WI: a more successful Domitian?

Domitian (51-96 AD), from the Flavian dynasty, was Roman Emperor from 81 AD till his assassination and replacement by Nerva fifteen years later. His reign was marked by two large military campaigns against Caledonia (modern Scotland) and Dacia, both of which did not yield satisfactory results, a successful economic policy due to revaluing the counage, and an the religious cult of personality built around him, foreshadowing the Dominate that would develop over the coming decades of the Empire. Domitian was allegedly beloved by the people and the armies, but detested by the Senate, who considered him a tyrant. This animosity with the aristocracy resulted in a conspiracy that ended in his assassination, and replacement by Nerva, progenitor of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty.
But what if Domitian's reign had been more successful? IIRC, most sources on his reign are negative only because they were written by senators and supporters of the aristocracy.
How could the attempted conquests of Caledonia and Dacia succeed during his reign? Could that dissuade the Senate from antagonizing him a bit?
For how long can Domitian reign while staving off assassination attempts?
Considering the cult of personality and auspices that surrounded his figure, can he create an earlier tradition for the Dominate, at the detriment of the Senate? Or was it too early in the Empire's history for that?
 

Toraach

Banned
About of Dacia I don't know how. But for Caledonia it was totally his fault. He fired Agricola from his post os a governor of Britain and recalled troops south. Conquering of Caledonia was possible but difficult. It needed a constant presence of troops and hunting of rebelling tribal warlords, until the rest of tribesmen were exhuasted and just capitulate, or there wouldn't be enough of them to resist.

A stuff about Domitian foreshadowing Dominate is a myth. There was the same cult of personality around Augustus, and later emperors, only style was maybe diffrent with more brutal during Domitian. But the key elements of power, not some decorations, during his reign were the same as during Augustus or during Septimius Severus. His fall is atributet excatly to his hostility towards the Senate. Senators were "viri clarissimi" the highest elite of the empire, and the Emperor who were hostile to them might faced that sad end. The Principate was how the state worked, how it was organized, and not about personalities and personal styles of reing of some particular emperors. So it wasn't important if that was a mad man or deviant like Caligula or other Nero, or cruel but competent like Domitian or well liked nice guy like Antoninus Pius.
 
Domitian (51-96 AD), from the Flavian dynasty, was Roman Emperor from 81 AD till his assassination and replacement by Nerva fifteen years later. His reign was marked by two large military campaigns against Caledonia (modern Scotland) and Dacia, both of which did not yield satisfactory results, a successful economic policy due to revaluing the counage, and an the religious cult of personality built around him, foreshadowing the Dominate that would develop over the coming decades of the Empire. Domitian was allegedly beloved by the people and the armies, but detested by the Senate, who considered him a tyrant. This animosity with the aristocracy resulted in a conspiracy that ended in his assassination, and replacement by Nerva, progenitor of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty.
But what if Domitian's reign had been more successful? IIRC, most sources on his reign are negative only because they were written by senators and supporters of the aristocracy.
How could the attempted conquests of Caledonia and Dacia succeed during his reign? Could that dissuade the Senate from antagonizing him a bit?
For how long can Domitian reign while staving off assassination attempts?
Considering the cult of personality and auspices that surrounded his figure, can he create an earlier tradition for the Dominate, at the detriment of the Senate? Or was it too early in the Empire's history for that?

Honestly, the main thing that Domitian needed was a stable heir in place so that the senate wouldn't get as much out of assassinating him (i.e. they wouldn't get to select his replacement). With a selected heir he would have a more stable power base in Rome that could've watched after his interests there while he tended to things in the provinces and on the borders. This could possibly mean a more successful Dacian campaign, greater successes against the Germans, or even a continued conquest of Caledonia (although this is unlikely since he probably recalled Agricola out of fear that he was becoming too powerful from his victories there)
 
Who would Domitian adopt as heir, considering that, IOTL, he died at the age of 45?

Tbh the later Flavian period is one of the bigger gaps in my knowledge about Roman imperial history, but he could honestly adopt Trajan, or maybe Agricola. Any of the generals of his army would be wildly popular picks in the legions (e.g. Sextus Severus, Cornelius Fuscus, etc.), the main problem would be placating the senate, since they were the main opposition to his reign, and he didn't much care for them either. Also, it didn't help that Domitian had several of his own family members executed, depriving him of a more natural heir at the end of his reign
 
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