Publication Date

4-2007

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that one of the primary reasons for this apprehension towards Titus' succession was his "conspicuous love ofthe queen Berenice, to whom, they say, he even promised marriage. The affair of Titus and Berenice has not been given proper attention by modem scholars. Most ignore the affair or gloss over it as a novelty, yet this is an error. Those who do connect the relationship of Titus and Berenice to the political context of Flavian Rome, such as John Crook, mistakenly associate the delay in Berenice's arrival to the influence of Licinius Mucianus. However, this paper will demonstrate that the relationship of Titus and Berenice is integral to understanding the opposition to the Flavian regime, and Titus' succession in particular. It will examine how the history ofJulia Berenice before and after the start of her affair with Titus served as ammunition for the opposition against her and argue that their relationship became a focal point for the opposition to Titus' succession led by Helvidius Priscus.

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Classics

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