Portraits of the sons of Germanicus, examples from Ephesos and Aphrodisias. Observations on provincial reception and diachronic use

<p>The leading citizens of the Empire embraced Augustus and his new order. They ostentatiously expressed their glad acceptance with statue honours for him and his heirs. The statues embodied public hope for the continuity of the prosperous and peaceful Augustan rule and love for this veiled monarchy. This paper presents four portrait honours for members of the Julio-Claudian family, possibly the elder two sons of Germanicus, Nero Caesar (b. AD 4) and Drusus Caesar (b. AD 7), heirs of Tiberius between AD 23 and 29. Three of the much-studied heads discussed are from Ephesos and one from Aphrodisias and are the object of new observations regarding their diachronic use These portraits of Julio-Claudian princes from two cities in Asia present excellent demonstrations of the provincial response to the early imperial image-making system and the fluidity of use of portraits. This fluidity best explains their true semantic ‘value’ and exposes the inherent limitations in attempts that define or prioritise a single context or a single intent. These statues were long-lasting representational objects and their audience and their audience’s needs changed over time.</p>