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Roman Obsession With Medusa (or Gorgons In General)


DecimusCaesar

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I found quite a nice military bust of the Emperor Galba with a fairly Hellenistic looking Gorgon on his breastplate:

 

galba.jpg

I think it was a fairly common emblem to have on Imperial busts.

 

Yes, I'm sure that the myth of the aegis was something worth imitating, too.

 

I prefer the one on Pertinax's breastplate to this one though, it has better movement for a tattoo.

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Here is a much larger picture of Pertinax's bust on this site...

 

[www.bstorage.com/photo/Italy/Rome/bust/index4.htm]

 

If you click on their portraits you get a larger, more detailed image.

 

it also contains images of other Emperors with a Medusa image on their cuirass.

Edited by Pertinax
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Here is a much larger picture of Pertinax's bust on this site...

 

www.bstorage.com/photo/Italy/Rome/bust/index4.htm

 

If you click on their portraits you get a larger, more detailed image.

 

it also contains images of other Emperors with a Medusa image on their cuirass.

 

What a fabulous site! Thanks for the link.

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Actually I was missing the point wasn't I? The romans were very superstitious people. Every observable event in the world around them might have divine purpose or contain warnings for the wise. So in all likliehood the addition of medusa/gorgon motifs were simply there as wards against bad luck?

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