Explanation: The bust of the Emperor, that of the Emperor Vespasian, is depicted tossing aside Domitian, his younger son.
Vespasian had two sons who we remember as Titus and Domitian. Titus was the elder son by over ten years - and served in military campaigns in Britain and Judea with his dear ol’ dad. Domitian, the younger son, spent most of this time as a literal child with his mother and, after his mother died of natural causes, with his caretakers, while Vespasian and Titus were off in the far corners of the Empire together.
For obvious reasons, Vespasian was thus significantly closer with Titus, but more damningly, didn’t put much effort into reconnecting with Domitian once he returned to Rome. This parental disregard had a very… negative effect on Domitian’s disposition.
What effect did this have on my homie Domitian?
He became morose, insecure, thin-skinned, and paranoid. When Domitian became Emperor after the death of his brother, Domitian proceeded to continually terrorize the Senate and insist on being given unprecedented honors, including being called “God and Master”.
