an estimated 10 years to complete, finishing in 80 A.D. The Colosseum served as a host for sporting events for the roman population. The two rulers accredited for the Colosseum were the two roman emperors, Vespasian and Titus (Vespasian’s son). Vespasian’s vision for the Colosseum was to build the greatest arena ever, seen in the Roman world. But how has this arena’s design stayed similar for…

starve animals so that when they fought the gladiators, they would be hungry and desperate. To the Romans, seeing someone killed in the colosseum was very entertaining. Plus, admission was free as well as the wine and bread. A few of the main activities that took place in the colosseum were gladiator fights, executions, and dramas. These events were very big in Rome because three reasons. One major reason was that there was free wine and bread. Another big reason people went to the colosseum was…

amphitheater made of stone and concrete. Because of its enormous size of 615 feet long, 510 feet wide, walls 157 feet high and a perimeter of 1788 feet covering 6 acres it is the biggest amphitheater ever created. It is also considered to be one of the most creative and outstanding works of engineering and architecture. Construction of the Colosseum was initiated in 72 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. The creation of this great work was one of Vespasian’s biggest desires, however,…

Much like modern day amphitheaters the seats were numbered and assigned according to the ticket you held. Social ranking played a great deal in the types of seats you could get. The bottom seats were reserved for emperors and other dignitaries, the middle seats were divided between the rich and middle class citizens, and finally the third level was reserved for women and slaves. The floor of the Colosseum consisted of wooden slats that were then covered by sand which would often be landscaped…

One of the most interesting monuments found in the city of Rome is Domitian’s Palace.The place lies south west of Nero’s Palace, Domus Aurea, and west of the river Tiber. Emperor Titus Flavius Domitian ruled from 81 C.E. to 96 C.E. (MacDonald). His father was Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus, he was also greatly interested in architecture though was more interested in military. After years of living in Nero’s Palace, Domitian built a new one and let Domus Aurea be open to the public.…

Spectacle and thrill were a major component of life in the ancient Roman empire. The gladiatorial games could perhaps be considered the favorite form of entertainment among Romans at the time. The gladiators themselves came from a variety of different walks of life. Roman spectacle took place in arenas, and they occurred in a great deal of forms. The gladiatorial games are often confused with gladiatorial executions; however, the two are in fact quite different. One question that has intrigued…

Social Interaction within the Roman Empire Daily Life in the Roman Empire, a text by varying authors and The Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction by Christopher Kelly outlined the seemingly endless opportunities for social interaction within Rome. The plentiful leisure vents and public bathing helped mark the Roman Empire as one of the largest social hubs of its time. One of the major sources of entertainment was the Circus. An estimated 20-25% of the Roman population was able to attend the…