01-31-2015, 09:27 PM
A couple of mentions of the hair and complexion of later emperors:
Ammianus (Book 14,27,28) describes the Caesar Gallus as having (in the Loeb translation) 'soft golden hair' (flavo capillo et molli) - although once again the word used is flavum, which might not be 'blonde' or 'golden' as we think of it.
This might be the originof the idea of the emperor Julian being blonde too - as in Ken Broeders' Apostata. I don't know if there's any other source for Julian's colouring...
An anonymous Life of Constantine (Constantine Byzantinus, BHG 364), which is late and contains many errors, but which might draw on an earlier source, says of Constantine 'his complexion was ruddy' and 'his hair was naturally tawny' - the Greek word usually translated as 'tawny' appears to be either xanthos or xanthothrichos ('yellowiest', used by Dio for Boudica!) so could mean blonde or reddish, perhaps. John Malalas seems to confirm the emperor's 'ruddy' complexion.
* [Edit] I notice that Plutarch gives Sulla 'golden hair' and 'grey eyes', and Cato the Elder also has 'grey eyes' and 'reddish hair'. I would guess that 'golden' and 'reddish' are once again variants of xanthos. Caesar, according to Suetonius, has 'black' eyes, hair colour not recorded.
Ammianus (Book 14,27,28) describes the Caesar Gallus as having (in the Loeb translation) 'soft golden hair' (flavo capillo et molli) - although once again the word used is flavum, which might not be 'blonde' or 'golden' as we think of it.
This might be the originof the idea of the emperor Julian being blonde too - as in Ken Broeders' Apostata. I don't know if there's any other source for Julian's colouring...
An anonymous Life of Constantine (Constantine Byzantinus, BHG 364), which is late and contains many errors, but which might draw on an earlier source, says of Constantine 'his complexion was ruddy' and 'his hair was naturally tawny' - the Greek word usually translated as 'tawny' appears to be either xanthos or xanthothrichos ('yellowiest', used by Dio for Boudica!) so could mean blonde or reddish, perhaps. John Malalas seems to confirm the emperor's 'ruddy' complexion.
* [Edit] I notice that Plutarch gives Sulla 'golden hair' and 'grey eyes', and Cato the Elder also has 'grey eyes' and 'reddish hair'. I would guess that 'golden' and 'reddish' are once again variants of xanthos. Caesar, according to Suetonius, has 'black' eyes, hair colour not recorded.
Nathan Ross
