Don't have to be beautiful to "Empress" me

With much excitement over the last couple of months, I've been able to gather a few of the hardest to find (on a po boys budget) classiest, sassiest, hair fantasticiest ladies of ancient Rome. I've been stockin em up for this post.
Some aren't in the best condition.
But hey, "If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life never make a pretty empress your wife..."

Nobody has a more wild style then this gal (at least not until the Bee hive was popularized in the 1950s). I find it funny how, though Domitian did have a proclivity for relations with relations, his wife Domitia and he weren't related...but she sure has that sour Vespatiatic look on here face.



And if you think this coin an exaggeration of her "hair"larious hairstyle. Here's the lady in all her grandeur!


Look at that glare RBF much!

Next up, a more pitiable woman of excess you'd be hard pressed to find. Rival of the aforementioned Domitia, Julia Titi (Her name is hilarious. Take it in. Grow up. And move on) was daughter of the much loved emperor Titus. Titus wanted his daughter to marry her uncle (the eventual emperor) to solidify the empirial line. Domitian decided to marry Domitia, but keep poor Julia on as his lover (possibly due to the public reaction to their much flaunted incestuous relationship after breaking it off with Domitia they reconciled).
Whether due to this, depression or being born with her fathers good looks (What? To soon?) Julia is said to have taken her own life about a decade into her uncle's reign
I was able to get a positive ID on this with a little point in the right direction from @TIF. Ty. Though I recently saw an absolute beauty of a denarius owned by @Roman Collector in another thread, I am happy with my dupondius and it's emerald green patina



Her coins kind of puzzle me as they really make her face look...like she has a great personality. But her bust shows a beautiful woman.


Delicate yet contemplative. My polar opposite.

And last but not cheap...I mean least, Manlia Scantilla. Here is what is known of this Augusta of just over 2 months. Wife of (brief) emperor Didius Julianus. Mother of Didia Clara. Said to be the most beautiful young lady in Rome. One of, if not, the wealthiest families in Rome brought down by papa's lust for power. Within a month of her husbands murder she was herself swimming the Styx.
Shout out too Frank Robinson on this one! Though his pics never do em justice (not that mine do much better). A real treat in hand with that sea blue patina particularly on the reverse.



Kind of a boring hairstyle. But then again the other ladies had years in the limelight to craft their coif.


What a ride those 2 months must've been!

Please post those ladies of ancient Rome! Don't be stingy. Share the hair, heir And dairy air! And anything you deem pertinent. IF YA GOT IT FLAUNT IT!

 

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Nice job @Ryro

DOMITIA:

RProv Domitia Lydia Philadelphia AE 16 Grape Bunch RPC 1336

Julia Titi:

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

And as a substitute, I have a Manli-: You won Manlia by a buck from me...


RR Manlius Torquatus L. Corn Sulla 82 BCE AR den 17mm 3.7g Mil mint w Sulla. Roma - Sulla triumpl quadriga vict wreath Cr 367-3 Syd 759 S 286

 

Thanks! Oh No! If I knew you were bidding on her I would have let you pay me off.
Though 3 beauties you've got right there yourself. I LOVE that Manli\Sulla coin. History doesn't kindly recall this dictator. But a good (or bad) debate could be made about ends justifying means via his actions.

 

Domitia looks like she could be a harpy!

 

Fun post You've picked up some tough ones!

I find it believable that many of these women were indeed beautiful-- but on their coins the engraver simply plopped a female coif (those dang homophones, huh Ryro? ) on the emperor's head.

I don't have a ton of empresses. Here are some of them.



PHRYGIA, Cybyra/Kibyra. Domitian & Domitia
81-96 AD
AE 24 mm, 6.9 gm
Obv: ΔOMITIANOC KAICAP ΔOMITIA CEBACTE, laureate head of Domitian and Domitia facing one another
Rev: EΠI APXIEPEΩC KΛAV BAINTOC KI BY; Zeus seated left, holding out hand and sceptre
Ref: RPC 1262; Sear-896, SNG Aulock-3731
A bargain bin bronze from a large mixed lot. Cool enough to keep despite the bad condition.



Julia Domna denarius, Fecunditas/Tellus and the Four Seasons


PHOENICIA, Tyre. Julia Maesa
CE 218-224/5
AE 27, 12.71g (11h)
Obv: IVLIA MAE - SA AV[G] Draped bust right, wearing stephane
Rev: TVRIORVM Dido (?) standing left on deck of galley sailing right, extending right hand and holding cornucopia in left; to left, helmsman bending left over rudder (?); to right, sailor extending right hand and holding curved staff in left; stern decorated with a shield and aphlaston, [two murex shells] in exergue
Ref: CNG e320, 12 Feb. 2014, lot 323 (same dies). Rouvier 2408


EGYPT, Alexandria. Julia Mamaea
year 13, CE 233/4
tetradrachm, 24 mm, 14.36 gm
Obv: IOVMAMAIACEBMHTECEKCTPA; Draped bust right, wearing stephane
Rev: Serapis enthroned left, holding scepter, extending his right hand toward Cerberus seated at his feet; on throneback, Nike standing right, holding wreath and palm frond; L IΓ (date) to left, palm frond to right
Ref: Emmett 3226.13 (R4); Köln 2540; Dattari (Savio) 4517; K&G 64.119


MACEDON, Pella. Julia Mamaea
Triassarion; 27 mm, 12.46 gm
Obv: IVL MAMAEA AVG; draped bust of Julia Mamaea to right, wearing stephane
Rev: COL IA AVS PELLA; nude Pan seated right on rocks, the left arm around his head and holding lagobolon in his right arm; in right field, large syrinx
AMNG -. Varbanov -. An apparently unpublished variety with Pan to right. [<--this per the auction house; I have not checked references]


EGYPT, Alexandria. Aquilia Severa
year 5, CE 221/2
tetradrachm, 23.5 mm, 11.57 gm
Obv: draped bust right
Rev: head of Zeus Ammon right; L-E
Ref: Emmett 3025.5, R3; Geissen 2376; Dattari 4186


Lucilla
Empress CE 163-169, wife of Lucius Verus
AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.25 gm
Obv: LVCILLA AVGVSTA; draped bust right
Rev: PVDICITIA; Pudicitia, veiled, standing left, with right hand preparing to draw a veil across her face (or had she just drawn the veil off her face?), left hand at side
Ref: RIC III 780

 

Here is the First Empress:

Would you like me to pick you some figs, Dear???

RI Alexandria Livia, w Augustus Diobol CE 1-2 Æ 23.5mm 7.46g. Rev. Athena holding Nike Sheild ex Dattari-Savio Pl. 3 60-this coin RPC pag. 692-5-this coin RARE

 

I don't have too many imperial ladies yet but here is one of Galeria Valeria, wife of Galerius I believe. Kind of a stolid woman I would guess from her portrait. But who knows how much the tetrarchs' austere style impacted the design.

 

The Vatican had some ladies with fancy hairdos

 

Thanks TIF!
Funny you'd say that and then post a Domna. One of my favorite lecturers, Garrett G Fagan, describes her hair on her coins as, "looking like someone had dumped bread dough on her head". Hers was also a VERY popular style in her time.
That Domitia\Domitian is a BEAUTY! Me thinks your "bargain bin" is my golden laced basket
Those Mamaeas (particularly the reverses) are BEAST and true masterpieces!
And would it really be a ryro post without the obligatory typo or misspelling? (Thanks I've already gone back and fixed it).

 

Nice coins Ryro... I havejust a few Empresses.
Faustina I

Faustina II

Lucilla

Julia Domna

 

Truly breathtaking stuff right there folks.
I'd love to go to the Vatican, but they won't let me in for some reason? Must have something to do with my pitchfork, cloven hoofs and forked tail

 

That wavy hairdo of Julia Domna's inspired empresses' hairstyles for decades to follow:

Julia Mamaea:



Orbiana:



Paulina:



Tranquillina:



Otacilia Severa:



Herennia Etruscilla:



Cornelia Supera:



Mariniana:



Cornelia Salonina:



And even Severina:

 

Some nice lady coins Ryro, especially like your Manlia Scantilla. I have a regal lady with a snappy hair do, Tranquillina emperor Gordian III's wife.
MACEDON

THESSALONICA
Tranquillina
Bronze. AD 238-244. 26mm, 12.11gm
Obv: CABINIA TPANKYΛΛΙΝΑ ΑΥΓ.
Diademed and draped bust right.

Rev: ΘΕCCΑΛΟΝΙΚΕΩΝ NEΩKOPΩN.
Tetrastyle temple seen in perspective to left ΠΥΘΙΑ below.


Cf. Varbanov 4657.
Rare.

 

I'll offer the poor man's Manlia Scantilla better known as Julia Domna with the Juno reverse. I was told (truth not guaranteed) that my coin was more scarce than Manlia Scantilla because so many of these Domna's with the same reverse had been tooled into Scantilla's.

 

Of course this is a scandalous rumour peddled after Domitian's assassination. Here is what the eminent Flavian historian Brian Jones wrote concerning the alleged affair.

'Scholars seem not to have stressed one of the most significant factors in assessing the rumour's accuracy - Martial's epigram 6.3, written not long after Julia's death and deification. In it, he expresses the hope that Domitian will produce a son, implies that the baby's name will be Julius (6.3.1) and states that (the now deified) Julia will be able to watch over him (6.3.5). Martial was neither a hero or a fool. Had there been the slightest hint of an affair between emperor and niece, he would hardly have written those lines; had Julia's recent death been caused by an abortion forced on her by Domitian, would Martial have so far neglected the bounds of 'safe criticism' and common sense as to humiliate Domitia publicly, urging her to become pregnant, to give the child a name reminiscent of her husband's mistress and finally to remember that same mistress, now dead and deified (thanks to her husband), would be able to protect the child?'


Julia Titi
AR Denarius, 3.22g
Rome mint, 80-81 AD
RIC T387 (R). BMC T140. RSC 12.
Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA T AVG F; Bust of Julia Titi, draped and diademed, r., hair in long plait
Rev: VENVS AVG; Venus stg. r., leaning on column, with helmet and spear
Acquired from Aegean Numismatics, February 2017.

Nice coins BTW!

 

Thanks! And Martial is "mar"staken. I saw it myself.
Yeah, we were partying pretty hard. Man, can Domi (what Domitian has his homies call him) put down those Yeager bombs! Anyway, so Suetonius and I are laughing our togas off at Martial. Who'd just barffed before he passed out in a pile of something that belongs in the cloaca maxima! When out of nowhere, Domi starts Gaul kissing his niece right there in front of everyone.. with Domitia looking on none the less! Now, no-one knew if she was furious or enjoying it, due to her uncontrollable RBF.
So's I says, "Domi! I was talking Martial when I said to "get on your knees!" I sure as hades wasn't saying to "get on your niece!"
True story.
Seriously, the fact that Martial hoped Domitian produced a son does make it seem as though he is a backer of the much, rightly or wrongly, despised emperor. As well, I don't see why he wouldn't have written those lines of there was truth to the rumor. Especially if, as he states, it was after Julia's death.
All that said, I just read a great article from an old Celator, Oct '94, reassessing the reign of Domitian. The argument is decent. Essentially, he had to rule with an iron fist due to economic issues of the time. That and that pops and big bro did things very similar but were let off the hook cause they didn't reign as long.
Like the Richard Gear thing. You hear it so much you have to question it. Besides, who am I to let the truth stand in the way of a great story

 

Cool additions, @Ryro. I have none of those ladies (and not many, generally speaking). The Manlia was a nice score. I have one of her daughter, Didia Clara...

 

It has been a while guys, life has been interesting as of late.
This lady has been sitting in an envelope for months. Thanks @Ryro for giving me a reason to finally take it out. Its a quick cell phone photo though.

Plautilla, Laodicia RIC 370 (i think)