Domitianus II - Literary Sources

Literary Sources

There are only two literary references for Domitianus's existence, neither of which names him as an emperor:

1. The 6th-century Byzantine historian Zosimus (i 49) records that a certain Domitianus was punished for a revolt during the reign of Aurelian (270-275). The text is vague as to the nature of his disloyalty and against whom it was directed. Because Zosimus places his coup in the reign of Aurelian and because he equates Domitianus with Septiminus (or Septimius) who was acclaimed Emperor by the Dalmatian garrison at about the same time it has usually been assumed that Domitianus was directly challenging Aurelian and that his revolt took place within the territory of the central Empire – i.e. those provinces not controlled by either the ‘Gallic Emperors’ in the west or Zenobia in the east. (Watson suggests that his command lay somewhere south west of Lake Geneva – i.e. in the frontier region between the ‘Gallic’ and the ‘central’ Empires);

2. The notoriously unreliable Historia Augusta, hereafter "HA", (12.14) mentions a Domitianus as a general involved in the suppression of the revolt of Macrianus Major in 261. HA asserts that in this operation Domitianus was an associate (possibly, a cliens, client or protégé) of Gallienus’s Hipparchos (Cavalry-Master-General) Aureolus who is normally credited with the victory over Macrianus. However, the reference is made in terms that suggest that Domitianus was already a distinguished commander in his own right. There is nowhere in HA any suggestion that this Domitianus or any other man of that name was involved in any anti-regime activities during Aurelian's reign.

HA also suggests that Domitianus was descendant of the Emperor Domitian, the son of Vespasian and his wife Domitilla the Elder. The intention here may be to suggest that Domitianus was of senatorial rank. It is possible that his motive in doing this was to deflect some of the glory accruing to the low-born Aureolus from his suppression of the Macrianic rebellion. HA cannot bring himself to say anything that might appear to denigrate the achievement of Aureolus in this connection in comparison to the supine effeminacy of his bête noire, the unworthy Gallienus. However, he was probably happy to be able suggest that his associate, Domitianus, was ‘One of Us’. One might remark that if Domitianus had been a senator he would probably have fallen foul of the decision taken by Gallienus early in his sole reign to strip all aristocratic army officers of their commissions. He would not, therefore, have been allowed to command the forces sent against the Macriani.