THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
Dominis, his Shiflings in Religion, London, 1624; L. \'eith, De vita de Dominis, appended to hia Edm.
Richeri Syslema, Mechlin, 1825; F. A. Reusch, Der Index der verbolenen Bucher, ii. 401-404, Bonn. 1885; H. Newland, The Life and Contemporaneous Church History of Antonio de Dominis, Oxford, 1859; KL, iii. 1949-50.
DOMINUS. See Domus.
DOMITIAN, do-mish'i-an (TITUS FLAVIUS DO- MITIANUS): Koman emperor 81-96; b. at Rome Oct. 25, 61; d. there Sept. 18, 96. The son of the emperor Vespasian and Flavia Domitilla, he succeeded his father Sept. 13, 81. He ruled at first in an autocratic, but zealous and intelligent manner, and strengthened the life and the ordinances of religion. Aristocratic opposition, however, especially of the senatorial body, awakened in him a distrust which was fostered by informers and quickly led to bloody executions, particularly in 95-96. The result was a reaction, culminating in a conspiracy to which the emperor fell a victim.
In 96 Domitian instituted repressive measures against the Christians, and though his policy was both brief and of limited extent, its execution was severe and cruel. The distress of the Roman congregation was increased by the quick and unexpected character of the blow. One of its most prominent members, Flavia Domitilla (q.v.), was banished, and her husband, the consular Flavius Clemens, was put to death. It is not impossible that the ex-consul Manius Acilius Glabrio (q.v.) also suffered as a Christian. The causes which led to the stringent measures against the Christians are unknown, but they were probably connected with the contemporary political executions; the emperor's distrust extended to the firmly organized congregation which stood aloof from public life, yet had members in the higher social circles and even the hostile aristocracy which surrounded him. His self-deification, which resulted in such official and unofficial designations as theos, Deus, Dominus et Dens, Zeus eleutheros, and Jupiter, as well as his systematic attempts to regenerate the ancient cults, must also be taken into consideration. Since there is no reliable tradition to show that the persecution extended beyond Rome, and since TertuUian knows only of a brief period of oppression (Apol., v.), the numerous martyrdoms mentioned by the historian Bruttius and the banishments to which TertuUian alludes were doubtless limited to Rome.* The measures taken by Domitian, according to Hegesippus, against the relatives of Jesus, who were dciiounecil, imj^risoned, and carried to Rome as numbers of the royal house of David, were inspired, on the other hand, simply by political considerations connected with the relations between tlie government and the Jews. The emperor questioned tiie prisoners solely regarding their political affiliations and finally dismissed them as politically harmless. It is incorrect to assume, with Hegesipyius, that this affair caused a cessation of the perse-
* It. as i3 commonly ailmitted, the Apocalypse was written during the reign of Domitian, and the reigning emperor wa.s a.ssociated liy the writer with Nero (Rev. vi. U sqq., xvii. 5. 8, 11. etc.). it would seem reasonable to infer that the persecution exterjdcd beyond Rome, or at least that a wide-tprcaj perbccution seemed imminent. A. II. N.
cution of the Church, for there was no persecution of the Church per se. Victor Schultze.
Bibliography: J. B. Lightfoot, Apostolic Fathers, i. 104 sqq., London, 1890 (collects the sources); H. Schiller, Geschichte der romischen Kaiserzeit, i. 520 sqq., Gotha, 1883; F. Pichemayr, T. Flavius Domitianus, Amberg, 1889; W. M. Ramsay, Church in the Roman Empire, pp. 259-263, London, 1893; E. G. Hardy, Christianity and the Roman Ouvernment, pp. 85 sqq., ib. 1894; L. Pullan, Church of the Fathers, New York, 1905; Sohaff, Christian Church, i. 427-428. For the life of Domitian consult Suetonius, Eng. tranal. by A. Thompson, revised by T. Forester, pp. 479-505, London, 1896.
DOMITILLA, FLAVIA : According to Dio Cassius (Ixvii. 14; cf. Suetonius, Domitian, xv.), a niece of the emperor Domitian, married to her cousin, the consul Flavius Clemens; both were condemned for " atheism " (or " Judaizing ") in 96 a.d., Clement was beheaded, and Domitilla was banished to the island of Pandateria (in the Tyrrhenian Sea; the modern Ventotene, about half-way between Ponza and Ischia). The acts of Nereus and Achilleus, and Eusebius, who quotes from a heathen writer Bruttius {Hist. eccL, iii. 18; Chron., in MPG, viii. 005), represent Domitilla as a niece of Flavius Clemens and the place of her banishment as Pontia (Ponze; so also Jerome, Epist., Ixxxvi. [cviii.] ad Eustochium, NPNF, 2d ser., vi. 197). Some have thought that there were two Domitillas, but it is more natural to suppose that the two accounts, though discrepant, refer to the same person. One of the oldest catacombs, on the Ardeatine Way, near Terracina, is called Cccmeterium Domitillw or Ccemeterium Nerei et Achillei. See Clement of Rome, § 2.
Bibliography: Mommsen, in CIL, vi. 172; F. X. Kraus, Roma sotterranea, p. 43, Freiburg, 1872; G. B. de Rossi, Bullettino di archeologia cristiana, 2d ser., vi (1875), 69- 71; J. S. Northcote, Roma sotterranea, pp.- 69-70, ib. 1879.
DONALDSON, SIR JAMES: Church of Scotland; b. at Aberdeen Apr. 26, 1831. He studied at Aberdeen (B.A., 1849), New College, London (1849-51), and the University of Berhn (1851). He was tutor of Greek in Edinburgh University 1852-54, rector of the high school at Stirling 1854-56, classical master and rector of the Edinburgh High School 1856-81, professor of humanity in Aberdeen University 1881-86, and is now principal and vicechancellor of St. Andrews University and principal of the United College of St. Salvator and St. Leonard. He was knighted in 1907 His books include: A CriUcal History of Christian Literature and Doctrine from the (Icaili of the Apostles to the Niccne CounciL (3 vols., London, 1864-66); and The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Thirty-Nine Arliclcs of the Church of England: The Legal, Moral, and Religious Aspects of Subscription to Them (1905). With Alexander Roberts he edited The Ante-Nieene Christian Library (24 vols., Edinburgh, 1867-72).