Art Resource - ART307948

Conceptually similar

ART504927

ART504928

ART326829

ART581547

ART360081

ART318179

ART468577

ART416216

ART416214

ART416215

ART490808

ART468578

ART581546

ART416218

ART326566

ART359285

ART416217

ART416219

ART346044

ART6798

Gold aureus consecration coin of Septimius Severus, Roman, 200-250. D: 2.0cm, W: 7.21g. CM BMC Caracalla & Geta 26. - Septimius Severus (reigned AD 193-211) died at York while campaigning in Britain. His body was cremated in York before the ashes were taken by his sons to Rome. It was customary at the time for emperors to have their predecessors consecrated as gods. For this reason a wax effigy of Septimius was made to stand in for his body for the ceremony of apotheosis held in Rome. After much ceremony the effigy was placed on a funeral pyre just outside the city. The pyre was in fact a whole wooden building with several stories, and decorated with statues. This consecration coin shows the pyre. The new title of the dead emperor 'DIVO' (divine) proclaims his godly status.

Location British Museum/London/Great Britain

Unique Identifier ART307948

Type Image

Purpose Public

Size 1910px × 936px

Add to lightbox

Add to cart