1st century Roman politician and cousin of emperor Domitian
Titus Flavius Titi filius Titi nepos Clemens (Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Clemens; d. AD 95) was a Roman politician and cousin of the emperor Domitian, with whom he served as consul from January to April in AD 95. Shortly after leaving the consulship, Clemens was executed, allegedly for atheism, although the exact circumstances remain unclear. Over time, he came to be regarded as an early Christian martyr.[1]
As a child, Clemens was besieged along with his family in the capitol, while his great-uncle Vespasian's soldiers were approaching Rome. His grandfather, Vespasian's brother Titus Flavius Sabinus, consul in AD 47, was captured and slain by the forces of Vitellius, who burnt the capitol, but the rest of the family escaped.[3]
Clemens' brother was consul with Domitian, shortly after the latter's accession, but the emperor put his cousin to death on the pretext that the herald proclaiming him consul had called him Imperator. Suetonius claims that Domitian was motivated by his love for his cousin's wife, Julia Flavia (who, as the daughter of his brother Titus, was also his niece).[4]
Clemens also married one of his second cousins, Flavia Domitilla, daughter of Vespasian's daughter, Domitilla, who was thus also a niece of Domitian. They had two sons, whom Domitian intended to succeed him in the empire, renaming one of them Vespasian and the other Domitian.[5] In AD 95, Clemens served as consul alongside the emperor from January to April. He was executed shortly after leaving the consulship at the end of April.[6]
According to Cassius Dio, Clemens was put to death on a charge of atheism, for which, he adds, many others who went over to the Jewish opinions were executed.[7] This may imply that Clemens had converted to Christianity although that is heavily debated in scholarship.[8] For the same reason, his wife was banished to Pandataria.[9][10][11] That the christian author Eusebius mentions Clemens without saying anything about his belief is considered to be a strong argument that Clemens was in fact not a Christian.[12] Some scholars identify Clemens with "Ketia bar Shalom", whom the Talmud described as a Roman senator who converted to Judaism and managed to save the Jews from a decree of persecution, before himself being executed.[13]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Clemens, T. Flavius". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. p. 788.
