Gold bust of Septimius Severus
The gold bust of Septimius Severus represents a bust of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus , who wears a scale armor ( Lorica Plumata ). It was found in Greece in 1965 and is now in the Archaeological Museum of Komotini . Besides the gold bust of Marcus Aurelius, it is the only surviving larger bust made of gold of a Roman emperor.
Site and history
The gold bust was found in early June 1965 in the area of the ancient city of Plotinopolis , today's Didymoticho in northeastern Greece, when the Greek army was digging a trench. It was located at a depth of 1.6 m and was only slightly damaged. After the discovery, a small part at the bottom of the bust was cut off and sold before the bust was handed over to the authorities a few days later.
Material and dimensions
The gold bust was driven out of a sheet of gold sheet through a gate groove ; it was probably made between 194 and 196/197 AD. The material consists of over 96% gold as well as 2–3% silver and 1% copper; The gold was probably obtained from melted down gold coins to which a little silver was added. The total height of the bust is 28.4 cm, its width is 25.5 cm. The wall thickness is 1–1.5 mm. The weight is 980 g (three Roman pounds). To compare the value and purchasing power at that time: the weight corresponds to 135 aurei with a weight of 7.25 g each, whereby in the 2nd century AD a horse cost 16 aurei and an estate 1300 aurei.
function
All known imperial busts made of precious metal represent the respective emperor in armor. It was suggested that these busts should be used either as a cult image, as an official image of the emperor in the public domain, as the possession of a local dignitary or as an attachment of a standard ( imago militaris ) served. Due to the find situation, no clear assignment can be made for the gold bust of Septimius Severus. The way it was executed, however, suggests that it was created as a light object that could be transported by one person.
Possibly the inside of the head was filled with a light, organic mass for stabilization; In the bust part an adapted and possibly glued assembly stand was probably inserted, on which z. B. the rod of a standard or a base could be attached. A bronze band is soldered to the back inside of the bust; it is unclear whether the bronze ribbon was added as a repair or to reinforce the gold sheet for fastening.
Web links
literature
- Anne de Pury-Gysel: The gold bust of the emperor Septimius Severus , LIBRUM Publishers & Editors, Basel, 2017, ISBN 978-3-9524542-6-8 ( online ).