“Lives” are one of the most fascinating works of antiquity. Its author, Plutarch of Chaeronea (ca. 46 – ca. 120 CE), compiles the profiles of famous Greeks and Romans. When describing these characters, he focuses mainly on their actions, character and anecdotes related to them. His work, however, is not devoid of very interesting digressions about the people and events of his contemporaries. One of them is an interesting mention of Emperor Domitian, whose reign was 81-96 CE. Although Plutarch writes his work several years after the emperor’s murder, he probably remembers the times of his reign and expresses his short opinion about this princeps.
Plutarch was a Greek writer from Boeotia. As a Delphic priest, he came into contact with the Greek intellectual elites of the time. He made numerous journeys and stayed for some time in the capital of the empire. He gained the recognition of the Roman elites and began researching the history of both Rome and Greece. He probably received Roman citizenship. Although Plutarch was mainly engaged in researching history that was distant history for him, sometimes he was also forced to describe events or figures contemporary to him. In one such place in his work, the Greek biographer did not refrain from expressing his opinion about Emperor Domitian, who was considered a cruel despot among the Roman elite and whose memories of his rule were still vivid.
In the life of Publius Valerius Publicola, the Roman consul and one of the participants in the conspiracy against King Tarquinius the Superbus, Plutarch described the consecration by Horatius of one of the most important Roman buildings – the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. By the way, he decided to outline the temple’s history, which was rebuilt many times later. This is how he came to the times closest to him. As a result of a fire in the Capitol in 80, the temple burned down. The fourth building on this site was founded and consecrated by Emperor Domitian. The new temple was distinguished by its enormous splendor. Plutarch reports that he admired the magnificent columns commissioned for a Roman temple in Athens. At this point, however, the author summarizes the imperial “generosity”:
“You dehumanize yourself: like madness, you find happiness in spending.”
Plutarch then allows himself to paraphrase the quoted poem by Epicharmus of Syracuse (6th/5th century BCE) to refer to Domitian:
‘Tis not pious, nor nobly ambitious that thou art; thou art diseased; thy mania is to build; like the famous Midas, thou desirest that every thing become gold and stone at thy touch.’ So much, then, on this head.
The above “malicious” paraphrase is Plutarch’s opinion about the emperor: his generous foundation of the temple and its splendor were not the result of imperial piety or even ambition, which he could have inherited from his father – the outstanding Emperor Vespasian. The emperor’s extravagance was motivated by madness and the desire to show everyone his wealth and enormous power. Plutarch thus judges Domitian as “the incarnation of Midas”; as a reckless despot and madman, a common opinion among the Roman elites of that time, who had previously received the news of his murder in 96 with relief and satisfaction. Ending with Plutarch’s words: so much, then, on this head.
