Bust of emperor Macrinus

Emperor Macrinus (Imp. Caesar Opellius Severus Macrinus Augustus) is known as the first Roman emperor to come from a cavalry class. His short reign, which lasted only 14 months, from April 217 to June 8, 218, was marked by conflicts with the Senate and the removal of the governors of the border provinces, especially those who supported his predecessor on the throne, Caracalla. Such policy was not common until then, and the Senate and the new emperor Elagabalus took revenge by declaring him an enemy of the Roman state and carrying out damnatio memoriae over him; all his portraits were destroyed and his name erased from the inscriptions and papyrus. His image was removed even from the money, which is why this portrait is extremely rare. This beautiful portrait, which depicts the life-size figure of the man in his mature years, is undoubtedly the work of a masterful artist, who realistically conveyed the intense impression of inner peace and composure of a wise and calm man, with an expression of strength and security. In addition to the representation of the chin, a short semi-circular strand twisted into a knot, found in people with thick and coarse hair, stands out as a characteristic detail on the hairstyle, on the right side of the forehead. A particularly interesting detail on the bust is the pierced, almost cut, left ear. It is this detail, along with the similarities with the images on the money, that speaks of Emperor Macrinus, who, since he was born in Mauritania, today's Algeria, emphasised his Berber origin and heritage by wearing a gold earring in his right ear.