Julia Domna, her maternal ideology and the Municipium of Gozo

Abstract

Epigraphic and other evidence would seem to underscore the popularity Julia Domna enjoyed amongst the Gozitans as much as she did amongst other communities in the Roman Empire. Her motherhood – both real and metaphorical – did not only play an important role in securing her subjects’ loyalty but was also crucial for the promotion of the imperial family’s dynasty. In this respect, dedications to her and to other members of her family might feature on one and the same monument, as might have been the case concerning one such presumed, partially-surviving monument from Gozo.