Hand of a statue

This hand belonged to a more than life-sized bronze statue, probably that of an emperor. Unfortunately, the rest of the statue has not been found. Since bronze was a precious commodity, most statues of this kind were melted down for re-use. Statues of emperors were erected in public places in all parts of the Roman Empire, so that the inhabitants of the immense empire would know what their emperor looked like. This hand gesture is familiar from many other statues. Emperors were frequently depicted as if about to begin a speech. Romans would call for attention at such moments by raising their arm.