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Gorgons and Images
#16
from http://www.curlesnewstead.org.uk/175.htm

"the centurion Q. Sertorius Festus at Verona has likewise nine phalerae decorated with a Gorgon, Bacchic heads, an eagle, and a horse"

The Lauersfort Phalerae

"Coming now to actual examples, we may note the well-known set found at Lauersfort,[2] near Crefeld, Rhenish Prussia, in 1858. This is preserved at Berlin. It consists of ten bronze discs, covered with thin plates of hammered silver, nine being circular, with a diameter of 4¼ inches, and one crescent-shaped. On the back of each are three small loops for fastenings. The circular pieces are decorated with heads in high relief,—Jupiter, Cupid; a Gorgon, a lion, and so on"


So maybe they are Bacchic heads or cupid too, I cannot see from the R.A. imagebase pic if those faces have a circular decoration, a beard or knotted snakes... I'd be for beards, if so no gorgons, but is unclear from the pic.

Vale,

P. S.: your italian is not so bad! Keep it alive! Big Grin
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini

... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...


Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
[Image: PRIMANI_ban2.gif]
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#17
Quote:Figurati Paolo, non c'è di che! Smile

Mainly from about I century Aera Vulgaris.

They all represent Medusa. Greek an roman soldiers, after Athena, loved to believe that applying a Medusa face on the chest of the armour, they would be protected from enemies by turning them to stone. Of course it was rather a fashion but a must with deep roots of belief.

Read all the Myth at: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/classes/finALp.html

VAle,

As far as I recall, medusa had hair of serpents, so I would doubt they represent her at all. Unless it has been proven otherwise?
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#18
Look at the knot under the chin in all the items: they are knotted snakes, Medusa were represented so and with two wings in the upper hair too...
Read the Myth and the snakes-knot-hair-wings matter in the link I posted above...

Curiously Medusa were often represented with snakes hair many centuries later.

Vale,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini

... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...


Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
[Image: PRIMANI_ban2.gif]
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#19
Sorry, but I can only see one that could be interpreted as a snake!
And that could just be a coincidence of the artists hand........
The others just look like heads! Two even looks to have wings, ie of victory?
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#20
Daniele,

The Bacchic heads my be true especially the one that is with the beard on the left middle side of Sertorius (you right when you look at him) near his arm with the paludamentum.


It is interesting however, that Curle says one thing and that the curator says another?

Paolo
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)


Paolo
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