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Sestertius - Domitia DIVI CAESAR MATRI S C
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 81-82 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 22.75 g |
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| Reverse description | Domitia Longina seated left upon a throne or chair, holding a long sceptre vertically in her left hand; she extends her right hand toward a small child standing to the left before her, who faces right and reaches upward toward her in a gesture of supplication or greeting. The scene commemorates Domitia's role as mother of the short-lived son of Domitian, who died in infancy and was posthumously deified. The legend in the field and exergue records her title as mother of the divine Caesar and notes the senatorial authority for the issue. |
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| Reverse lettering | DIVI CAESAR MATRI S C (Translation: To the mother of the Divine Caesar. By decree of the Senate.) |
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| Additional information |
Domitia's position in 81–82 was precarious. Domitian elevated her with the title DIVI CAESAR MATER — mother of the deified Caesar — commemorating their son, who died in infancy sometime around 83 AD by later accounts, though the precise date remains debated. The honorific was politically calculated: linking Domitian's dynasty to deification even through a child's death lent the new emperor a sacred lineage he otherwise lacked.
RIC II.1 133 is notably scarce. Domitia's coinage was suspended entirely after she fell from imperial favor, making issues from this early window the primary surviving record of her official recognition.