Sestertius (Coin) Portraying Emperor Domitian
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Diam.: 3.6 cm (1 7/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
10124
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This coin commemorates Emperor Domitian's celebration of the Ludi Saeculares (Secular Games) in Rome in 88 CE. The front (obverse) of the coin portrays the head of the emperor Domitian, facing right. On the back, Domitian is shown seated on a low platform inscribed SVF P D, reaching out to a standing citizen, who extends his hand; a child stands between them with hands raised and a tetrastyle temple is shown in the background. The scene depicts the distribution of suffimenta (materials for the r...
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...