DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52594#0439
Roman Portraiture.
Billedtavler pl. LI. R. West: Rom. Portratplastik I p. 181; cf. pl. XL\r
195. Bandinelli, Rom. Mitt. 47, 1932, p. 158 No. 3. Fr. Poulsen: Privatpor-
trats p. 46. V. Poulsen, Meddelelser 6, 1949, p. 2 fig. 1 and p. 7.
629. (I. N. 1776). Nero, son of Germanicus(f). Head. M.
H. 0.44. The nose modern in plaster. The surface slightly bruised,
especially the chin and the left ear. Shaped for insertion into a statue.
Acquired 1900 from Rome.
This young man with the soulful and melancholy express-
ion and the small side-whiskers was earlier thought to be
Germanicus, but in No. 644 we will find a definite portrait
of him. The resemblance to Germanicus is, however, so
striking that we venture to identify this head as that of Ger-
manicus’ son, Nero, about whom it is said expressly (Taci-
tus: Annales IV 15) that he resembled his father so much in
figure and voice that the senators thought they saw and
heard Germanicus himself. This Nero was a good, but incon-
siderate youth, and Sejanus took advantage of this first to
have him exiled and later done away with, aided by his
own younger brother, Drusus, who later on met with a much
worse death (Tacitus 1. c. IV 59-60 and VI 23). It can be
seen from Tiberius’ will that the assassination of Germanicus’
two sons was cited as the main count in the accusation
against Sejanus himself when he was condemned later on
(Sueton, Tiberius 61). When their younger brother, Caligula,
became emperor statues and busts of these two older,
deceased brothers were erected in temples and private homes
(Sueton, Caligula 7. Tacitus 1. c. V 4).
Nero, the son of Germanicus, seems to be the central
figure of the big cameo in the National Library at Paris,
where he is standing before the enthroned Tiberius taking
off his helmet and where his features resemble both Ger-
manicus, who is portrayed riding a Pegasus in the clouds,
and the features of our head (cf. Fr. Poulsen: Probl. Rom.
Ikon. p. 32 seqq., p. 42 and pl. LIX).
With some hesitation L. Curtins thought he could identify
the head as Drusus Major, but discrepancies with the
unquestionable portraits of the latter are too great. A bust
found at Antequera in Spain is also grouped with our head
under the same appellation, but bears a far greater resem-
blance to a head from Corinth in which Curtins and I are
435
28*
Billedtavler pl. LI. R. West: Rom. Portratplastik I p. 181; cf. pl. XL\r
195. Bandinelli, Rom. Mitt. 47, 1932, p. 158 No. 3. Fr. Poulsen: Privatpor-
trats p. 46. V. Poulsen, Meddelelser 6, 1949, p. 2 fig. 1 and p. 7.
629. (I. N. 1776). Nero, son of Germanicus(f). Head. M.
H. 0.44. The nose modern in plaster. The surface slightly bruised,
especially the chin and the left ear. Shaped for insertion into a statue.
Acquired 1900 from Rome.
This young man with the soulful and melancholy express-
ion and the small side-whiskers was earlier thought to be
Germanicus, but in No. 644 we will find a definite portrait
of him. The resemblance to Germanicus is, however, so
striking that we venture to identify this head as that of Ger-
manicus’ son, Nero, about whom it is said expressly (Taci-
tus: Annales IV 15) that he resembled his father so much in
figure and voice that the senators thought they saw and
heard Germanicus himself. This Nero was a good, but incon-
siderate youth, and Sejanus took advantage of this first to
have him exiled and later done away with, aided by his
own younger brother, Drusus, who later on met with a much
worse death (Tacitus 1. c. IV 59-60 and VI 23). It can be
seen from Tiberius’ will that the assassination of Germanicus’
two sons was cited as the main count in the accusation
against Sejanus himself when he was condemned later on
(Sueton, Tiberius 61). When their younger brother, Caligula,
became emperor statues and busts of these two older,
deceased brothers were erected in temples and private homes
(Sueton, Caligula 7. Tacitus 1. c. V 4).
Nero, the son of Germanicus, seems to be the central
figure of the big cameo in the National Library at Paris,
where he is standing before the enthroned Tiberius taking
off his helmet and where his features resemble both Ger-
manicus, who is portrayed riding a Pegasus in the clouds,
and the features of our head (cf. Fr. Poulsen: Probl. Rom.
Ikon. p. 32 seqq., p. 42 and pl. LIX).
With some hesitation L. Curtins thought he could identify
the head as Drusus Major, but discrepancies with the
unquestionable portraits of the latter are too great. A bust
found at Antequera in Spain is also grouped with our head
under the same appellation, but bears a far greater resem-
blance to a head from Corinth in which Curtins and I are
435
28*