Crowning the Emperor an unorthodox image of Claudius, Agrippa I and Herod of Chalkis

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This article looks at a narrative image on the coins of two Herodian kings, Agrippa I (ad 37-44) and Herod of Chalkis (ad 41-48). It shows the two kings crowning the emperor Claudius with wreaths. The crowning scene seems familiar, even banal, at first sight, a routine allegory to glorify the emperor’s victories and successes. But a closer look reveals that the constellation is in fact highly original, a creative adaptation of common motifs, re-channelled to concoct a new narrative of royal ideology. Whereas the intended message of glorification is fairly transparent, the unorthodox arrangement of figures in this image also has the potential for unintended interpretations that would, from a Roman angle, be considered off-message.

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Judaea , Chalkis , portraiture , numismatics , Herodian dynasty

Syria

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Syria