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==Military Achievements of Domitian==
The Emperor had himself acclaimed as Imperator or victor at least twenty times. During his reign , there were important campaigns against in Britain, Germany , and the Balkans. Initially, his general Agricola conquered a large area of northern Britain and Scotland<ref>Tacitus, The Agricola, xv</ref>. However, Domitian ordered him to abandon most of his gains. This was because he was conscious of the need to establish a rational defensive line in Britain. Tacitus, the great Roman historian believed that Agricola could have conquered all of Scotland and even Ireland with the support of the Emperor <ref>Tacitus, Agricola, xv</ref>. However, Domitian followed the policy of Augustus he was focused on protecting and strengthening the Imperial frontier, rather than expansion. This was also the case with his campaigns in Germany where he sought only to counter the threat posed to the frontier by German tribes such as the Chatti. These defensive campaigns were often regarded as defeats in the sources who were all hostile to the last of the Flavian Emperors. However, the most controversial of Domitian’s campaigns were in the Balkans where he had to deal with the threat posed by the powerful Dacian kingdom<ref>Suetonius, xiv, iii</ref>. In 85 the Dacians, led by King Decebalus, invaded the province of Moesia and they killed the governor. A counter-attack was ordered by Domitian and this drove the Dacians back, but a punitive invasion of their territories resulted in the defeat of a large Roman army. Domitian rushed to the Danube frontier and reorganized the frontier provinces. He also ordered another invasion of Dacia and in 88 AD, the legions inflicted a heavy defeat on King Decebalus and even threated his capital, Sarmizegetusa. It seems that Domitian was about to conquer the Dacians but trouble on the Rhine forestalled this. A treaty was signed, and Dacia became a client kingdom of Rome, but the Empire was obliged to pay Decebalus a subsidy. This was a curious arrangement and many of the sources, including Suetonius and Tacitus , claim that the payments made to the Dacians were a form of tribute and indicate that Domitian was defeated on the Danube. The Roman Emperor had neutralized the Dacians and they were reduced to the status of a clients of the Emperor. The Domitian strategy in the Balkans were was a success and it helped to secure the Danube frontier. What is more, according to many modern historians, believe that the last of the Flavian Dynasty laid down the foundation for the eventual conquest of Dacia by Trajan <ref> Adrian Goldsworthy, Adrian. In the Name of Rome (London, Orion, 2004), p. 298</ref>.[[File: DOMITIAN ThreeTHREE.jpg|200px|thumb|left| Some of the ruins of the Stadium of Domitian]]
==Conclusion==
Domitian was portrayed in the Roman sources as a tyrant whose paranoia and viciousness eventually led to his assassination. The Flavian was an autocrat and he did ignore the Senate and rendered it powerless. His conception of the rights as an enlightened autocrat who was there to guide the Empire was one that was to be very influential over time. His military achievements were not significant. Domitian largely followed the example of Augustus and sought only to secure the frontiers from invaders and raiders. He did not seek conquest, but security and he did strengthen all the frontiers of his sprawling Empire. This was a considerable achievement. Perhaps his great achievement was his economic policies and his management of the Empire, these helped to stabilize the Empire. Domitian was in many ways a tyrant, however, only the Senators suffered his wrath. In the main he was an effective leader of the Roman Empire who helped to lay the foundation for the Roman achievements in the second century AD.
