DOMITIA wife of Domitian

Domitia Longina was the daughter of Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, who was Nero's general in the war against Parthia. Corbulo was forced to commit suicide in October 66 AD after the Pisonian conspiracy in which his son-in-law Vinicianus had been implicated. When Vespasian came to power at the end of AD 69 Domitia became the wife of his younger son, Domitian (AD 70). Domitian became emperor in 81 AD on the death of his brother Titus and Domitia received the title of Augusta the following year. Early in Domitian's reign the empress fell from favour probably as a result of her alleged adultery with the actor Paris, although the couple were reconciled some years. Domitia was suspected of having been involved in the conspiracy which led to Domitian's assassination in AD 96, though this has not been proven and she continued to style herself the 'wife of Domitian' on inscriptions dating as late as the reign of Hadrian. The actual year of her death is uncertain, though she seems to have survived to a very advanced age, perhaps even into the reign of Antoninus Pius (after AD 138).