Gold
aureus of emperor Marcus
Aurelius, set in a gold ring
Roman, AD 167
Minted in
Rome; ring made at an uncertain date
The Stoic philosopher as
jewellery
In modern Britain, a gold sovereign set in a
finger ring or hung around the neck as a pendant is a common item
of jewellery. So it was in the Roman world: gold coins were
sometimes set within gold rings for personal adornment. The image
of the emperor was believed by many to be a powerful good luck
charm - it made sense to carry it around with you all the
time.
Marcus Aurelius (AD
161-80), who appears on the coin set in this ring, is best known
for his philosophical work, The
Meditations. Although he was the most
powerful man in the Roman Empire, he dwelt on the emptiness of
glory: 'Shall mere fame distract you? Look at the speed of
total oblivion of all and the void of endless time on either side
of us and the hollowness of applause... For the whole earth is but
a point, and of this what a tiny corner is our dwelling-place, and
how few and paltry are those who will praise you.' It is
ironic that such sentiments as these have preserved his fame to
this day.
A. Birley, Marcus Aurelius (London, Batsford, 1987)
F.H. Marshall, Catalogue of the finger ring-1 (London, The British Museum Press, 1907)
J. Williams (ed.), Money: a history (London, The British Museum Press, 1997)
M. Aurelius (translated by G. Long), Meditations (New York, Dover Publications, 1998)