Who is this emperor?

[Jona Lendering]

This portrait can be seen in the museum of Selçuk. It was found in Ephesus. I have now seen in twice, and I am increasingly convinced that it is not the emperor that the museum people think it is. Who do you think it is?



Because I do not want to influence you, I am not going to say what the explanatory sign says it is. You can see my guess by looking at the picture's URL. But I may be wrong.

[Lyceum]

I can make a pretty good guess based on hairstyle and obesity but...wouldn't that influence other posters if we all started shouting out our answers?

I think its Titus, far too young to be Vitellius. But then I'm not a Romanist and its probably some random Gallic emperor or a 3rd century crisis dude, right?

[Nathan Ross]

It's Domitian, isn't it?

This resembles one of those statues destroyed after his damnatio memoriae and later reassembled - which led Procopius to believe that his widow had sewn together his dismembered body and commissioned a statue made of the remains!*


[Edit]* I meant a statue made to depict the sewn-together remains, not made out of them - that would be very unhygenic!

[Macedon]

Come on... it is Stallone in Rocky... I'd know that beat up, swollen cry-baby face anywhere! I guess that back then there were no posters, so they made statues of the movie... :lol: :lol:

(Btw, 2 votes for Titus...for some reason it reminds me of him more than it does Domitian)

[Nathan Ross]

2 votes for Titus...for some reason it reminds me of him more than it does Domitian

There's a close family resemblance, of course...

Here's Titus:



And here's his little brother:

[img size=275x400]http://farm1.staticflickr.com/10/12375869_f4f465834c.jpg[/img]

The petulant pout, the artfully concealed receding hairline, the air of meglomanic grandeur... I still think it's Domitian we have here. Plus, of course, the apparently deliberate and sustained smashing... :eek:

[Manius Acilius Italicus]

It not Titus or his brother. Otherwise I can't honestly say who it is, as I could not find another likeness similar in time for this post. He really looks like Flattop Jones from Dick Tracy.

[D B Campbell]

Who do you think it is?

I must admit that I immediately thought of Domitian. But I sense that this is a trick question and I'm about to look very foolish! hock:

[Statius]

A very flattering statue of Vespasian sporting a very natty hair piece :wink:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Hah ha! It does bear a very vague resembalence to Vespasian...but I don't think so.
Titus maybe? The other 2 pics remind me of someone else but I can't recall.

[Jona Lendering]

Yes, Domitian or Titus. I personally believe it's the latter, but the museum thinks it's Domitian.

There's an interesting psychological mechanism at work here. I do recognize the face, but I cannot express in words what I do actually realize. It reminds me of a visit to the police, many years ago, when I had to identify a bicycle thief. I could not describe him; but when I was shown photos, I could immediately point at the right one.

[Virilis]

Yes, Domitian or Titus. I personally believe it's the latter, but the museum thinks it's Domitian.

There's an interesting psychological mechanism at work here. I do recognize the face, but I cannot express in words what I do actually realize. It reminds me of a visit to the police, many years ago, when I had to identify a bicycle thief. I could not describe him; but when I was shown photos, I could immediately point at the right one.

Jona, I would have loved to see the expression on the police-officers face when you said that the bicycle thief was emperor Titus :wink: !

[Nathan Ross]

It not Titus or his brother.

Why not? :???:

I personally believe it's the latter, but the museum thinks it's Domitian.

Identifying imperial statuary is an interesting business. There's certainly a characteristic Flavian 'look', just as there's an obvious Antonine or Severan one - more than just the hairstyles or the facial features, it seems that each dynasty (for want of a better word) consciously developed their own visual style. Perhaps just fashion, but it certainly would have helped their subjects, particularly in the provinces, build up an idea of the continuity and stability of rule.

Actually, is it not possible that early portrayals of Domitian were deliberately intended to resemble both Titus and Vespasian? As Domitian ruled for sixteen years and Titus for barely three, it seems likely that far more statues of Domitian were produced than of Titus, albeit most of them were smashed or slighted after his murder...

[PhilusEstilius]

It is indeed my favourite Emperor Domitian.

[Lyceum]

Identification Rom emperors: I got into a lengthy conversation with Prof Amanda Claridge a few years back about this, looking for tips. She mentioned that one ought to always focus on the hair, at least in terms of dynastic groupings as well as material and find spots.

It really is (reasonably) interesting I suppose to notice the hair styles of the Julio-Claudians and then compare them with later groupings. I say "interesting" this is of course the kind of stuff why I'm a Hellenistic. Romanists tend to have a logic defying anal retentiveness which allows them to do this stuff and actually enjoy it.

So for what its worth we by and large agree Jona. Have you seen the descriptions of Domitian strewn throughout Juvenal book 1 btw? Fascinating character portrait.

[Nathan Ross]

It is indeed my favourite Emperor Domitian.

Agreed on both counts!

Romanists tend to have a logic defying anal retentiveness which allows them to do this stuff and actually enjoy it.

At risk of anality hock: - It is interesting to compare the depictions of the Flavians with those of Nero. Vespasian went for a verite look - that punchinello grimace - that, while probably closely resembling the man himself, also set him distinctly apart from Nero's boy-wonder style. Titus's plain face and plump smirk seems to follow the same lead. In the surviving busts of Domitian, though, we see something of the Neronian look creeping back, especially in the hairstyle: distinguishing him from his family, and also reclaiming the grandeur of the great builder, perhaps?

Have you seen the descriptions of Domitian strewn throughout Juvenal book 1 btw? Fascinating character portrait.

It's this sort of detail that makes him one of the most fascinating and attractive Roman emperors, imo. I'm sure he would be much better known if his name wasn't so easy to mispronounce ;-)