Nerva–Antonine dynasty, Photography, Roman Portraiture

The Nerva-Antonines in Florence

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The Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence is one of the world’s oldest and most famous art museums. In addition to Renaissance masterpieces, including works from Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, the Uffizi houses one of the world’s most important collections of ancient Roman and Greek statues. The Medicis’ interest in ancient art started with the founder of the family, Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519-1574), and grew over nearly four decades. The antiquities were stored and displayed in several rooms in Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti, where visitors could admire them in the court. They were later transferred to the Uffizi.

Most of the ancient statues and busts are displayed on the u-shaped second floor of the museum. The wide corridors are filled with numerous portraits of the members of the different imperial dynasties, including those of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty. The Nervan dynasty consisted of three emperors who ruled from AD 96 to 138: Nerva, Trajan and Hadrian. The Antonine dynasty consisted of four emperors who ruled from AD 138 to 192: Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus and Commodus. Five of them are commonly known as the “Five Good Emperors”.The term was coined by political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli in his 1531 manuscript Discourses on Livy.

From the study of this history we may also learn how a good government is to be established; for while all the emperors who succeeded to the throne by birth, except Titus, were bad, all were good who succeeded by adoption, as in the case of the five from Nerva to Marcus. But as soon as the empire fell once more to the heirs by birth, its ruin recommenced.
The Five Good Emperors of the Roman Empire (96 – 180 CE)
Netchev, Simeon, World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia
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  • Nerva (ruled AD 96 – 98)
Bust of Emperor Nerva in lorica military cloak and paludamentum, Greek marble.
  • Trajan (ruled AD 98 – 117)
Statue loricata with the head of Trajan, Greek marble (head), Italic marble (?) (statue). Dated AD 98 – 108.
Bust of Trajan, Greek marble and oxyx. Dated ca. AD 110. The bust is a modern work.
Bust with the head of Trajan. Dated ca. AD 105. The head is inserted in a modern bust of red marble.
  • Ulpia Marciana, beloved elder sister of Trajan
Female statue with a portrait of Ulpia Marciana with modern restorations. Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence. Dated AD 110-120.
  • Salonina Matidia, niece of Trajan and mother-in-law of Hadrian
Female statue with a portrait of Matidia with modern restorations. Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence. Dated AD 110-120.
Bust of Hadrian of the Termini type. Dated AD 117-121 AD.
Bust of Antinous. Dated AD 130-138.
  •  Lucius Aelius Caesar, the intended successor of Hadrian
Bust of Lucius Aelius Caesar.
Marble bust with the head of Antoninus Pius. Dated to the middle of the 2nd century AD.
  • Empress Faustina the Elder, wife of Antoninus Pius
Bust of Empress Faustina the Elder, wife of Antoninus Pius. Dated circa AD 141.
Bust of Young Marcus Aurelius. Dated circa AD 150 – 160.
Marble bust with the head of Marcus Aurelius. Dated to the end of the 2nd century AD.
  • Empress Faustina the Younger, wife of Marcus Aurelius
Bust of Empress Faustina the Younger, wife of Marcus Aurelius.
Modern marble bust with the head of Lucius Verus. Dated to the second half of the 2nd century AD.
Portrait of Crispina, wife of Commodus. Dated to AD 180 – 187.

In addition to the members of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, the Uffizi houses several portraits of unknown citizens from the same era. Some of these portraits were incorrectly attributed to members of the dynasty during the Renaissance, but the original inscriptions have remained.

  •  Private portraits of unknown citizens from the Nerva-Antonine era
Portrait of Vibia Sabina (wife of Hadrian) with a Flavian hairstyle.
Portrait of an elderly woman inspired by the iconography of Marciana (sister of Trajan). Dated AD 98 – 117. Greek marble (head) and red onyx (modern bust).
Portrait of a young man from the Antonine era (previously thought to be Lucius Verus or Marcus Aurelius).
Portrait of a young man, so-called “Young Hadrian”. Dated AD 130-140.
Bust with the head of a young man (previously known as Marcus Aurelius). Dated to the mid-2nd century AD.
Togated statue with the head of a man. Dated circa AD 100-200.
Portrait of an unknown woman, so-called Lucilla, mid-2nd century AD, Apuan marble.
Private portrait of a citizen of the late Antonine period thought to be Commodus. Dated AD 160 – 180.

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