Lucius Domitius Domitianus or, rarely, Domitian III, was a

Roman usurper Roman usurpers were individuals or groups of individuals who obtained or tried to obtain power by force and without legitimate legal authority. Usurpation was endemic during the Roman imperial era, especially from the crisis of the third centu ...

against

Diocletian Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...

, who seized power for a short time in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

History

Nothing is known of the background and family of Domitianus. He may have served as prefect of Egypt before he proclaimed himself emperor, though no known document makes his previous position clear. Domitianus revolted against Diocletian in 297 AD; it is possible that the rebellion was sparked by a new tax edict, but this is uncertain. Numismatic and papyrological evidence support Domitianus' claim to the purple. Domitianus died in December of the same year, when Diocletian went to Aegyptus to quell the revolt. Domitianus' ''

corrector A corrector (English plural ''correctors'', Latin plural ''correctores'') is a person or object practicing correction, usually by removing or rectifying errors. The word is originally a Roman title, ''corrector'', derived from the Latin verb ' ...

'', Aurelius Achilleus, who was responsible for the defense of

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, appears to have succeeded to Domitianus' claim to the empire; in fact, it was only in March 298 that Diocletian succeeded in re-conquering the city.

References

Sources

DiMaio, Michael, "L. Domitius Domitianus and Aurelius Achilleus (ca.296/297-ca.297/298)", ''De Imperatoribus Romanis''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Domitianus, Domitius 297 deaths 3rd-century Roman usurpers Domitii Tetrarchy Year of birth unknown