Robert L. Mowery, «Son of God in Roman Imperial Titles and Matthew», Vol. 83 (2002) 100-110

The christological formula qeou= ui(o/j, which appears in the NT only in three Matthean passages (14,33; 27,43.54), exactly parallels the two-word Roman imperial son of god formula found in the titulature of Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, Titus, and Domitian. This formula occurred more widely in first century imperial titulature than has previously been reported; in addition, various three-word imperial son of god formulas also deserve notice. The Matthean formula qeou= ui(o/j would have evoked Roman imperial usage for at least some members of Matthew’s community.

and may have stood in a Lycian inscription³⁴, and the two words in this formula stand in this order in a longer title in a Laodicean inscription ³⁵. Various Greek sources call Titus a god³⁶, and he was consecrated a divus after his death. He could be simultaneously hailed as both ‘god’ and ‘son of god Vespasian’³⁷.

        Domitian, who reigned during 81-96 CE, was the second son of the deified Vespasian. Though the three-word formula qeou= Ou)espasianou= ui(o/j occurs in many references to Domitian³⁸, the two-word formula qeou= ui(o/j appears on nearly eighty coins minted in Tarsus, Anazarbus, Alexandria, and several Egyptian nomes³⁹. Note that all of these locations are in the East. While Domitian was hailed as a god by various Greek sources⁴⁰, he was assassinated. His death ended the Flavian line, and no successor claimed to be a son of the god Domitian.

        In summary, the two-word formula qeou= ui(o/j and the three-word formula qeou=-father’s name-ui(o/j appear in references to the following five first- century emperors:

        Note that Augustus, Tiberius, and Nero were adopted sons. Not until Titus became emperor in 79 CE did a biological son succeed his father.

        The two-word formula qeou= ui(o/j appears not only in references to Augustus but also in references to Tiberius, Nero, Titus, and Domitian. Kim therefore erred when he claimed that this formula was ‘unique to Augustus, a title with which no other emperor, with the possible exception of Tiberius, could be associated’⁴¹. Besides occurring in a host of references to Augustus, this formula appears in a series of epigraphical references to Tiberius, occasional epigraphical and numismatic references to Nero, a few epigraphical references to Titus, and nearly eighty coins whose legends refer to Domitian. This formula even appears in an Athenian dedication to Drusus Caesar, a member of the imperial family who never became emperor ⁴².