Who is this guy?

[Jona Lendering]

I receive this beautiful photo from the Museum of Merida; it must have stood very close to the busts of Augustus and the statues of Drusus and Tiberius. But who is it? Judging from the hair style, I'd say it's from the Antonine age. A young Marcus Aurelius? Or is it a princess? The face resembles Antinous. I think everything is possible, except Flavian or post-Antonine. I find this one hard to identify.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Hmmm, it could be Antinous. They did make him a cult figure after all!

[caiusbeerquitius]

Antonine sounds sensible, might be early Severan as well. The face is "more" female than the usual Antinous pics. Also the head is capite vellato, I don´t know is this would fit w/ Antinous types.
Additionally, the "veil" does not look like a toga would: too many regular folds.
I´d say rather a woman.
Open long hair: might be a goddess. Or local portrait.

High quality stuff, anyway.

[caiusbeerquitius]

Antinous pics:

[caiusbeerquitius]

I think Virgil look more afeminated than Antinoos, Antious was a lit stronger look...

Most certainly not, I´d say.

More Vergil:

[Jona Lendering]

Six splendid responses in less than half an hour. Thanks all; I consider them all, and the photographer will be glad to read all this.

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

The statue is placed in an augusteum, with representations of the family of Octavius Augustus. So, the datation have to be augustean or tiberian.

The oficial hipotesis is that bust is the Genius Coloniae, a ideal representation of the city of Emerita Augusta itself.

[caiusbeerquitius]

Well, yes, a old and a young version. However, I do not find the chubby girl in Jona´s pic in one of either. It might be Antinous, but I don´t think so.
The drillings and the depth of the hair structure make it certainly post-Augustan. For "real" severan statue the hair has not enough drillings and depth.
Browsing my seminar writings again: Most probably between 80 and 160:
"doughy" hair like this is usually common in that period.

[Jona Lendering]

The statue is placed in an augusteum, with representations of the family of Octavius Augustus. So, the datation have to be augustean or tiberian.

The oficial hipotesis is that bust is the Genius Coloniae, a ideal representation of the city of Emerita Augusta itself.

Sounds extremely plausible, especially since it is in the museum close to the statue of Augustus.

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

It's the Museum interpretation. Both the director of the museum and his wife are especialists in roman portrait, so they sure have strong motivation to do that interpretation.

Sure is augustean/tiberian in datation, because belongs to a serie of people that ornates an augusteum. That people are all the family of augustus (both men and women) and probably other representations, as this.

[caiusbeerquitius]

a ideal representation of the city of Emerita Augusta itself.

That sounds quite reasonable. It would make the head female, and put it typologically in a hellenistic tradition, which would explain the for that period very "unroman" hair, which was normally shown as a coherent mass. Compare:


or, male:

[caiusbeerquitius]

Is this one of the heads found next to it?


They are stylistically VERY different...
See them all at:
LIVIUS.org

[SigniferOne]

That's definitely not Antinous; but to be honest looks a lot like a woman (especially with that hair); perhaps a Vestal virgin.

[Urselius]

I don't think it is a portrait as such, it is an "idealised type."

Look at the extreme width of the top of the nose, and the "Grecian profile" - no notch at the transition between forehead and bridge of the nose. It is a sculpture in Hellenistic style and of a deity or or genius loci, perhaps the personification of a town or even a nearby river.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I don't think it is a portrait as such, it is an "idealised type."

Look at the extreme width of the top of the nose, and the "Grecian profile" - no notch at the transition between forehead and bridge of the nose. It is a sculpture in Hellenistic style and of a deity or or genius loci, perhaps the personification of a town or even a nearby river.

Which is why the idea it might be Antinous came to mind..an idealized cult statue rather than a portait? Some of the male statues show very feminine attributes, so it is a bit confuzing.