Memories of Domitian

The emperor Domitian (81-96 CE) is one of Roman history’s most controversial figures. This book casts a new light on the enigma of the last Flavian emperor by examining how, why, and to what effect he was remembered during the reign of his successors Nerva (96-98 CE) and Trajan (98-117 CE). Closely engaging with both our ancient sources and modern scholarship, it re-assesses Domitian’s rule and the turbulent period following his assassination, including the short-lived reign of Nerva. Additionally, the book also advances our understanding of Roman memorial culture, re-examining the phenomenon of the so-called damnatio memoriae and offering the first in-depth analysis of transitional justice in Ancient Rome.

The book makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of the political system of the Roman principate. It will not only be of interest to historians, but also to archaeologists and scholars of literature: inter alia, it surveys the latest material evidence for Domitian, Nerva and Trajan’s building programmes, and contributes to the debates surrounding key texts from both the Flavian and Nervan-Antonine period, providing fresh analyses of Martial’s Epigrams, Tacitus’ Agricola, and Pliny the Younger’s Epistulae and Panegyricus.