Tacitus on Titus’ Visit to the Temple of Venus at Paphos

Abstract

This article deals with Titus’ visit to the temple of Venus at Paphos in the second book of Tacitus’ Historiae. I argue that apart from its other literary intentions already mentioned by scholars, this digression implicitly connects Titus not only with Aeneas but also with Julius Caesar. Titus’ affair with Berenice that recalls Caesar’s affair with Cleopatra, Tacitus’ allusions to Lucan’s De Bello Civili where Caesar’s visit to the tomb of Alexander the Great is described, the πόθοςMotiv and fortuna’s favour that characterise both Roman generals, all contribute to connect Titus with Caesar and allow the reader to view a parallel between the Flavian and the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Furthermore, the particular digression allows the historian to present certain aspects of his work and his historiographic practices and to reinforce his credibility