For example, a portrait bust of Vespasian, who served as Roman emperor from 69 to 79 A.D., in the Cleveland Museum of Art was recut from a head of Nero. 16 to 17 Feature Auction 115.Ĭontemporary depictions of Nero in marble are not often seen today since many of his images were destroyed after his death following the damnatio memoriae (condemnation of memory) of Nero. It realized $25,000 at Classical Numismatic Group’s Sept. CNG described the impressive piece as Extremely Fine and lustrous, with a few minor die breaks. Neros persecutions after the fire in Rome affected only the Christians but not.

This aureus was struck in Rome around 64 to 65 and was previously offered in a 2001 Numismatica Ars Classica auction. It is a depiction of Nero’s Colossus, an approximately 120-foot-tall bronze statue of the emperor as Sol that was created by Zenodorus for a massive palace constructed by Nero after the famed fire of 64. His laureate head looks right, while the reverse depicts a toga-wearing Nero, standing facing, left knee slightly bent, holding branch in right hand and Victory on globe in left. When compared with the upward glance seen on the gold solidus of Constantine in the Classical Numismatic Group September auction, the portrait on this gold aureus of Nero, 54 to 68, conveys a more direct and perhaps aggressive type of power.

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