Gold bust of Marcus Aurelius
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The gold bust of Marcus Aurelius represents a bust of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius wearing a scale armor ( Lorica Plumata ). It was found in Switzerland in 1939 and is now in the Musée romain d'Avenches . It is the largest surviving image of a Roman emperor made of gold.
Site and history
The gold bust was found on April 19, 1939 in the area of the ancient city of Aventicum , today's Avenches in Switzerland. It was located in an ancient sewer below the Cigognier sanctuary and was relatively well preserved.
Material and dimensions
The gold bust of Marcus Aurelius is the largest surviving gold portrait of a Roman emperor; the bust of Marcus Aurelius and the gold bust of Septimius Severus are the only two surviving, larger busts of Roman emperors made of gold.
The bust was driven from a sheet of gold sheet through a gate groove ; it was probably made between 176 and 180 AD. The material consists of approx. 92% gold (22 carats ), 2–3% silver and 2–3% copper. The total height of the bust is 33.5 cm, its width is 29.46 cm. The wall thickness is 0.24-1.4 mm. It weighs 1.589 kg (which is almost five Roman pounds). To compare the value and purchasing power at that time: the weight corresponds to approximately 219 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.
The gold bust may have been made locally or in the region; In the 2nd century AD, two goldsmiths are known by name from Aventicum. Based on stylistic features, it is also assumed that the bust could be a reworking of the portrait of a former emperor.
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 location in the Cigognier sanctuary, the gold bust of Marcus Aurelius can be assumed to be used as a cult object; however, it cannot be ruled out that it was previously used in the army.
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.
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 ).