Roman Women

All throughout the history of the Roman Empire, women played an important role. Sometimes running the empire itself when the emperor was too young. Such was the case during the Severan period. This collection is being assembled to show all of the various portraits and hairstyles which graced Roman coins from the beginning of the Empire with Livia, wife of Augustus, to it's end with Zenonis, Wife of Basiliscus. Although the Roman Empire ends with Anastasius in 493, Zenonis, in 476 was the last female I could find for the period.

Livia (Julia Augusta and earlier was Livia Drusilla) - Wife of Octavian. 58 BC-29 AD

http://www.beastcoins.com/RomanWomen/Liviacard.jpg

Antonia - Daughter of Marc Antony and Octavia, Wife of Nero Claudius Drusus. 36 BC-37 AD

http://www.beastcoins.com/RomanWomen/Antoniacard.jpg

Agrippina Senior (Vipsania Agrippina) - Wife of Germanicus. 14 BC-33 AD

http://www.beastcoins.com/RomanWomen/AgrippinaIcard.jpg

Sketches based on Roman coins, drawn by Jasper Burns. Find the rest here: http://www.beastcoins.com/RomanWomen/RomanWomen.htm

How about Galla Placidia, the mother of Emperor Valentinian III?

Galla Placidia

http://www.bartleby.com/65/ga/GallaPla.html

(ghttp://www.bartleby.com/images/pronunciation/abreve.gifl´http://www.bartleby.com/images/pronunciation/schwa.gif plhttp://www.bartleby.com/images/pronunciation/schwa.gifshttp://www.bartleby.com/images/pronunciation/ibreve.gifd´http://www.bartleby.com/images/pronunciation/emacr.gifhttp://www.bartleby.com/images/pronunciation/schwa.gif) (KEY (http://www.bartleby.com/65/12.html)) , c.388–450, Roman empress of the West, daughter of Theodosius I. Captured by Alaric I in the course of his Italian campaign, she was held by the Visigoths as a hostage and married (414) Alaric’s successor Ataulf (http://www.bartleby.com/65/at/Ataulf.html). After the murder (415) of Ataulf she was at first ill-treated but was returned in 416 to her brother Honorius (http://www.bartleby.com/65/ho/Honorius.html). In 417 she married the general Constantius; shortly before his death he was made (421) coemperor as Constantius III (http://www.bartleby.com/65/co/Constntiu3.html). In 423 she quarreled with Honorius and fled to the court of Theodosius II; after the death of Honorius she became regent for her son Valentinian III (http://www.bartleby.com/65/va/Valentn3.html), whom Theodosius placed on the throne after overthrowing (425) the usurper John. She had great personal influence over her son, but she was forced to leave the government largely in the hands of Aetius (http://www.bartleby.com/65/ae/Aetius.html).

Agrippina the younger. Wife and niece of Claudius. Mother and lover of Nero. Imperial slut.

http://www.cstone.net/~jburns/jpgs/agrip2.jpg