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Emperor Caracalla in the Guise of Helios, Early 3rd Century
Marble, H. 77 1/4 in. (196.2 cm.)
Purchased with funds from the North Carolina Art Society (Robert F. Phifer Bequest), 1984 (84.1)
In Greek mythology, the god Helios daily drew the sun across the heavens in his chariot. During the second century, the Severan dynasty of emperors in Rome sought to copy the glory and the conquests of Alexander the Great, who had adopted Helios as his favorite god. In this statue, the god is given the face of Caracalla, son of the then-reigning Emperor (Caracalla later ruled from 211-217). In a deliberate attempt to associate him with Alexander, Caracalla is portrayed with Alexander's distinctive hairstyle and also with the attributes of Helios: the crown that originally had twelve rays, the torch (only the tip survives) he carries in his left arm, and the horse's head that indicates his chariot. Like the Torso of an Emperor in the Guise of Jupiter, religious symbols are here artfully employed for the purposes of political propaganda.