Domitilla the Elder

Flavia Domitilla Major was the wife of the Roman Emperor Vespasian and mother of the emperors Titus and Domitian. She died before her husband became emperor in 69 AD. After her death she is thought to have been deified by the name Diva Domitilla. a statement not found in the original text. an equestrian also from Sabratha. Her role in this relationship is characterized by Suetonius with the term delicata (Dom. 3), which in this context is taken to mean "the favorite of" Statilius and is commonly used to imply a sexual relationship between the two. Regardless of the exact circumstances surrounding this relationship, the context suggests that Domitilla filled some servile role within the estate of Statilius.

After her death she is often identified with the figure Diva Domitilla, a deified woman of the Flavian dynasty, though there is a debate over whether this title belongs to her or to her daughter. Evidence for her as Diva Domitilla is provided mostly through her representations on the coins issued during the reign of her son, Titus.

Flavian family tree