New Roman Empress

bronzemat

Just another empress I felt the need to add, price was right.

Constantine the Great's second wife, most famously known for being steamed alive


My own photo, Iphone 4s

http://i41.tinypic.com/23sww1f.jpg

Fausta (324-326 A.D)
AE3
O: FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG Mantled bust right. Bare
headed; waved hair drawn into a bun at the back.
R: SALVS REI-PVBLICAE Fausta standing facing, head left,
holding Constantine II and Constantius II as babies.
STR dot-in-crescent
Trier RIC 483
3.15g
19mm

lordmarcovan

Hmmm... Fausta... Fausta... lemme see... where's the one I had in my old collection?

Ah. Yes. Here she is.






Y'know, I do believe yours is a bit nicer than mine was. The portrait is sharp and the babes-in-arms on the reverse are quite clear. Plus the lettering in your coin's legends is far more distinct.

All that piece of yours needs is a little "desert" or "sand" patina on it (like this) to make it a proper "DirtCam" and give it that contrast. It would really "pop" then. As it is, that's pretty nice for an early 4th century empress bronze, I reckon.



<< <i>most famously known for being steamed alive >>

Interesting. That's one tale that seems to have eluded me, or I'd forgotten it.

bronzemat

Yours was better centered though even though mine thankfully still has the mint mart shown. The reverse of mine has some partial sand on the left hand side, shows more in hand. Took 4 tries to get the best photo of this on a dang camera phone.

As for this empresses history, you can read a summery below:



<< <i>Flavia Maxima Fausta was the daughter of emperor Maximianus and sister to emperor Maxentius. She was married to their great rival Constantine I on 31 March 307, in order to secure peace for the empire by ensuring the cooperation of the Tetrarches. She bore Constantine three sons, the future emperors Constantine II, Constans and Constantius II. In 326, Constantine ordered her steamed to death for a plot that resulted in the execution of Crispus, his son by a previous marriage. >>

lordmarcovan

I vaguely remember the story of Crispus (I'm a faithful listener of The History of Rome podcast), but somehow I don't think I ever heard the story of Fausta being steamed to death.

It's difficult to imagine.

Lady Fausta, we condemn you to death by steam!

(The empress wriggles in the hands of her captors.)

You there! Soldier! Grab her other leg! Hold her there! Open the spout!

Gaaah! You call THAT steam? Jupiter's beard, man! I couldn't wilt a leaf of LETTUCE with that! What's the matter with the boiler?

YOU there! Put more logs on the fire!

Wait! Grab her hands, man! She's getting away!

DorkGirl

I wonder what she did that was bad enough to be steamed alive? Yuck.

ProofArtworkonCircs

According to Wikipedia, she was suffocated in an overheated bath. If this were an execution, it is unique in the Roman World.
Overheated baths were used to induce abortions. Perhaps Fausta had an adulterous pregnancy.

santelia

Sorry, I like Lord M's version better :-)

Swampboy

Nice portrait on your denarius bronzemat.


I presume those are pearls behind her bun.

bronzemat

Lol LM, good story & swampboy, I believe they are pearls.

lordmarcovan

Since I just posted ALL of my current Roman coin collection (each coin in its own thread, for reasons which will be made manifest later), and thereby temporarily sank everybody else's stuff, I shall atone by bumping your Roman coin back up to the top.

Andres

In the roman thermae there was a place called a Sudatorium (sweathouse) the modernday version of a sauna.
roman sauna