A cistophorus of the Emperor Hadrian minted in Ephesus (now Turkey). The reverse shows a cult statue of Diana (Artemis) between two stags. The very important and huge temple to that deity was also called the Artemision, built by Greeks and used also by the Romans for hundreds of years. This coin dates between 128-138 AD and is on display in the State Coin Collection in Munich, Germany.
A funerary portrait of a woman from Egypt when part of the Roman empire. It was dated to the 4th century AD using the encaustic technique on wood. If this is a mummy mask, which the museum didn't specify, I don't remember seeing a later portrait of the type as the practice died out in that century. This is on display in the Diözesanmuseum Freising in Freising, Germany.
A Roman dagger handle depicting a gladiator. On his shield is the inscription “Pardus”. It dates to the 1st or 2nd century AD and is on display in the archaeological museum in Empúries, Catalonia, Spain.
A portion of a huge early Byzantine mosaic in the Great Palace of Constantinople (where the Byzantine/Eastern Roman emperors lived) dating to presumably the 6th century AD. It shows a large elephant. Various portions of this could be seen in the Great Palace Mosaic Museum in Istanbul, Turkey although the last time I visited Istanbul it was still closed for renovations.
Two spans of the arch of Galerius in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece which was dedicated in 303 AD after the Roman victory in battle over the Persians including sacking their capital near modern day Baghdad, Iraq. Towards the left of the picture, one can see Emperor Galerius with his family sacrificing at an altar. He lived in the complicated times of the Tetrarchy with the title of Caesar (a junior co-emperor) from 293-305 AD and had the title of Augustus (a senior co-emperor) from 305-311 AD when he died, surprisingly for that time, of natural causes.
A Roman wooden cartwheel from a wagon which was found in a well at the Zugmantel fort, used by soldiers of the Numerus Treverorum and later Cohors Treverorum equitata units. This is on display in the Kastell Saalburg fort north of Frankfurt, Germany which is now a UNESCO world heritage site.
An Athenian jar (stamnos), dating to about 480-470 BC depicting “Odysseus' ship passes the Sirens' island. The woman-headed, bird-bodied creatures perch on rocky promontories. Their enchantingly sweet singing is famous for luring sailors to their death on the rocky shore.
Forewarned by Circe, Odysseus has plugged the ears of his crew with wax. He asks his men to bind him to the mast so that he can hear the Sirens without succumbing to temptation. In despair at being outwitted, one Siren plunges into the sea.” Per the British Museum in London where this artwork, based on Homer’s epic, found in Vulci, Italy is on display.
A Roman gate in Spello, Italy from the reign of Augustus with the more modern name of Porta Venere between two Romanesque 12 sided (dodecagonal) towers.
A Roman terracotta mask that “decorated the colonnade surrounding a house's garden. Discovered at the House of the Masks (Maison aux Masques) on Rue des Farges, on the slopes of Fourvière Hill, Lyon. 2nd century AD.” Per the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière in Lyon, France (using google translator) where this is known display.
A Roman gold aureus minted by Emperor Hadrian from his 'travel series' depicting Africa wearing an elephant headdress while resting a hand on a lion and her other arm on a basket (presumably with grains, showcasing its productivity). Hadrian visited Africa proconsularis apparently twice, once in 123 and again in 128 AD. This coin was minted in Rome between 134-138 AD and is on display in the Cantonal Museum of Archaeology and History in Lausanne, Switzerland.
A Byzantine carved ivory leaf (valva) depicting the consul (in Constantinople) Flavius Magnus seated between the personified allegories of Rome and Constantinople, although he never had any power in the former: Theodoric the Great of the Ostrogothic Kingdom ruled Italy including the city of Rome then. This was made in 518 AD (the year Justin I became the Byzantine/Eastern Roman emperor) in Constantinople and is on display in the Sforza Castle in Milan, Italy.
A Roman painted ceiling segment with a geometric pattern of circles, cupids and meanders. This was found in the Domus Fulminata in Ostia, Italy, dates to the first half of the 1st century AD and is on display in the on-site museum.
A Roman** **“mould-made terracotta figurine representing the upper half of a female musician, wearing a diadem and a chiton with short sleeves, holding against her left shoulder a harp with a flat base supporting one bowed and one acute angled arm, which she plays with both hands, the right hand in front of the object, the left one behind it. There is a vent hole in the middle of the back of the figurine.” Per my special exhibition book from the Yapi Kredi Cultural Center in Istanbul, Turkey about an exhibition I visited there regarding the ancient city of Sagalassos. I am not sure if it is normally in the Burdur Archaeological Museum, which has many artifacts from that archaeological site on display. The artwork dates to the 1st or 2nd century AD and was found in the Rock Sanctuary on the southern periphery of Sagalassos.
A Roman imperial portrait carved in green chalcedony. The description next to the object in the museum states it is perhaps emperor Trajan Decius (who ruled from 249-251 AD) although the museum's website says it is presumably emperor Numerian (who ruled from 283-284 AD). The gold mount dates to about 1600 and mentions Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (who ruled from 1576-1612). It is now on display in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.
A Roman contemporary marble portrait of the Emperor Lucius Verus. “Found in 1878 in the Theatre of Dionysos. The facial features are individualized and the thin moustache comes in contrast with the thick, curly hair. The neck’s ending has been worked in such a way as to be able to be fitted in the corresponding cavity on the statue’s torso.
Lucius Aurelius Verus was born in AD 130. At the age of eight he was adopted by Antoninus Pius who also adopted Marcus Aurelius. In AD 161 the two men became co-emperors. Lucius Verus was in charge of many successful campaigns in the eastern provinces. After his passing in AD 169 Marcus Aurelius became the sole emperor.” Per the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece where this artwork that is 65 cm tall using marble from Mount Pentelicus is on display.
The double arch in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, USA which I visited last month.
A Roman "Portrait of Augusta Marcia Otacilia Severa, wife of Emperor Philip the Arab (244-249 A.D.). From the Agora." Per the museum of the Roman Forum of Thessaloniki in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece. Her time as Empress had a rather sad ending: after her husband Emperor Philip sent Trajan Decius to put down a revolt, the latter turned against the emperor and had him killed in Verona. Some historians claim that after hearing about the events back in Rome, the Praetorian guards killed the 12 year old boy Phillip II in her arms who was co-ruler and also son of Severa and Philip. She was allowed to live and was later in obscurity although Trajan Decius did not last even 2 years on the throne.
On a side note: its interesting that in many Greek publications including by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, that place is described as the museum of the Roman forum/agora (there are alternate spellings in English) of Thessaloniki and the official website calls the museum Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Αρχαίας (Ρωμαϊκής) Αγοράς Θεσσαλονίκης - not a "Greek agora under Roman occupation" or a "Roman era Greek agora" as some people often trolling me on Facebook would generally prefer.
The monumental nymphaeum built by the Romans in Side, Turkey was originally 3 stories tall although the modern reconstructions only include part of the 2nd and none of the 3rd story.
"Situated outside the Hellenistic wall and northeast of the main gate, the structure is one of the most monumental fountain structures in Anatolia (Nymphaeum). Based on the architectural elements recovered, it is understood that the structure has a three-storey facade arrangement. With two-storey projecting risalits on either side of the facade, the structure has a "U" shaped plan type. The 1st and 3rd floors of the fountain facade are composite, while the 2nd floor is in the Corinthian order. The facade of the fountain, which is entirely covered in marble, features three niches covered with half-domes. Water brought to the city by aqueducts fills the pool, which has a capacity of approximately 500 m3, through three spouts located within the niches.
The front part of the pool is bordered by small round water vessels and parapets featuring mythological scenes. On one of the parapets, the city's chief goddess Athena is depicted making libations in front of an altar alongside other goddesses. To the right of the scene, a sailing ship with pomegranates on its prow is depicted on the mast. Thus, the scene represents the Epibaterion festival celebrated in the city to commemorate sailors' return to the sea after cold and rainy winter months.
Additionally, the depiction of baskets of prizes won by athletes in various sports competitions on the coffered ceiling panels of the 1st floor of the structure indicates agonistic festivals celebrated in honor of Apollo, such as the Pythia, and of Dionysos and Demeter, such as the Agon Mystikos. The monumental fountain is dated to the period of Emperor Caracalla due to the decorations and inscriptions on its architectural elements." Per an on site description.
A bronze Etruscan “statuette of a boy with a goose and votive inscription: VELIA FANACNEI DEDICATED (THIS OBJECT) TO THUFLTHA FOR THE WELFARE OF HER CHILD. From Montecchio (Castiglion Fiorentino), Mid 2nd cent. BC” Per a sign at a temporary exhibition at the Luigi Rovati Foundation Art Museum in Milan Italy, on loan from the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, Netherlands.
This 32 cm high statue of the boy wearing a bulla, among others found as part of a votive hoard in the Italian territory of Cortona in 1746 that went to collection of Galeotto Ridolfini Corazzi, must have been quite costly for the time.
A Roman fresco depicting a warrior, surrounded by lots of 20th century graffiti in the House of Loreius Tiburtinus (or Octavius Quartio) in Pompeii, partially destroyed during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and also from Allied bombing raids during WW2 in 1943. Pompeii has plenty of ancient graffiti, but I just don’t understand why modern tourists would want to deface things by carving their names into them, causing a destruction of a precious artifact and eyesore, when no guards were looking.