Ancient Roman gold

Claudius. With Agrippina. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 8,500 euros. Claudius ruled from 41 to 54 CE and married his niece Agrippina the Younger in 49 CE, a union that heavily shaped the final years of his reign. Agrippina was a powerful, ambitious figure. Her marriage to Claudius cemented her status, and she convinced him to grant her the title of Augusta. Agrippina persuaded Claudius to adopt her son, Nero, bypassing Claudius's own biological son, Britannicus.

Vespasian, 69-79. Aureus. Probably from the find of Bosco Reale hoard. Extremely fine. Estimate: 5,000 euros. Vespasian rose from the Year of 4 emperors to found the Flavian dynasty. He ruled from AD 69 to 79. Many coins from the Bosco Reale hoard show distinctive toning. Volcanic heat and sulfur reacted with the copper and silver alloy inside the gold, leaving a fiery auburn or violet-red surface tint. This doesn't detract from the coin's value to collectors.

Nerva aureus. Extremely fine. Estimate: 10,000 euros. Marcus Cocceius Nerva ruled as Roman Emperor from AD 96 to 98, marking the start of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty and the era of the Five Good Emperors. The Senate proclaimed Nerva emperor on September 18, AD 96, immediately following the assassination of Domitian. Facing a mutiny by the Praetorian Guard, Nerva adopted popular military commander Trajan as his heir in AD 97, continuing Rome's golden age.

Antoninus Pius, 138-161. Aureus. About mint state. Estimate: 5,000 euros. Antoninus Pius was a benevolent Roman emperor who ruled from 138 to 161 AD as the fourth of the Five Good Emperors. His 23-year reign provided very rare stability and prosperity across the empire.

Illyrian Helmet from the British Museum

Este yelmo es el famoso Casco ilirio del Museo Británico, adquirido por la institución en 1914 tras ser descubierto en el cauce del río Alfeos en Olimpia, Grecia. Además de su fina decoración, el casco cuenta con una importante inscripción grabada en alfabeto arcadio/beocio que… pic.twitter.com/Qr5RfYfjDP — El Club del Arte 🎨📷📚🖼🕍🎼 (@Arteymas_) September 23, 2026

This Illyrian Helmet from the British Museum was acquired in 1914 after being discovered in the bed of the Alfeos River in Olympia, Greece. It was crafted around 500 BC in Greece from a single hammered bronze sheet. The inscription reads that the helmet was captured and offered to the god Zeus Olympian by the inhabitants of the city of Coronea after a military victory. The lions on the brow and the figures of the riders on the cheekpieces were created as repoussé silver appliqués that were subsequently attached to the bronze with small rivets. It was likely used for religious purposes, to be displayed on panhellenic sacred altars. The Illyrians were divided among different tribes and kingdoms and were gradually conquered by the Romans in a series of wars that occurred between 229 and 168 B.C.

Mosaics of Pompeii

Pompeii has provided valuable insight to the Roman world and most agree it is the richest archaeological site in the world. Fine mosaics were a common feature in the villas of the town and depicted scenes from mythology, the owner’s business interests or animal scenes. They are of the highest artistic merit.

Plato's Academy Circle

Detail of Musician with tympanon, Villa del Cicerone

House of Neptune

Detail Alexander the Great at the Battle of Issus

Head of Medusa

Detail Satyr and nymph

As rich as Croesus

The phrase "rich as Croesus" is a famous idiom that describes someone who is extremely wealthy. It refers to the legendary King Croesus of Lydia, who was known for his immense wealth and extravagant lifestyle. His wealth came from the River Pactolus in which the King Midas washed his hands to rid himself of the 'Midas Touch'. Croesus is credited with issuing the first true gold and silver coins with a standardized purity for general circulation.

Lydia was a hugely rich and powerful state when Kroisos became king about 561 BCE. According to Herodotus, Kroisos donated 4.5 tons of gold for construction of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. The Latin form of Kroisos’ name is used today. Kroisos inherited a coinage system based upon the use of electrum. The most common examples of early Lydian coins are electrum trites (one-third staters) that weigh about 4.7 grams. The coins were first struck during the reign of Kroisos’ father, Alyattes (c. 618 – 561 BCE). Kroisos continued to strike them during the early years of his own reign.

Kroisos launched his own coinage about 550 BCE by minting nearly pure gold staters and nearly pure silver staters, each weighing around 10.7 grams. The Prototype stater is extremely rare, with about a dozen known. The example shown sold for $150k against a $50k estimate in January 2012.

Kroisos struck gold coins under two different weight standards after the Prototype issue. His first series were “Heavy Standard” weighing about 10.7 g. Kroisos replaced the Heavy Standard gold coins with a series of Light Standard gold coins, based upon a weight of 8.05 g. Silver equivalents are known for each denomination of Kroisos’ gold coinage.

Scholars argue that the gold standard of Croesus was introduced in stages, designed to recall the circulating electrum staters. Once a sufficient number had been recalled, the new light stater appeared. Though the light stater was produced for a longer period than the heavy stater, the light stater is actually the rarer coin. This NGC Gem MS light stater sold in April 2018 for $180k.

Hadrian

Hadrian was declared Emperor of Rome on this date September 22, 117. Publius Aelius Hadrianus (AD 76–138) was born in Rome on 24 January AD 76. His family – the Aelii – were from ltalica in the Roman province of Hispania Baetica (Seville in modern-day Spain). Hadrian’s father died when he was ten years old and he became the ward of his father’s cousin, the future emperor Trajan. Hadrian was the third of the Five Good Emperors and reigned during the apex of Roman power. Hadrian married, through arrangement, Vibia Sabina, grandniece of the ruling emperor, Trajan, and his second cousin once removed. His marriage was unhappy and childless. Hadrian's ascension was controversial as Trajan hadn't chosen a successor until he was on his deathbed. Trajan’s respected wife Plotina sent a letter to the Senate declaring Hadrian as the new heir. It was only after the appointment that the Senate was informed Trajan had died. With the army recognizing Hadrian as emperor, the Roman senate accepted his rule. Four senators who opposed his appointment were executed.

Hadrian had a successful reign. He completed many building projects, including the Vallum Aelium. (Hadrian’s Wall) Hadrian gained extensive military experience as a legatus during the conquests of Dacia and later Parthia. Among Trajan’s closest allies he also held the important offices of the Roman state, culminating in serving as consul. Hadrian was a military expert, but his reign saw little conflict. Hadrian's last years were marred by chronic illness. Hadrian died of heart disease at Baiae on 10 July AD 138.

Hadrian's Wall is one of Britain's major tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Hadrian selected Lucius Aelius Caesar to succeed him, but Aelius died suddenly. As an alternative Hadrian appointed Antoninus Pius with the provision that he would then choose Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus as his successors. Pius agreed, and the Golden Age of Rome continued. Hadrian kept a beard, and all his coins show him bearded. Some accounts suggest it hid his facial battle scars.

Archaeologists at the ancient city of Kibyra in southwestern Türkiye uncovered the remains of monumental marble statues depicting Roman Emperor Hadrian and his wife, Empress Sabina. Hadrian’s statue rose to a height of 2.14 meters (7 feet). The large marble figures once stood impressively above Kibyra’s Monumental City Entrance Gate. The rare sculptures date to around AD 130.

Gladiators - Heroes of the Colosseum

Under Augustus (63 BC - 14 AD), games were allowed only during a few specific days of the year.

An exhibition called "Gladiators - Heroes of the Colosseum" examined the lives of gladiators. The first documented gladiator fights took place in Rome in 264 BC. Descendants of a deceased citizen had three pairs of slaves compete against each other in the honor of the departed. Typically, the fight would happen in a marketplace. These private battles of nobility became increasingly popular among citizens of ancient Rome.

Gladiators were not always prisoners or slaves. Gladiator schools (ludi - singular: ludus) ensured a supply of highly trained fighters. Many free Roman citizens also joined for fame, money, and glory. The games offered a chance for the most successful warriors to earn redemption, wealth and freedom. The typical schedule of a fight day started around noon, with executions of criminals sentenced to death. Afterward, circus acts would sometimes take the stage. After a few additional fights, the gladiators were presented as the main act. Women also fought against each other. This was officially banned in the year 200.

A gladiator was most often a slave, socially marginalized, and segregated even in death. The average age of those killed in the arena was around 28. Few gladiators survived more than ten matches. Gladiatorial combat rapidly became an essential feature of social life in the Roman world. Its popularity led to ever more lavish and costly games. The games lasted for nearly a thousand years, peaking between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD. The games declined during the early 5th century after the adoption of Christianity.

The person who presided over the games was called the editor. He could be the emperor, a senator, or other political figure and made the final decision about the fate of the gladiators in the arena. To make sure the loser wasn’t pretending to be dead, an attendant dressed as Mercury would touch him with a hot iron wand. If still alive, another attendant, dressed as Charon, would kill him with a mallet.

If a gladiator repeatedly survived the arena and lived long enough to retire, they were given a symbolic wooden training sword, or rudis, as a token of their freedom. Even after winning freedom, the lucrative life of a gladiator appealed: rudiarii were gladiators who had earned their freedom but chose to remain fighting in the arena.

Gladius, an early ancient Roman sword

There were many types of gladiators and each had different weapons. It was usual to pair off combatants with widely different, but more or less equivalent, equipment. Studies have shown that gladiators fought to strict rules and barefooted. During combat musicians performed and altered tempo to match that of the combat. From left, a disarmed and surrendering retiarius and his secutor opponent, a thraex and murmillo, a hoplhus and murmillo (who is signalling his surrender), and the referee.

Roman Gladiator Dagger

The quadrens was a specialized close-quarter weapon used by the Roman net-fighter, or retiarius.

Roman soldiers were taught to deploy the gladius horizontally, piercing the enemy's ribs and penetrating vital organs.

Roman iron gladiator trident.

Gladiator Arm Guard

Greaves and dagger discovered at Pompeii's gladiator barracks.

Helmet of a murmillo.