Literature Brown Bag: Gaius Caesar's Statue as Eros: Its Possible Impact Roman Sculpture

A marble portrait of a very young boy, possibly three years old, presents opportunities to explore non-imperial children’s portraits during the Julio-Claudian era (first half of the first century C. E.) and the popularity of free-standing marble portraits of very young boys from this time period. The high quality of the boy from Frosinone’s portrait and its place of discovery in Frosinone (anc. Frusino) suggest that the boy depicted was a child of an elite family. In my assessment of this marble head, elements of both portraiture and make-believe coexist. The particular physiognomy of the boy and his tousled hair can best be explained as an actual boy’s assimilation with a divine child, who I suggest was Eros. Suetonius (Gaius 7) described the premature death of a little boy named Gaius Caesar who was immortalized in sculpture as the child Eros/Cupid. Suetonius’ mention of the statue, which was replicated at least once, raises the question of how widely Gaius Caesar as Eros/Cupid influenced portraits of other deceased and very young boys of non-imperial families. Discussion of three candidates for images of boys as Eros conclude my presentation.


Molly received a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Michigan, and recently retired as Associate Professor of Art from Kent State University's School of Art. In August, her book, Portraits of the Vestal Virgins, priestesses of ancient Rome, was published by the University of Michigan Press.