Domitianus
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Domitianus was an obscure Roman official who became emperor of the secessionist Gallic Empire (the provinces of Gaul (France and the Rhineland) and Britain) for a short time in about 271. His life has been recorded by Zosimus (i 49), and Historia Augusta (12.14 (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Tyranni_XXX*.html#12.14)).
The evidence for Domitianus' existence and rule is limited to two coins, one discovered in the Loire area of France in 1900 and which was thought to be a forgery, and one discovered fused in a pot with some 5,000 other coins of the period 250-275 (thus providing incontrovertible provenance) in Oxfordshire, England, in 2003.
It is thought that Domitianus' rule may have lasted as little as a few days. He might have been ousted for treason for having the coins made.
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Preceded by: Victorinus (268 - 270/271) |
Emperors of the Gallo-Roman Empire |
Followed by: Tetricus I (270/271 - 273) |
External links
- Coin unearths new Roman emperor (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/3518621.stm), BBC News, 25 February 2004
- British museum analysis of the coin (http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/cm/Domitianus.html)
See also
An earlier, much more famous, emperor called Domitianus is usually called Domitian (81-96) in English. Domitius Domitianus (296-297) was a Roman usurper based in Egypt.de:Domitianus it:Domiziano II pl:Domitianus