Emperor as model for social hierarchy

From Historia Augusta Life of Alexander Severus

I like this passage as it shows the performance of hierarchies with emperor explicitly in the role of pater familias and the young emperor praised for acting old. I’d translated parsimonia as restrained as parsimony can have more negative connotations in English here than I think the Latin intends.

Stuff to keep in mind: domestic servants are enslaved as are huntsmen, grooms, and entertainers. Maybe some formerly enslaved but the jobs are associated with enslavement. Also Historia Augusta is as friend put it closer to fan fiction than history, which makes it extra useful for seeing tropes and moralizing expectations.

Emperor is appropriately more generous with those higher on the social ladder, his friends, the citizens of Rome (as well illustrated on the coins):

Severus’ liberalitas (see earlier blog post)

So on the Bronze coins this structure of Severus is always called a Thermae BUT on the gold and silver coins a Nymphaeum

It is exactly this type of discrepancy that drives me nuts with numismatic typologies–there has to be a way our digital tools can help us correct and improve this sort of thing.

Later same day. This discrepancy on what architecture is being shown on the coin really bugged me.

Nothing about the plan or reconstruction of the baths reminds me of what we see on the coin.

It is the big roofed building behind the Pantheon below Domitian’s stadium (= Piazza Navona), what was before Sev Alex got to it had been the baths of Nero. This causes confusion for the association of artifacts with Nero or Alex. And there are some impressive ones!

Like this giant capital now in the Vatican holding up a giant bronze pine cone.

And the Giant wash basin turned Fontana del Senato

What about the Nymphaeum? Long story short. ALL The coins show the Nymphaeum and we have a pretty good idea how to match the coin image onto the surviving archaeology which is significant.

(This Elkins, of course, knew, see p. 104-105 of his 2015 book for details of numismatic introduction of this misguided Baths theory)

What is visible in situ with various later construction phases (if you want to visit this is the link)

My favorite part?! The Coins show statues that still and if you’ve been to Rome you’ve probably seen. Look at the arches:

Historic view by Sadeler (Source; very distracting only open if you have time!!)

Those trophies now known to be repurposed from a Domitianic monument are still standing at the top of the ramp up to the Capitoline after being moved there!