(Un)-damning Subplots: The Principate of Domitian Between Literary Sources and Fresh Material Evidence

Abstract

Moving beyond the methodological issues of a literary-based reassessment of the reign of the last Flavian emperor, this article re-reads the principate of Domitian in light of fresh epigraphic and numismatic evidence that has only been discovered or fully understood in recent years. This exploration documents the progressive ingraining into second-century literature of an unfavorable vulgate on Domitian's architectural, moral, and religious policies, the positive impact of which is, however, documented by material sources. In addition to contributing to the ongoing revaluation of Domitian, this article displays the benefits of a cross-fertilizing and interdiscursive reading of literary and material sources.