Caracalla

[JGolomb]

This bust of Caracalla is going up for auction and is estimated to pull in about 250,000 pounds. It's popped up a number of times on the feeds and blogs that I track and, honestly, I think it's a terrific piece of work. It carries the weight of a sense of menace, power and emotion. This image alone makes me want to learn more about the Emperor.

Bust of Caracalla goes on Auction Block

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

This image alone makes me want to learn more about the Emperor.

 

It also makes me wish I had a spare

Edited October 26, 2009 by Gaius Paulinus Maximus

[Axel]

This image alone makes me want to learn more about the Emperor.

 

It also makes me wish I had a spare

[caldrail]

It just proves that advertising is nothing new. Bad boy Caracalla was only too keen to project a Mr Nasty image. That is after all what busts were for regarding living characters. Advertisements for the personality cult.

[sylla]

This bust of Caracalla is going up for auction and is estimated to pull in about 250,000 pounds. It's popped up a number of times on the feeds and blogs that I track and, honestly, I think it's a terrific piece of work. It carries the weight of a sense of menace, power and emotion. This image alone makes me want to learn more about the Emperor.

Latium antiquum a Tiberi Cerceios servatum est m. p. L longitudine: tam tenues primordio imperi fuere radices. colonis saepe mutatis tenuere alii aliis temporibus, Aborigenes, Pelasgi, Arcades, Siculi, Aurunci, Rutuli et ultra Cerceios Volsci, Osci, Ausones, unde nomen Lati processit ad Lirim amnem. in principio est Ostia colonia ab Romano rege deducta, oppidum Laurentum, lucus Iovis Indigetis, amnis Numicius, Ardea a Dana Edited January 1, 2010 by sylla

[Northern Neil]

... his religious policy and of course the notable Constitutio Antoniana, ie the granting of Roman citizenship to all free individuals within the Empire.

The latter is even nowadays frequently explained (from Dio) simply as a manouver to collect more taxes; an utterly absurd explanation, as no Roman Emperor was ever restrained from taxing any Roman (citizen or not) as much as he pleased.

Maybe he foresaw the disunity in the Empire which was to become very problematic a decade or two later, and this was his attempt to address it. Later emperors used religion to this purpose.

[sylla]

... his religious policy and of course the notable Constitutio Antoniana, ie the granting of Roman citizenship to all free individuals within the Empire.

The latter is even nowadays frequently explained (from Dio) simply as a manouver to collect more taxes; an utterly absurd explanation, as no Roman Emperor was ever restrained from taxing any Roman (citizen or not) as much as he pleased.

Maybe he foresaw the disunity in the Empire which was to become very problematic a decade or two later, and this was his attempt to address it. Later emperors used religion to this purpose.

Antoninus himself mentioned in an edict a religious goal, specifically increasing the number of worshippers of the Roman gods.

Needless to say, that is hardly convincing; why couldn

[caldrail]

... his religious policy and of course the notable Constitutio Antoniana, ie the granting of Roman citizenship to all free individuals within the Empire.

The latter is even nowadays frequently explained (from Dio) simply as a manouver to collect more taxes; an utterly absurd explanation, as no Roman Emperor was ever restrained from taxing any Roman (citizen or not) as much as he pleased.

Maybe he foresaw the disunity in the Empire which was to become very problematic a decade or two later, and this was his attempt to address it. Later emperors used religion to this purpose.

 

An interesting point, considering Caracalla had all the hallmarks of a warrior-emperor. Definitely a soldiers man. Somewhat ironic then a Roman soldier killed him on campaign. The problem with individuals in that sort of powerful position is that if they become focused on military activity (as Caracalla clearly wanted to) it tends to be at the expense of everything else. Now of course he did instigate civic improvements. As history shows, emperors were usually a tad cynical about that, as public benificence was expected of a wealthy ruler (and interestingly, would remain a characteristic of Italian culture even as late as the Renaissance).

 

Caracalla may have been a very hard-nosed individual (am I being too generous?) but he wasn't stupid. Keep the Romans sweet. Unfortunately, his ideas of how to do that would have also included military glory and triumphs to warm the Roman heart. It remains unlikely he would have conquered Parthia, which as a region showed considerable resilience over the centuries in resisting Roman aggression, and he he not been assassinated you have to ask whether his reign was going to be remembered fondly even with his efforts to appear a beneficent ruler on the home front.

[sylla]

... his religious policy and of course the notable Constitutio Antoniana, ie the granting of Roman citizenship to all free individuals within the Empire.

The latter is even nowadays frequently explained (from Dio) simply as a manouver to collect more taxes; an utterly absurd explanation, as no Roman Emperor was ever restrained from taxing any Roman (citizen or not) as much as he pleased.

Maybe he foresaw the disunity in the Empire which was to become very problematic a decade or two later, and this was his attempt to address it. Later emperors used religion to this purpose.

 

An interesting point, considering Caracalla had all the hallmarks of a warrior-emperor. Definitely a soldiers man. Somewhat ironic then a Roman soldier killed him on campaign. The problem with individuals in that sort of powerful position is that if they become focused on military activity (as Caracalla clearly wanted to) it tends to be at the expense of everything else. Now of course he did instigate civic improvements. As history shows, emperors were usually a tad cynical about that, as public benificence was expected of a wealthy ruler (and interestingly, would remain a characteristic of Italian culture even as late as the Renaissance).

 

Caracalla may have been a very hard-nosed individual (am I being too generous?) but he wasn't stupid. Keep the Romans sweet. Unfortunately, his ideas of how to do that would have also included military glory and triumphs to warm the Roman heart. It remains unlikely he would have conquered Parthia, which as a region showed considerable resilience over the centuries in resisting Roman aggression, and he he not been assassinated you have to ask whether his reign was going to be remembered fondly even with his efforts to appear a beneficent ruler on the home front.

Latium antiquum a Tiberi Cerceios servatum est m. p. L longitudine: tam tenues primordio imperi fuere radices. colonis saepe mutatis tenuere alii aliis temporibus, Aborigenes, Pelasgi, Arcades, Siculi, Aurunci, Rutuli et ultra Cerceios Volsci, Osci, Ausones, unde nomen Lati processit ad Lirim amnem. in principio est Ostia colonia ab Romano rege deducta, oppidum Laurentum, lucus Iovis Indigetis, amnis Numicius, Ardea a Dana Edited January 1, 2010 by sylla

[JGolomb]

This image alone makes me want to learn more about the Emperor.

 

It also makes me wish I had a spare

[sylla]

I'm sure it has something to do with the lighting of this picture, but the Arch looks downright intimidating...

According to Cassius Dio (as quoted by PP) that's the way it should be.

[JGolomb]

This bust of Caracalla is going up for auction and is estimated to pull in about 250,000 pounds. It's popped up a number of times on the feeds and blogs that I track and, honestly, I think it's a terrific piece of work. It carries the weight of a sense of menace, power and emotion. This image alone makes me want to learn more about the Emperor.

Bust of Caracalla goes on Auction Block

The auction for this item was to have taken place on 10/28. I spent some time this morning on Bonham's site and while many items on this day were sold, there was still only the estimate price for the Caracalla bust on the webpage. I take this to mean that it wasn't, in fact, sold.

 

Maybe we should take donations from the community and purchase it ourselves? Each participating UNRV community member can have it for one week. We'll take it around our hometowns and show it off like champion NHLers do with the Stanley Cup. :-)

 

It'll look mighty nice on my Thanksgiving Day table.

 

J

[sylla]

This bust of Caracalla is going up for auction and is estimated to pull in about 250,000 pounds. It's popped up a number of times on the feeds and blogs that I track and, honestly, I think it's a terrific piece of work. It carries the weight of a sense of menace, power and emotion. This image alone makes me want to learn more about the Emperor.

Bust of Caracalla goes on Auction Block

The auction for this item was to have taken place on 10/28. I spent some time this morning on Bonham's site and while many items on this day were sold, there was still only the estimate price for the Caracalla bust on the webpage. I take this to mean that it wasn't, in fact, sold.

 

Maybe we should take donations from the community and purchase it ourselves? Each participating UNRV community member can have it for one week. We'll take it around our hometowns and show it off like champion NHLers do with the Stanley Cup. :-)

 

It'll look mighty nice on my Thanksgiving Day table.

 

J

Agreed, but the same as the Arch in Djemilla (and irrespectively of lighting) it would still look downright intimidating.