The Roman world sparkled with jewelry. Although most men wore only amulets and rings,
women adorned themselves with dazzling arrays of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and brooches.
The quality and materials varied with the wearer’s wealth and status. But for Romans of every class,
jewelry was a spectacular medium of advertisement and display.
In the austerity or poverty of their early history, the Romans had little use for elaborate
jewelry. Even into the imperial era, members of some aristocratic families wore only iron rings.
The Twelve Tables, Rome’s first legal code, forbade the burial of gold (besides dental
work) with a corpse. During the war with Hannibal, another law limited the amount
of gold jewelry that a woman could wear to half an ounce (roughly one and a half grams).
Shortly after the end of the Second Punic war, however, Rome’s matrons led a public protest
against the law on jewelry. This wasn’t just about appearances – Roman women counted jewelry as part
of their property, and used it as source of wealth in emergencies – but soon, thanks to the riches
and skilled craftsmen of the newly-conquered Greek east, jewelry was everywhere.
By the early imperial era, the Roman elite had cast aside the last traces of the old restraint.
Satirists describe men with six rings on every finger, some so heavy that they
only be worn comfortably in cool winter weather. Caligula’s wife wore necklaces
and earrings studded with emeralds and pearls, and braided strands of gemstones into her hair.
In Petronius’ Satyricon, the wealthy freedman Trimalchio has scales brought
in the middle of dinner to show his guests how much his gold jewelry weighs.
Ancient jewelry has long been a fixture of the art market, and pieces usually
pass through ill-documented private hands before reaching a museum display case.
We know, however, that the vast majority of the ancient jewelry extant today was found in tombs,
since almost everything aboveground was melted down during the Middle Ages.
We also know that Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome were the greatest centers of jewelry production,
though it’s usually impossible to tell where a given piece was manufactured.
We’ll begin our grand tour of Roman jewelry with the humble hairpin.
Usually – like the example shown here – these were simple pins of metal or bone.
More elaborate examples might be fashioned from gold or ivory,
and feature miniature sculptures on their heads. Earrings were generally worn only by women,
though the Moorish emperor Macrinus reportedly had pierced ears.
In any case, most earrings were simple hoops or hooks,
ornamented – if at all – with a glass bead or two.
More elaborate examples might feature golden disks and pendants.
The lobes of the wealthy were weighted by spectacular confections like these.
I especially like this earring, which features a harpy with a harp.
As in the case of earrings, most Roman necklaces were simple.
More ostentatious examples were threaded with gemstones – in this case, carnelians and pearls.
Glass beads were the budget alternative to real gems.
Necklaces often featured amulets designed to protect the wearer from sickness and misfortune.
The most popular shape was a simple crescent. Roman boys, especially those from elite families,
often wore a bulla – a protective charm in a case of lead or gold.
Men might wear a phallic pendant for good luck and fertility,
like this eye-catching example from Pompeii. Later in the imperial era, so-called “magical”
amulets began to appear, carved with the images of such demons as the lion-headed
Chnoubis and serpent-legged Abraxas. Other necklaces were simply for show,
like this elaborate chain with eight golden aurei in its pendants.
Speaking of which, this video is sponsored by Peregrine Pendants, a Chicago-based specialist
in crafting jewelry from ancient coins. Started by a collector who wanted to share
the fascination of classical numismatics, Peregrine Pendants hand sets ancient coins
in gold or silver mounts designed to showcase their beauty without damaging them in any way.
The coins used range from Athenian tetradrachms of the fifth century BC to Byzantine gold pieces,
Roman denarii, and a vast range of other ancient and medieval issues, all purchased
from reputable dealers and guaranteed authentic. The setting of each coin is customized to suit its
size and condition. However fashioned, each piece is delivered to the customer with a silver chain,
jewelry pouch, and detailed information about the coin.
If you’re looking for a great holiday gift, or would like to incorporate a favorite coin
of your own – ancient or modern – into a necklace, bracelet, cufflink, or ring,
go to peregrinepedants.com, and use the code TOLDINSTONE for 10% off any purchase.
Back to jewelry. In the Roman world, both men and women used brooches to secure their garments.
Everyday brooches were usually made of bronze, like this example of the so-called crossbow type.
There were many other common types, such as the disk and the trumpet.
More elaborate brooches might be miniature masterpieces of enamel-work
Or even sculpture groups in miniature, like this lively scene of a hound attacking a boar.
Among the more ostentatious examples were the golden brooches that late antique emperors
awarded to officials on special occasions. Not to be outshone by their subordinates,
the emperors themselves wore spectacular jeweled brooches,
such as the one that sits on Justinian’s shoulder in his famous mosaic portrait at San Vitale.
Roman women often complemented their brooches with bracelets, like this impressive example
featuring the knot of Hercules motif. Wealthy women might also wear armbands,
like this stylish pair garnished with mermaids. Rings were the most common form of Roman jewelry,
worn by all classes and fashioned from a dazzling range of materials.
Wedding rings – like this example with a clasped hand motif – were worn throughout
the Roman world during the imperial era. Much more utilitarian were the key rings – likely
worn on necklaces – used to open doors and safes. The most characteristic of all Roman rings,
however, are signet rings, used to seal and stamp documents and valuables.
This simple bronze example, perhaps worn by a mariner, features a sea monster.
Wealthy Romans commissioned jewelers to engrave the gems in their signet rings.
The design might be a stylized portrait of the wearer, as in these cases.
Alternatively, a signet ring might bear the image
of a god whose protection or patronage the wearer sought – in this instance, Venus.
Elaborate examples might feature a scene from myth, such as the contest of Athena and Poseidon.
The reigning emperor was a popular choice of insignia,
especially for those closely associated with the court. This impressive cameo depicts Augustus.
This spectacular ring, carved from a single sapphire, is thought to feature an image of
Caesonia, the fourth and final wife of Caligula. If so, it almost certainly belonged either to
the emperor himself or to a member of his court. Through the end of the Western Empire and beyond,
from the imperial family to humble farmers, male and female, young and old, Romans wore jewelry as
a mark of status, a measure of wealth, and a means of protection from unseen forces.
Even now, relegated to cases in corners of museums, Roman jewelry
remains a fascinating conduit into the wealth, craftsmanship, and society of a vanished world.
Check out my two other YouTube channels, Scenic Routes to the Past and Toldinstone Footnotes.
If you enjoyed this video, please consider supporting toldinstone on Patreon. You might also
enjoy my book, Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants. Thanks for watching.