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Greco-Roman Male Busts - Page2
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Alexander the Great
In 334 BC, the great leader, Alexander the Great, assumed the leadership of Macedonia after his father, Philip, was assassinated. Within a short time, he extended his empire from Macedonia in the north to Egypt in the south, and from the Aegean to Afghanistan. In this sculpture, he is depicted with his characteristic wavy hair, wide set eyes and high brow. Later, Roman Emperors would later emulate his charismatic bearing in their own portraiture.
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The Acropolis Museum, Athens, 330 B.C.
Alexander was born in 345 B.C. at Pella, the capital of Macedonia. As a child, his studies were under the tutelage of Aristotle. At the age of sixteen, while his father Phillip, the King of Macedonia, marched against Byzantium he was entrusted with the governing of their country. When his father was murdered, he became King and leader of the powerful Macedonian army. After strengthening his positions in Greece, he undertook a military campaign which freed the Greek cities of Asia Minor from Persian rule. With an objective of fusing western and oriental cultures, he then went on to conquer Egypt, Persia and part of India before his death at the age of 33. These brilliant accomplishments during his brief life identify him as one the greatest of all military leaders. The Macedonian ding is represented as a youth with luxuriantly wavy locks that rise upward from above the middle of his forehead like a lion's mane, a characteristic known from all Alexander portraits. Probably an original work of the sculptor Leochares.
Made from cultured marble, measures 8"H x 5"W x 3.5"L. G-031SM1-149
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Give Me a Thousand Kisses Gift Box
Seduce your mate with this ancient bit of Roman poetry. The phrase on the top, “Da Mi Basia Mille,” translates as “Give Me a Thousand Kisses”. It is taken from the poetry of Gaius Valerius Catallus, a well-known and loved Roman poet from Verona, Italy (c. 84 BC-54 BC). He wrote a passionate poem to his love Lesbia. Here is a translation of an excerpt: Let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love / And let us count the comments of censuring old men as one copper / Suns are able to set and rise again / For us, when the brief light sets once and for all / There is an endless night which must be slept through. / Give me a thousand kisses, then a hundred, / Then another thousand, then a second hundred, / Then, constantly, another thousand, then a hundred, / Then, when we will have done that many thousands of times, / We will confuse the count, so that we (ourselves) don’t know.... In tribute to his timeless words, “Catallus, a Roman Poet 84 BC“ appears on the side of the box. Made from resin, white with gray wash finish, 3.5”H x 5.25”W x 5.25”L. 53601-123
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Roman Emperor Coin Poster
Learn about the history of Roman coinage with this glossy poster illustrating the portrait of each and every Roman emperor coin minted during the Roman Empire (from Julius Caesar to Anastasius). During the Roman era, the Roman empire grew from its origins at Rome in the West to a colossal territorial scale from Spain to the Middle East, and North Africa to Britain. It continued for hundreds of years based on the traditions and principles established by J. Caesar and Augustus. Portraits during the Roman era are characterized by their similarity to Caesar and Augustus’ first portraits: profile view, laurel wreath, wavy Hellenistic short cropped hair (varying in length and shape over time). The Roman Poster is unframed, glossy paper, 24”W x 16”H. 54011-115
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