Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;hotwheelsearl, post: 4364323, member: 75143&quot;]In high school art history, the most popular example to illustrate Damnatio Memoriae is the famous Severan Tondo featuring Julia Domna, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and Geta.</p><p><br /></p><p>Geta&#039;s face has been completely erased, while the rest of the family looks just as happy as ever. That the rest of the tondo was left in perfect shape really speaks to the power of the DM. Anybody seeing a pristine and beautiful tondo with a horrendous smudge over one&#039;s face would have had an immediate reaction.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1103153[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>This is also a very rare and exquisite example of <i>non-wall</i>, <i>non-funerary</i> Roman painting, which is something that is extraordinarily rare in any context. </p><p><br /></p><p>Curiously, 7Severus is shown with dark skin, while the kids and wife are light-skinned. </p><p>In many ancient cultures, such as Egypt and Minoan, women were, as a rule painted with light or white skin and men were always painted with brown or dark skin.</p><p><br /></p><p>By Roman times this practice had vanished, so this shows that 7Severus was, in fact, darker skinned than his wife or progeny.</p><p><br /></p><p>Some so-called scholars have taken this, along with 7Severus&#039;s Libyan birthplace as &quot;evidence&quot; that he was a Black African. However, this is more of a fringe theory with most historians figuring that 7Sev was just a darker-skinned dude. Besides, 2000 years ago there really wasn&#039;t the same racial focus as there is today. Even if he was Black, that wouldn&#039;t have affected anything at all.</p><p><br /></p><p>(Just a fun fact)</p><p><br /></p><p>Since this is a <i>coin forum</i>, I&#039;ll round out this discussion with an exquisite denarius of Caracalla.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1103165[/ATTACH] </p><p>Caracalla AR Denarius. AD 216.</p><p>Obv: Laureate head right. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM</p><p>Rev: Venus standing left holding Victory and sceptre, captives on ground. VENVS VICTRIX</p><p>Ref: RIC 312d</p><p>Cost: $0.00 - Secret Saturnalia gift![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in