Portraits of Edessans

[aemilia]

The following are Fayum mummy portraits from Roman Egypt, circa AD 250. While so much Classical art the people look pretty generic or stylized, these portraits look like, well, people. They also look pretty Edessan -- or I guess Edessans look pretty Egyptian. At any rate, there are a few differences: Edessans prefer clean-shaven and about most have very straight hair. Loukas, of course, is the exception. Some of them remind me of specific characters, but some of them just look like interesting people.



Is it just me, or does this guy look like Bret from Flight of the Conchords?





She reminds me of Eugenia.







A young Metrodora.





Myrrine.







If this woman had darker skin and a sneer, she'd look a lot like Procopia.