The Portraits of the Roman Empress Sabina: A Numismatic and Sculptural Study

Abstract

The Roman Empress Sabina is a pivotal figure in the representation of imperial women. She appears with more portrait types and on a higher proportion of the coinage produced both at Rome and in the provinces than any of her predecessors. While her sculpted likenesses do not compare in number to Livia’s, they do exceed those of most of the intervening women. This variety and quantity of representation created a new paradigm that was followed in subsequent reigns. All of this is contrasted with the lack of attention paid to Sabina in ancient historical writing, making the portraits of Sabina the best source on her life. My study differs from previous examinations of Sabina’s portraits in its methodological approach. I begin with a study of the coinage produced at Rome. I establish a concrete chronology of these coins through the use of die studies of both the aurei and dupondii/asses in order to resolve unanswered questions about the sequence and dating of Sabina’s portrait types. Through this new chronology, I interpret the significance of each portrait type. I then conduct the first detailed study of the provincial coin portraits of Sabina. The differences between the distribution of portrait types in quantity, chronology, and geography between the imperial and provincial coins reveals some of the mechanisms behind the two media and the reception of Sabina throughout the Empire. Comparing these data with the sculpture helps illuminate the distinctions in production and dissemination between media. Through this study, I create the most complete picture of Sabina’s portraiture to date and challenge previously held assumptions concerning the mechanisms of portrait creation.