On this day 1, 921 years ago...

Roman Emperor, Domitian, was assassinated in Rome. As the story goes, Domitian's chamberlain, Parthenius, drove the assassination, perhaps motivated by the execution of Domitian's secretary Epaphroditus. Though this may have been the case, a number of omens plagued Domitian of his imminent death in the days leading up to it. Several days prior to the assassination, Minerva had appeared to the emperor in a dream, announcing that she could no longer give Domitian her protection. This dream made the emperor paranoid and restless. Another omen allegedly told the Emperor he would perish in the middle of the day. On the day of the assassination, Domitian was distressed and repeatedly asked a servant to tell him the time. The servant, who was himself one of the plotters, lied to the emperor, telling him that it was already late in the afternoon which put the Emperor at ease. An accomplice in the assassination, Stephanus, who had been feigning an injury to his arm for several days and wearing a bandage to allow him to carry a concealed dagger, suddenly appeared in the Emperor's chambers and attacked. During the attack, Stephanus and Domitian struggled on the floor, during which time he was stabbed by the emperor and died shortly afterward. The Emperor was 44 years old. He was immediately succeeded by Emperor Nerva who ruled for two short years.