C. E.) One of the leaders of the revolt of Achilleus in Egypt in 297 C. E.
Domitius may have been one of the founders of the uprising or may have emerged as a rival for the leadership of Achilleus, though sources ascribe the rebellion to Achilleus, not Domitius.
Domitius Ulpianus (fl. third century c. e.) One of the last jurists
Domitius preserved the writings of his predecessors through his compilations and commentaries, especially those of Papinian. His own treatise helped establish the entire character of later imperial codes.
Domus The home of a wealthy patrician during the Republic and the empire; large estates, normally occupied by members of the upper classes, especially the senatorial and Equestrian orders. They were based originally on the homes of the kings of Rome, especially the famous “Domus Publica” of ancient days. Under the empire, a domus assumed a more specific meaning as the residence or the palace of the emperor.
Domus Augustana Name given to the private portion of the palace of DOMITIAN.
See also domus flavia.
Domus Aurea See golden house of nero.
Domus Flavia Palace of Emperor domitian; built during his reign (81-96 c. e.) on the Palatine Hill and replacing previous imperial residences. It was so beautiful that the emperors of Rome until the reign of Diocletian (284-305 C. E.) resided there. Domitian’s palace, designed by the architect Rabirius, was actually two structures: the Domus Flavia, an imposing edifice on the crest of the Palatine, used for official purposes, and the domus AUGUSTANA, the private residence of the ruler. The
184 Domus Tiberiana
A domus in Herculaneum, the House of the Surgeons (Courtesy Fr. Felix Just, S. J.)
Romans called both structures the Domus Flavia. The official building was composed of rooms for ceremonies and an imposing throne room decorated with marble and statues. Marble was used again in the courtyard, while granite from Egypt adorned the great dining hall. A LARARIUM (a household shrine), fountains, and numerous private bedrooms and guest quarters completed the architectural design. Attached to the Domus Flavia, and sloping down one side of the hill, was the Domus Augustana. Below the opening rooms, an illuminated stairway led to the personal suites and recreation areas of the imperial family. Large pools designed with multi-colored mosaics reflected light and illuminated the entire structure.
The Domus Flavia thus provided grandeur and beauty, combined with practicality. Martial, in his Epigrams, described both the palace and the architect Rabir-ius. Constructed very near the old home of Augustus and the traditional residential site of Romulus himself, the Domus was a suitable link to the past.
Domus Tiberiana Palace built by Emperor tiberius, sometime after his succession to throne in 14 C. E.; a marked contrast to the modest quarters on the Palatine Hill of his predecessor Augustus. The Domus Tiberiana was designed in all probability along the normal atrium styles so common for the period. Tiberius, however, spent much of his time in his palaces in Campania and on Capri. Though it was later incorporated into Nero’s DOMUS TRANSITORIA, nothing remains of the palace.
Domus Transitoria Nero’s palace created to connect the main imperial palace on the Palatine Hill with the estates and gardens of Maecenas on the nearby Oppian Hill. It was begun sometime before or during the early part of 64 C. E. Architecturally, the domus was a combination of the old and the new. On the Palatine the DOMUS TIBERIANA stood prominently, and close to that, on the Esquiline Hill, was another palace as well. The Domus Transitoria connected these buildings but provided innovations in light and in space. In 64 C. E., in the massive conflagration that engulfed much of Rome, Nero’s palaces were not spared. The Domus Transitoria was utterly ruined, with only a fountain and some vaulting surviving. But the rubble was cleared and Nero began planning his GOLDEN HOUSE.
Donatism Schismatic sect that originated in North Africa during the early fourth century. The Donatists derived their name from Donatus, the second schismatic bishop of Carthage. The members of the sect evolved from the rigorists within the African Christian community, who were vehemently opposed to the so-called tradi-tors (traitors)—those Christians who had handed over the Scriptures to Roman officials during the terrible persecutions under Emperor Diocletian. Their focus became centered on Caecilian, bishop of Carthage, who was consecrated in 311 by Felix of Aptunga. The rigorists refused to accept Caecilian on the grounds that Felix had been a traditor, thereby rendering him incapable of administering the sacraments validly. In support of this position, Numidian bishops consecrated Majorinus, thus setting him up as a rival bishop for the Carthaginian see. Majorinus was soon succeeded (in 313) by Donatus, who emerged as the leader of the movement. An appeal was made to Pope (later Saint) Melchiades in 313, but the commission looking into the matter found against the Donatists, whereupon they turned to the Council of Arles (314) and then to Emperor Constantine the Great (316). Both appeals were unsuccessful, although the sect continued to grow. It found fertile ground among African Christians who resented the interference of the Roman Church in what they felt was an internal matter of the independent African Church.
Efforts to convince the Donatists to return to the church on the part of Constantine were made from 316 to 321 but were abandoned in the face of rigorist recalcitrance. Many Donatists, however, turned to violence, forming roving bands of raiders known as circumcelliones. The imperial government responded by launching an intervention in 347. The repression continued for some years, ceasing under Emperor Julian (r. 361-363). Within the church, opposition to the Donatists was spearheaded by St. Augustine, who elucidated the important doctrinal truth concerning the sacraments: The true minister of the sacraments is Christ and thus the unworthiness of any other minister does not in any way affect the efficacy of a sacrament. Further repression began in 405, leading to a formal declaration against the schism in 411 at a conference at Carthage. The subsequent persecution weakened the movement, but it survived in North Africa until the extirpation of much of the church in Africa by the Muslims in the eighth century
Donativum The name (plural, donativa) given to the gifts of money or largesse distributed to the soldiers of the LEGIONS or to the praetorian guard by the emperors. The purpose of a donativum varied as some were tokens of gratitude for favors received, and others bribes for favors expected. Donativa were normally rendered at the start of each new emperor’s reign. In the second and third centuries C. E., this bribe became crucial to the success of any rule. Such was the case with many of the soldier-emperors from 235 to 248 C. E. The Praetorian Guard, so close to the emperor’s person, was an even greater threat. The cohorts stationed in Rome were difficult to appease and quick to commit assassination. The donativum thus provided a perfect means for buying the Praetorians’ support.
Augustus (ruled 27 B. C.E.-14 c. E.) left the Praetorians a sum in his will, but it was not until Tiberius’s reign (14-37 c. E.) that gifts of money were thought necessary The Guard, for example, received gifts for standing by when SEJANUS, their prefect, fell from power. Each Praetorian received 10 gold pieces for withholding from Sejanus’s defense. In 41 c. E., after the assassination of Caligula, the soldiers supported Claudius, and a short time later the Senate learned that the Guard had installed him on the throne. Claudius gave them 150 gold pieces, or some 3,750 denarii, to which 100 sesterces were added annually to commemorate Claudius’s accession. The inevitable result of the custom of the donativum was the Praetorians’ auctioning of the empire to DIDIUS JULIANUS in 193 c. E.
See also congiarium.
Donatus, Aelius (fl. fourth century c. E.) Grammarian Donatus taught in Rome around 350 c. E. and claimed as his pupil St. JEROME. Of his numerous works two survive. The Ars covered grammar in two parts, an Ars minor, which examines the parts of speech, and the more extensive Ars major, in three books. His commentary on Terence survives in an altered form. As for his other work, the most notable is his analysis of Virgil; only the excerpts used by Servius and the preface and introduction remain.
Donatus, Tiberius Claudius (fl. late fourth century c. E.) grammarian
Donatus’s principal claim to fame was a very extensive commentary on Virgil and the Aeneid, the Interpretationes Vergilianae, written for his son, Donatianus.
Doryphorus (d. 62 c. e.) Afreedman of Nero Doryphorus came to power as the secretary of petitions. As was typical of the era, nero gave him vast control over the treasury, once granting him 10,000,000 sesterces.
According to Dio, Agrippina, hoping to show the emperor the ridiculousness of his gift, had the sum piled up before his throne; Nero reportedly ordered the amount doubled, saying: “I had no idea that I had given him so little.” It was said that Nero had Doryphorus poisoned in 62 C. E. for opposing his union with poppaea.
Doura City east of palmyra and the Syrian desert, situated upon the Euphrates River. Doura was probably founded by the Macedonians; by the time of the Roman Empire it stood within the borders of the parthian Empire as a self-governing and semi-independent community. Local government rested in the hands of a feudal nobility. Given its proximity to Syria, Doura became unavoidably embroiled in the struggle for supremacy between parthia and Rome. In the campaign of Emperor Trajan (115-116 c. e.), Doura fell to the legions, and Trajan erected a triumphal arch in the city to celebrate his victory over the Arsacids of persia.
Its importance, however, was primarily due to its location on a trade route. From the first century b. c.e., trade had passed through Doura on its way from the East to Palmyra. Later, caravans used the city as a starting point of trips into the Parthian realm or into Asia proper, including India and even China (see silk routes). With trade came other influences, including Judaism and Christianity. By the third century the Christians were firmly entrenched, building themselves a small hall for services. The city again became a hotly contested battleground in the third century, with the Persians regaining control. Archaeological remains at Doura have yielded much information on trade with Palmyra, the early Christian community and the sieges of the Roman-Sassanid wars. Doura was also known as Europus or Doura-Europus.
Drama See theater.
Druids and Druidism The religious and philosophical system of the celts, especially in Gaul and Britain. Druids were a target for eradication by the Roman Empire throughout the first century c. e. Druidism is of unknown origin and was considered ancient even in the time of Aristotle (fourth century b. c.e.). Some said the original Druids were Phoenicians or Egyptians, but the system took root particularly among the Celts, led by the Druid priests, specifically the Druids, Vates and Bards.
The Druid beliefs provided an expression for the nationalistic fervor that so often dismayed the enemies of the Celts. Everywhere that Druid beliefs were dominant, a sense of unity prevailed, especially in Gaul, Britain, and Ireland, although in other places, such as Germany, Russia, and Thrace, the Druid influence was felt.
Rome thus found Druidism a formidable opponent as it moved to conquer the Celtic territories. Julius Caesar, who wrote extensively about the priests, smashed the Gallic tribes in his campaigns. The subsequent Roman occupation attempted to curtail all Druid ceremonies, although Augustus did not condemn the Druids to death as long as they did not foment revolt. Roman citizens, naturally, were not allowed to be Druids. Tiberius attempted to destroy the elements of Druidism, but his campaign of persecution proved only marginally successful. Claudius shared the opinion of Tiberius and pursued Druids with some energy.
On the continent, Druidism existed only in secret until the time of Vespasian (ruled 69-79 c. e.). In Britain and Ireland, however, the inhabitants followed their priests faithfully. Roman legions arrived in Britain in 43 c. e., under the command of Aulus Plautius, and in 61 the final war against Druidic power began. The Arch-Druid, the sacred groves of Britain, and the hierarchy of the faithful were housed on the island of Mona (modern Anglesey, off the coast of northwestern Wales). General Suetonius Paulinus landed there with an army, slaughtered the inhabitants and hacked down the famed trees. As the Roman province of Britannia was established, the colonists imported their own gods into the region. In time, Christianity would prove to be the final enemy of Druidism. The Council of Arles in 452 c. e. condemned any worship of trees, and stories from Britain detailed the harsh and ruthless slaughter of the Druids over the next centuries. One Welsh legend claimed that in later years the Arch-Druid and his followers were made bishops of the Christian Church.
Writers of the Roman era appear to have been fascinated with Druidism, as numerous references are made to it. Julius Caesar described them in his gallic wars, though his account is meant to ensure the sympathy of his readers for his own cause, the subjugation of the Gallic people. PLINY THE elder, in his Natural History, painted a very vivid picture of Druidic life, especially those facets of interest to a naturalist and scientist. Other accounts are given by diodorus siculus, lucan (in Pharsalia) and strabo. Later authors, like aurelius victor and DIOGENES Laertius (in his Lives of the Philosophers), refer to them as an extinct people. Ammianus Marcellinus and the Scriptores Historiae Augustae mentioned several Druid seers who predicted various fates for the emperors, including Severus Alexander and Aurelian. A Druidess also prophesied that Diocletian would become emperor only after slaying the boar (aper). In 284 C. E. Diocletian executed the Praetorian prefect Arrius Aper, and became emperor.
Drusilla (1), Julia (d. 38 c. e.) Daughter of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder
Drusilla had an incestuous relationship with her brother gaius Caligula, and achieved a position of prominence when he became emperor in 37 c. e. The honors accorded Drusilla included the right to command the respect normally reserved for the vestal virgins and to attend the Circus. After her death, she was deified, Caligula ordering that she be considered the equal to Augustus. In 38 C. E., her birthday was celebrated in the Circus with two days of entertainments held under the gaze of her statue, which was borne into the arena at the start of the games by elephants.
Drusilla (2) (d. after 79 c. e.) Wife of the procurator of Judaea, Felix
Drusilla shared in her husband’s corrupt rule of the territory. She was present at the trial of St. Paul in 60 c. E. before the procurator. Accounts of her origins are conflicting. TACITUS reported that she was the granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra and thus claimed kinship with CLAUDIUS. JOSEPHUS wrote that Drusilla was a daughter of Herod agrippa i and a sister of Berenice, the one-time lover of Titus. Drusilla supposedly had been married to Azizus, the king of Emesa, but FELIX fell in love with her and unlawfully put an end to that marriage. She was at the time enduring the cruelties of Berenice, who was jealous of her beauty, so the offer from the Roman official was accepted. She later gave birth to a son, Agrippa, and both escaped from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 c. e.
Drusus (2) (d. 33 c. e.) Son of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder
Drusus was a target, along with his brothers gaius CALIGULA and nero, of the ambitious Prefect of the Praetorian Guard, Lucius Aelius sejanus. Sejanus worked for years to destroy Agrippina, her family and the entire party of germanicus. He used their weaknesses against them, and found that Drusus had a fierce temper and a jealousy of his brother Nero, who managed to command their mother’s attentions. Drusus thus stood by when Agrippina and Nero were arrested, and imprisoned or exiled. Around 29 C. E., Drusus married the unfaithful and cruel Amelia lepida, who immediately turned against her husband in favor of Sejanus. Drusus was soon dismissed by Tiberius and fell under the treason accusations of Cassius Severus. Declared a criminal, Drusus was sent to a dungeon on the Palatine to die. Tiberius realized in 31 C. E. his error in trusting Sejanus so completely and considered presenting Drusus to the Senate and to the mob. The emperor concluded that the youth had been imprisoned too long to be released. Drusus remained in his cell, near starvation, until his death. The Senate was shocked to read Drusus’s diary, recounting his days of agony and isolation.
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