Ovid and the Domus Augusta (–),identifiedasofferingsacrifices,alongwithherunnameddaughters-
in-law (Agrippina and Livilla), for the safety of her equally unnamed son
(Tiberius);withequalemphasis,sheisassociatedwithmothersandtheVestal
Virgins.^42 Theimperialfamilyisseenexpresslyasacollectivity,andaslocated
withintraditionalRomansociety.
The prospect of change and a shift of power in the Augustan house is
alreadyimplicit,evenexplicit.AugustusandTiberiusappearonlyas‘‘Caesar
uterque’’(bothemperors),andfarmoreemphasisislaid,inremarkablyun-
ambiguous language,on the prospective rule of the next generation, Ger-
manicusandDrusus(–).InnotingOvid’sbolduseoftheverbregere(to
ruleasking),weshouldalsorecallthat,liketheentirescene(whichnever
occurred),domus illa(thathousehold)wasaconstruct,madeup,indefault
ofotherunfulfilledpossibilities,byreluctantadoptions.
TheothertriumphwhichOvidwastoevokewasatleastarealone,that
celebratedbyTiberiusoverIllyricum,onOctober,...^43 Inthefirst
oftwopoemsonthistriumph(Ex P.,),heprovidesanotherevocationof
thespectatorswatchingtheprocession(–),andapredictionofafuture
triumphbyGermanicus(–).Butthefollowingpoem(,)isthemore
concreteand,invariousways,themoresignificant.Firstly,itisaddressedto
M.ValeriusMessallaMessallinus,consulof..,andtheeldersonofMes-
sallaCorvinus,withanallusiontohisbrother,M.ValeriusCottaMaximus.
LikemanypoemsinEx Pontoithastheformofarequestforintercession,
or‘‘brokerage,’’whichistobebasedoncloseconnectionoftheprospective
intercessorwiththeemperor,andistodeploytheeloquenceinheritedfrom
hisfamousfather(–):
verbaquenostrafavensRomanaadnuminaperfer,
nontibiTarpeiocultaTonanteminus,
mandatiquemeilegatussuscipecausam:
nullameoquamvisnominecausabonaest.
iampropedepositus,certeiamfrigidusaeger,
servatusperte,simodoservor,ero.
nunctuaprolassisnitaturgratiarebus,
principisaeterniquamtibipraestatamor.
nunctibieteloquiinitorilledomesticusadsit,. SeeN.Purcell,‘‘LiviaandtheWomanhoodofRome,’’PCPhS():.
. ThedateisgivenbyAE,no.(fromPraeneste,Degrassi,Ins. It..,p.,
a fragment of theFasti Praenestini): ‘‘Ti. Caesarcurru triumphavit ex Ilurico’’ (Ti[berius]
Caesar,ridinginachariot,triumphedoverIllyricum[onthesamedayoftheyearasthe
secondbattleofPhilippi];seeSyme(n.),–.