Titus In Drag?

*Forgive the obvious 'clickbait' nature of the thread title.* My latest acquisition has me wondering why Flavian engravers often depicted Julia Titi with the facial features of Titus or Domitian Caesar? Undoubtedly the mint workers had adequate portrait busts of the young princess available, but yet they consistently turned out portraits of her that look more like Titus donning a wig. Flavian women figured rarely on the coinage, perhaps the engravers were out of practice depicting feminine portraits and took the lazy way out?


Julia Titi
AR Denarius, 3.09g
Rome mint, 80-81 AD
RIC T388 (C2), BMC T142, RSC 14
Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA TITI AVGVSTI F; Bust of Julia Titi, draped and diademed, r., hair in long plait
Rev: VENVS AVGVST; Venus stg. r., leaning on column, with helmet and spear
Acquired from Aegean Numismatics, August 2017.

This is the most 'common' variant of Julia Titi's Venus denarii. However, I think RIC's frequency rating of 'C2' overstates the case. The same reverse type is shared with Titus.

Post your lady looks like a dude coins.

 

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Great coin, a lady I still need eventually.

And many of the empress coins are the guy portraits with just the hair being feminine.

 

Heh... well, you made me click . It really is the emperor-in-drag aspect of their portraits that stops me from wanting to buy some of these empresses. I guess I'm just shallow that way.

 

That's a great looking coin David. The resemblance is pretty striking for sure.

 

A sweet addition! I think the engravers were just used to repeated techniques and styles. Or just lazy

 

The resemblance of the ladies to their male counterparts is consistent again and again. Aurelian as Severina etc.
A lovely coin.

 

I'm sure you're quite happy to have acquired that one for your collection. The celator on my example didn't exactly give her a flattering profile, either!

 

Nice coin @David Atherton. I've not acquired one of her yet. Too many coins, not enough money.

 

Agreed, funny how Augusta or other women were depicted as a feminized Emperor bust.

I think mine was an exception...mine was portrayed as a MULE:


RI Julia Flavia Titi Diva 90-91 CE d-Titus concubine-uncleDomitian AE Sestert 33mm 20.4g - Carpentum mules SPQR - SC

 

As noted, there appear to be at least two 'candidates'---Julia Titi and Severina....and I still find it odd that they depicted both with the masculine features of their male consorts/husbands considering the ample 'images' they had for study.



Were there others???

 

Galeria Valeria is another candidate.

 

Nice coin @David Atherton and I agree with your observation on Roman women's portraits. Some of the Roman gods had long hair too, but slightly different hair style.

 

Were the Iulia Titi denarii with Venus rev minted under Domitian as Aug, too?

 

It is of course interesting to note that earlier artwork was depicted in a concerted androgynous manner. There are endless examples of Greek statuary where a male is depicted essentially as female but without the obvious anatomical differences. In this case, yes, some women of Rome were depicted in a masculine manner. Why was this? I have no idea though it is easy to speculate. During the Greek period perhaps the feminine was honored more than the masculine and this changed during the Roman period. Just a wild guess, though it would be worthy of a college thesis anyway!

I posted this in another thread: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/sexy-coin-but.287191/

 

Common phenomenon. Sabina is basically beardless Hadrian with a pony-tail. Below AR Denarius of Sabina from my collection illustrates the point.

 

Nice addition @David Atherton

Yes, as stated by many members almost all the empresses looked like the emperor on their coins. Apart from the severan who have distinctives portraits (thank you celator for not having given Plautilla the look of Caracalla....)

Hopefully, the reverse on that one isn't a portrait of Domitian


Julia Titi, Denarius minted in Rome, c.79-81 AD
IVLIA AVGVSTA T AVG F, Bust of Julia right
VENVS AVG, Venus leaning on a column, holding helmet and sceptre
3.03 gr
Ref : Cohen #12, RCV #2611

Q

 

I know this is the ancients forum, but couldn't pass up the chance...forgive me!

 

No, they were not continued under Domitian.

 

That is a really great specimen of the much rarer variant! Mine isn't quite so nice.



Again, Julia looks like a candidate for Ru Paul's Drag Race.

 

I'm no Domitian apologist, but don't get me started on Suetonius' fictitious gossip regarding this rumour!