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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 3047619, member: 82616&quot;]Of course this is a scandalous rumour peddled <i>after </i>Domitian&#039;s assassination. Here is what the eminent Flavian historian Brian Jones wrote concerning the alleged affair.</p><p><br /></p><p>&#039;Scholars seem not to have stressed one of the most significant factors in assessing the rumour&#039;s accuracy - Martial&#039;s epigram 6.3, written not long after Julia&#039;s death and deification. In it, he expresses the hope that Domitian will produce a son, implies that the baby&#039;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&#039;s recent death been caused by an abortion forced on her by Domitian, would Martial have so far neglected the bounds of &#039;safe criticism&#039; and common sense as to humiliate Domitia publicly, urging her to become pregnant, to give the child a name reminiscent of her husband&#039;s mistress and finally to remember that same mistress, now dead and deified (thanks to her husband), would be able to protect the child?&#039;</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]761840[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>Julia Titi</b></p><p>AR Denarius, 3.22g</p><p>Rome mint, 80-81 AD</p><p>RIC T387 (R). BMC T140. RSC 12.</p><p>Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA T AVG F; Bust of Julia Titi, draped and diademed, r., hair in long plait</p><p>Rev: VENVS AVG; Venus stg. r., leaning on column, with helmet and spear</p><p>Acquired from Aegean Numismatics, February 2017.</p><p><br /></p><p>Nice coins BTW![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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