Domitian, 13 September 81 - 18 September 96 A.D.
RS116966. Silver denarius, RIC II-1 721, RSC II 264, BMCRE II 181, BnF III 169, Hunter I 73, SRCV I -, VF, some luster, flow lines, light deposits, off center, struck with a worn rev. die, edge cracks, 3.353g, 19.7mm, 180o, Rome mint, IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P X (Latin: Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus Germanicus Pontifex Maximus Tribunicia Potestate Decima - supreme commander, caesar, Domitian, emperor, conqueror of the Germans, high priest, holder of tribunician power for the 10th time), laureate head right; reverse IMP XXI COS XV CENS P P P (Latin: Imperator Vicesimum Primum Consul Quintum Decimum Censor Perpetuus Pater Patriae - supreme commander for the 21st time, consul for the 15th time, censor for life, father of the nation), Minerva standing left, thunderbolt in right hand, spear vertical behind in left hand, shield at feet behind
In 91 or 92 A.D., the poet Statius published his intended magnum opus, Thebaid. The poem's theme is the myth of the Seven Against Thebes, the story of the battle between the sons of Oedipus for the throne of Thebes. The poem is divided into twelve books in imitation of Virgil's Aeneid and is composed in dactylic hexameter. Earlier critics in the 19th and 20th century considered the poem elaborate flattery that vindicated the regime of Domitian, however, more recent scholars have viewed the poem as a subversive work that criticizes the authoritarianism and violence of the Flavians by focusing on extreme violence and social chaos. Statius' use of allegory and his abstract treatment of the gods has been seen as an important innovation in the tradition of classical poetry which ushered in Medieval conventions. Finally, although earlier scholars criticized the style of the poem as episodic, current scholars have noted the subtlety and skill with which Statius organizes and controls his narrative and description.