CONSTANTINIAN COINSThe two portraits of Constantine
on the coins in FIG. 10-81reveal both the essential character of
Roman imperial portraiture and the special nature of Constantin-
ian art. The first (FIG. 10-81,left) was issued shortly after the death
of Constantine’s father, when Constantine was in his early 20s and
his position was still insecure. Here, in his official portrait, he ap-
pears considerably older, because he adopted the imagery of the
tetrarchs. Indeed, were it not for the accompanying label identi-
fying this Caesar as Constantine, it would be impossible to know
who was portrayed. Eight years later (FIG. 10-81,right)—after the
defeat of Maxentius and the Edict of Milan—Constantine, now
the unchallenged Augustus of the West, is clean-shaven and looks
his actual 30 years of age, having rejected the mature tetrarchic
look in favor of youth. These two coins should dispel any uncer-
tainty about the often fictive nature of imperial portraiture and
the ability of Roman emperors to choose any official image that
suited their needs. In Roman art, “portrait” is often not synony-
mous with “likeness.”
The later coin is also an eloquent testimony to the dual nature
of Constantinian rule. The emperor appears in his important role as
imperator, dressed in armor, wearing an ornate helmet, and carrying
a shield bearing the enduring emblem of the Roman state—the she-
wolf nursing Romulus and Remus (compare FIG. 9-11and Roma’s
shield in FIG. 10-57). Yet he does not carry the scepter of the pagan
Roman emperor. Rather, he holds a cross crowned by an orb. In ad-
dition, at the crest of his helmet, at the front, just below the grand
plume, is a disk containing the Christogram,the monogram made
up ofchi (X),rho (P), and iota (I), the initial letters of Christ’s name
in Greek (compare the shield one of the soldiers holds in FIG. 12-10).
Constantine was at once portrayed as Roman emperor and as a sol-
dier in the army of the Lord. The coin, like Constantinian art in gen-
eral, belongs both to the classical and to the medieval world.286 Chapter 10 THE ROMAN EMPIRE10-81Coins with portraits of Constantine. Nummus (left), 307 ce.Billon, diameter 1. American Numismatic
Society, New York. Medallion (right), ca. 315 ce.Silver, diameter 1. Staatliche Münzsammlung, Munich.
These two coins underscore that portraits of Roman emperors are rarely true likenesses. On the earlier coin,
Constantine appears as a bearded tetrarch. On the later coin, he appears eternally youthful.