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Home > Members' Coin Collection Galleries > David Atherton > 2. The Reign of Titus - Imperial Coins
RIC 398 Julia Titi [Titus]
Æ Dupondius, 10.29g
Rome mint, 80-81 AD
Obv: IVLIA IMP T AVG F AVGVSTA; Bust of Julia Titi, draped, r., hair piled high in front and coiled in bun at back
Rev: VESTA in exergue; S C in field; Vesta std. l., holding palladium and sceptre
RIC 398 (C). BMC 257. BNC 271.
Acquired from Dmitry Markov Coins, December 2022.

Titus' daughter Julia Titi was granted the title Augusta during his reign sometime in 80 or 81. A small issue of dupondii were struck to commemorate the occasion, most of which are fairly scarce today. This Vesta reverse type is probably one of the more commonly encountered varities of the issue. Julia is shown on this example sporting the classic Flavian style female hairdo that became very fashionable at the time. After Titus's death she lived with her uncle Domitian at the imperial residence. In 90 or 91 AD she died and was deified by Domitian, this was commemorated on the coinage as well. The ancient sources are quick to malign her reputation in the name of smearing Domitian. It is said she had an ongoing affair with Domitian and became pregnant. She then was forced by Domitian to abort the baby and died during the attempted abortion sometime in 90 or 91. The Flavian historian Brian Jones has called the supposed affair between Domitian and his niece Julia (some ten or eleven years his junior) and the subsequent forced abortion which killed her as "implausible" and "nonsense". Further he wrote "Scholars seem not to have stressed one of the most significant factors in assessing the rumour's accuracy - Martial's epigram 6.3, written not long after Julia's death and deification. In it, he expresses the hope that Domitian will produce a son, implies that the baby's name will be Julius (6.3.1) and states that (the now deified) Julia will be able to watch over him (6.3.5). Martial was neither a hero or a fool. Had there been the slightest hint of an affair between emperor and niece, he would hardly have written those lines; had Julia's recent death been caused by an abortion forced on her by Domitian, would Martial have so far neglected the bounds of 'safe criticism' and common sense as to humiliate Domitia publicly, urging her to become pregnant, to give the child a name reminiscent of her husband's mistress and finally to remember that same mistress, now dead and deified (thanks to her husband), would be able to protect the child?" No doubt, Domitian felt great affection towards his niece, however, there is no evidence that they had an illicit love affair. The incestuous rumour was spread after Domitian's death.

It is quite tragic that this young lady was used as fodder to defame Domitian by ancient writers. Even in David Vagi's magisterial work Coinage and History of the Roman Empire the unfounded rumours about Julia and Domitian's incestuous relationship are uncritically repeated. I wanted to set the record straight.

RIC 398 Julia Titi [Titus]

Æ Dupondius, 10.29g
Rome mint, 80-81 AD
Obv: IVLIA IMP T AVG F AVGVSTA; Bust of Julia Titi, draped, r., hair piled high in front and coiled in bun at back
Rev: VESTA in exergue; S C in field; Vesta std. l., holding palladium and sceptre
RIC 398 (C). BMC 257. BNC 271.
Acquired from Dmitry Markov Coins, December 2022.

Titus' daughter Julia Titi was granted the title Augusta during his reign sometime in 80 or 81. A small issue of dupondii were struck to commemorate the occasion, most of which are fairly scarce today. This Vesta reverse type is probably one of the more commonly encountered varities of the issue. Julia is shown on this example sporting the classic Flavian style female hairdo that became very fashionable at the time. After Titus's death she lived with her uncle Domitian at the imperial residence. In 90 or 91 AD she died and was deified by Domitian, this was commemorated on the coinage as well. The ancient sources are quick to malign her reputation in the name of smearing Domitian. It is said she had an ongoing affair with Domitian and became pregnant. She then was forced by Domitian to abort the baby and died during the attempted abortion sometime in 90 or 91. The Flavian historian Brian Jones has called the supposed affair between Domitian and his niece Julia (some ten or eleven years his junior) and the subsequent forced abortion which killed her as "implausible" and "nonsense". Further he wrote "Scholars seem not to have stressed one of the most significant factors in assessing the rumour's accuracy - Martial's epigram 6.3, written not long after Julia's death and deification. In it, he expresses the hope that Domitian will produce a son, implies that the baby's name will be Julius (6.3.1) and states that (the now deified) Julia will be able to watch over him (6.3.5). Martial was neither a hero or a fool. Had there been the slightest hint of an affair between emperor and niece, he would hardly have written those lines; had Julia's recent death been caused by an abortion forced on her by Domitian, would Martial have so far neglected the bounds of 'safe criticism' and common sense as to humiliate Domitia publicly, urging her to become pregnant, to give the child a name reminiscent of her husband's mistress and finally to remember that same mistress, now dead and deified (thanks to her husband), would be able to protect the child?" No doubt, Domitian felt great affection towards his niece, however, there is no evidence that they had an illicit love affair. The incestuous rumour was spread after Domitian's death.

It is quite tragic that this young lady was used as fodder to defame Domitian by ancient writers. Even in David Vagi's magisterial work Coinage and History of the Roman Empire the unfounded rumours about Julia and Domitian's incestuous relationship are uncritically repeated. I wanted to set the record straight.

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Album name:David Atherton / 2. The Reign of Titus - Imperial Coins
Filesize:63 KiB
Date added:Dec 12, 2022
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Jay GT4   [Dec 12, 2022 at 11:28 PM]
Congrats

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