Antonia Minor

Lol, all jokes, Dude! You set yourself up perfectly, and I could not resist!

 

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LOL

 

I happen not to think it's particularly funny to ridicule the appearance (and marriage prospects, as if that were related to appearance!) of empresses and other women on ancient coins, especially given that Antonia looks quite elegant on her statues. There are ugly coin portraits of almost everyone on Roman Imperial coins (and even more so on Roman Provincial coins; see my thread about the ugliest coin portrait ever, namely of Trajan on a provincial coin!). And, after all, I can't think of any Emperors or other men portrayed on Roman coins who were exactly Adonises. Who among them was known for being handsome, even in their youth? Among the 12 Caesars, perhaps Augustus?

 

From my understanding, depicting Roman Empresses, or females, from the family were basically taking the Emperor, or father, and feminizing the traits. Sometimes, they were depicted as to whom they were, sometimes just copying the emperor.

Besides, isn't it your behavior that matters, not your looks?

I just like the coins as placemarkers. I was born looking this way.

Sidebar: Has it been proven she was cruel to Claudius? Or , is that gossip, modern films / TV?

 

@Alegandron

Suetonius says:

"Claudius's mother often called him 'a monster: a man who Mother Nature had begun to work upon but then flung aside'; and, if she ever accused anyone of stupidity, would exclaim: 'He is a bigger fool even then my son Claudius!'

Not proof exactly since Suetonius repeated a lot of gossip, but it's suggestive.

 

With the series “I, Claudius” aside, I always liked this “underdog” Emperor. Even though he did horrible things, and the Praetorian Guard put him there for their own selfish reasons.

 

Antonia, As - Issued by Claudius
ANTONIA AVGVSTA, bust of Antonia right
TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP, Claudius standing left, holding simpulum. SC in field
11,37 gr
Ref : RCV #1902, Cohen #6

Q