What impact did Domitian have on Christian history?

Answer

Domitian (Oct. 24, AD 51—Sept. 18, AD 96) was the Roman Emperor from AD 81—96. He was the third and final member of the Flavian dynasty. His father, Vespasian, was a Roman general who was besieging Jerusalem in 68 when Nero died and the empire was thrown into chaos. He “assumed the purple” in 69 and brought stability to the empire. His son Titus completed the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and, after his father’s death in 79, became the Emperor. Upon Titus’s death in 81, his younger brother Domitian ascended to the throne. (There are suspicions that he may have played a role in his brother’s death to take the throne.)

Domitian was not as well-liked or well-received by the aristocracy as his father and brother had been. This was partly due to his cruel and extravagant behavior, which many found offensive. His name is often linked to the persecution of Christians.

The earliest accounts of persecution under Domitian can be found in Eusebius’s church history. Eusebius mentions earlier writers who note Domitian’s animosity or hostility towards Christians without providing many details, except that some Christians were exiled. The evidence for severe persecution initially appears limited, but Eusebius, perhaps drawing on uncited evidence or carried away by the narrative he wished to present, suggests that Domitian incited persecution against Christians and issued decrees against them. Later Christian historians, following Eusebius’s account, portray Domitian as a harsh persecutor of Christians. From the existing evidence, it is challenging to determine the extent of his involvement in persecution and his actual impact on Christianity. According to one interpretation of Irenaeus, John was exiled to the Island of Patmos by Domitian, during which time he received the visions in Revelation. While this is a widely accepted tradition, the exact extent of Domitian’s persecution of Christians remains unclear.

Interpretation of Irenaeus is disputed. If Domitian was responsible for John’s exile, then that is perhaps his most significant impact on Christianity—however, John could have received his visions anywhere.

Some individuals and their actions are well-known and well-documented in historical sources. Others have less documentation, and the vast majority of human beings who have ever lived simply cannot be documented at all—they are lost to history. Nevertheless, they and their deeds are not lost to God. First Timothy 5:24 states, “The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.”