Titus Commemorates Britannicus in Ivory and Gold
Abstract
Titus commemorated Britannicus, his childhood friend and Nero’s rival for Claudius’ succession, with two statues, an ivory equestrian statue in a circus procession, and a gold statue on the Palatine. By adhering to traditional imperial commemorative practices in a traditional ceremonial context Titus reaffirmed the ideological connection between the Flavian dynasty and Claudius’ Principate. These commemorative practices as well as the display spaces for Britannicus’ honorific statues, situated within a topography that had recently been transformed, further evoked his rivalry with Nero. Taken together these factors helped advance an ideology positioning the Flavian dynasty as legitimate successors to the Julio-Claudians.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Classical Antiquity Studies
Historical and Religious Studies of Rome
Archaeological and Historical Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Historia
- Volume
- 75
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 99–127
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- DE