Imperial Portrait of the Emperor Caligula, God and Ruler

CultureRoman
Titles
  • Imperial Portrait of the Emperor Caligula, God and Ruler
Date37–41 AD
MediumGilt bronze
Dimensions15 × 8 7/8 × 10 1/8 in. (38.1 × 22.5 × 25.7 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Alice Pratt Brown Museum Fund
Object number2003.670
Current Location
The Audrey Jones Beck Building
203 Crane Gallery
Exposé

Explore Further

Department
Antiquities
Object Type
Description

Roman literature has established that Emperor Caligula proclaimed himself a god and erected a golden statue of himself in a temple in the Capitolium in Rome. According to his personal correspondence, he also intended to place his golden image in the great temple of Jerusalem. Ancient inscriptions provide evidence that cults worshipped Caligula as a god in eastern parts of the Roman Empire.


This magnificent gilt bronze head was probably the focal point of a temple. It combines the classic good looks of portraits of this ruler's dynasty with his own well-known features. In this way, Caligula distinguished himself as a descendent of gods and rulers as well as a god/ruler in his own right. Coins minted during his brief and turbulent reign do so as well. This bronze sestertius, an ancient Roman coin, clearly shows the likeness. 


Roman


Sestertius with image of Caligula


37-41


Bronze


Gift of Isabel B. Wilson


 


ProvenanceIrene Unz-Mavrogordato (1917–1996), Berlin, 1940s–1960s; private collection, Germany, 1960s; [Phoenix Ancient Art, New York/Geneva, by 2003]; purchased by MFAH, 2003.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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