Julius Caesar - dark hair or blond?
If you've been wondering if Julius Caesar was dark-haired or blond...
Suetonius provides a description of his looks based on the accounts of Caesar's contemporaries:
Alexander Thomson:
J.C. Rolfe:
Adrian Goldsworthy:
(Some historians translate it as "mouth" rather than "face." But it's more likely that Suetonius meant the latter.)
The literal translation for colore candido is "white color." It could mean his complexion or his hair color. Which is it, then? Well, dark hair was typical for the Romans, while blond hair was very rare. If Caesar had been blond, many ancient historians would have mentioned it. Hell, even modern-day Italians are more often dark-haired. There is a small chance that Suetonius meant early gray hair (candidus can mean "gray-haired"), but he would have put it more clearly if that were the case. So, it's more likely that Suetonius meant Caesar's complexion. And it's further supported by Plutarch, who says that Caesar had "a soft and white skin." The emphasis on his skin color is that he was rather pale for a Southerner.
Conclusion: most likely dark-haired.
I would like to touch upon Colleen McCullough's depiction of Caesar, as her novels are quite popular.
Her Caesar is blond, blue-eyed, and as tall as the Germans or Gauls (at one point, he even says that he could pass for a German if he wanted to). His daughter also inherited his hair color, which is described as "frosty."
This is McCullough's reasoning that she gives at the end of "Fortune's Favorites":
1. McCullough most likely refers to Robert Graves' translation when she talks about "fair" and "excellently built":
2. "[Suetonius] was writing a hundred and fifty years after Caesar's death; a length of time which could well have meant those portrait busts kept up by repainting no longer reflected the true eye color."
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Suetonius provides a description of his looks based on the accounts of Caesar's contemporaries:
"Fuisse traditur excelsa statura, colore candido, teretibus membris, ore paulo pleniore, nigris uegetisque oculis."
Alexander Thomson:
"It is said that he was tall, of a fair complexion, round limbed, rather full faced, with eyes black and piercing."
J.C. Rolfe:
"He is said to have been tall of stature with a fair complexion, shapely limbs, a somewhat full face, and keen black eyes."
Adrian Goldsworthy:
"[Caesar] is said to have been tall, with fair skin, slender limbs, a face that was just a little too full, and very dark, piercing eyes."
(Some historians translate it as "mouth" rather than "face." But it's more likely that Suetonius meant the latter.)
The literal translation for colore candido is "white color." It could mean his complexion or his hair color. Which is it, then? Well, dark hair was typical for the Romans, while blond hair was very rare. If Caesar had been blond, many ancient historians would have mentioned it. Hell, even modern-day Italians are more often dark-haired. There is a small chance that Suetonius meant early gray hair (candidus can mean "gray-haired"), but he would have put it more clearly if that were the case. So, it's more likely that Suetonius meant Caesar's complexion. And it's further supported by Plutarch, who says that Caesar had "a soft and white skin." The emphasis on his skin color is that he was rather pale for a Southerner.
Conclusion: most likely dark-haired.
***
I would like to touch upon Colleen McCullough's depiction of Caesar, as her novels are quite popular.
Her Caesar is blond, blue-eyed, and as tall as the Germans or Gauls (at one point, he even says that he could pass for a German if he wanted to). His daughter also inherited his hair color, which is described as "frosty."
This is McCullough's reasoning that she gives at the end of "Fortune's Favorites":
"I am aware that Suetonius describes Caesar's eyes as "nigris vegetisque oculis," usually translated as "keen black eyes" or "piercing black eyes" or "lively black eyes." However, Suetonius also calls him fair, and was writing a hundred and fifty years after Caesar's death; a length of time which could well have meant those portrait busts kept up by repainting no longer reflected the true eye color. To be both fair and black-eyed is very rare. Caesar's great-nephew, Augustus, was also fair; his eyes are said to have been grey, a color more in keeping with fairness. Pale eyes with a dark ring around the outside of the iris always have a piercing quality, so I elected to depart from Suetonius's eye color rather than from his general description of a fair man; Plutarch, disappointingly unforthcoming about Caesar's looks, does mention Caesar's white skin. Velleius Paterculus says Caesar "surpassed all others in the beauty of his person." It is from Suetonius that one discovers he was tall and slender, but excellently built. I wouldn't like any of my readers to think that I have succumbed to the temptations of a lady novelist and endowed a major historical character with a physical appeal he did not in fact have! Poor Caesar really did have everything-brains, beauty, height, and a good body."
1. McCullough most likely refers to Robert Graves' translation when she talks about "fair" and "excellently built":
"Caesar is said to have been tall, fair, and well-built, with a rather broad face and keen, dark-brown eyes."
2. "[Suetonius] was writing a hundred and fifty years after Caesar's death; a length of time which could well have meant those portrait busts kept up by repainting no longer reflected the true eye color."
Nowhere does Suetonius say that he based his description on Caesar's busts. He literally says fuisse traditur, i.e. "he is said to have been..." He took the description from the accounts left by Caesar's contemporaries, and one of those contemporaries must have been Gaius Oppius. We know that both Suetonius and Plutarch used Oppius' book as one of their sources. Oppius was one of Caesar's closest friends and would know what color Caesar's eyes were.
3. "To be both fair and black-eyed is very rare."
Rare, not impossible. And even if Suetonius was referring to Caesar's hair color, his eyes were still dark. McCullough was obviously aware of other translations for the "fair" part (i.e. that it refers to his complexion), but ignored them because she prefers Caesar to be blond. She doesn't question Suetonius' comment on Caesar's height; she's not saying that he based it on Caesar's statues and therefore it has to be wrong. Caesar's being tall fits into her mental image of him, unlike his dark eyes.
4. "Caesar's great-nephew, Augustus, was also fair; his eyes are said to have been grey, a color more in keeping with fairness."
Suetonius says that his hair was "inclining to golden." It sounds too vague to say that he was definitely fair. Who knows, maybe he had golden brown hair or something. His eyes are described as clarus, which means "bright/light." Could be blue or green for all we know. Clarus is unlikely to be used for gray eyes.
Perhaps Augustus inherited his lighter hair and eyes from the paternal side of his family (he was related to Caesar through his maternal grandmother, who was Caesar's eldest sister).
5. "It is from Suetonius that one discovers he was tall and slender, but excellently built."
Suetonius says that Caesar had "shapely limbs," which implies that he was well-proportioned. Plutarch says that he was thin. These comments suggest that Caesar had a slender build/lean physique. But he had remarkable endurance, so we can assume that he was reasonably fit. Had to be to endure 14 years on campaigns while in his 40s and 50s (there are times when he's been covering huge distances on a horse in record time, and that requires a good level of fitness).
6. "Poor Caesar really did have everything-brains, beauty, height, and a good body."
Apart from Velleius Paterculus, there is no mention that Caesar was particularly beautiful. If you look at the Pantelleria bust, his looks are pretty conventional/ordinary. It was his personality that made him attractive. Even Cicero couldn't stay immune to Caesar's charms when in his presence.
In the "Commentaries," Caesar mentions a couple of times how tall Gauls and Germans are (at one point, saying, "our small stature" in comparison to the Gauls). Which suggests that even though he was tall for a Roman, he was still not as tall as the Germans and Gauls.
Suetonius says that his hair was "inclining to golden." It sounds too vague to say that he was definitely fair. Who knows, maybe he had golden brown hair or something. His eyes are described as clarus, which means "bright/light." Could be blue or green for all we know. Clarus is unlikely to be used for gray eyes.
Perhaps Augustus inherited his lighter hair and eyes from the paternal side of his family (he was related to Caesar through his maternal grandmother, who was Caesar's eldest sister).
5. "It is from Suetonius that one discovers he was tall and slender, but excellently built."
Suetonius says that Caesar had "shapely limbs," which implies that he was well-proportioned. Plutarch says that he was thin. These comments suggest that Caesar had a slender build/lean physique. But he had remarkable endurance, so we can assume that he was reasonably fit. Had to be to endure 14 years on campaigns while in his 40s and 50s (there are times when he's been covering huge distances on a horse in record time, and that requires a good level of fitness).
6. "Poor Caesar really did have everything-brains, beauty, height, and a good body."
Apart from Velleius Paterculus, there is no mention that Caesar was particularly beautiful. If you look at the Pantelleria bust, his looks are pretty conventional/ordinary. It was his personality that made him attractive. Even Cicero couldn't stay immune to Caesar's charms when in his presence.
In the "Commentaries," Caesar mentions a couple of times how tall Gauls and Germans are (at one point, saying, "our small stature" in comparison to the Gauls). Which suggests that even though he was tall for a Roman, he was still not as tall as the Germans and Gauls.
***
"A number of portrait images of Caesar survive as busts or on coins, some either made during his lifetime or copied from originals that were, but all portray him in middle age. They show the great general or the dictator, his features stern and strong, his face lined and – at least in the few more realistic portraits – his hair thinning. These images radiate power, experience and monumental self-confidence, and at least hint at the force of personality of the man, although no portrait, whether sculpted, painted or even photographic can ever truly capture this. Ancient portraits often seem especially formal and rather lifeless to the modern eye and it is all too easy to forget that many were originally painted, for we have a deeply entrenched vision of the Classical world as a place of bare stone and marble. Even enhanced by paint – and the great statue painters were as revered as the great sculptors – a portrait bust revealed only some aspects of character. In Caesar’s case they do suggest a keen intelligence, but do not hint at the liveliness, wit and charm that his contemporaries commented upon so often." – Adrian Goldsworthy
Pantelleria, Castle of Pantelleria (Barbacane)
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