As of Commodus 

Editor: Here we have “As of Commodus,” an ancient coin now residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Its weathered surface makes it look like it’s been through a lot. What stories do you think it holds? Curator: Oh, this little bronze beauty whispers tales of power, ego, and the fleeting nature of legacy. Commodus, a Roman emperor who fancied himself a Hercules... can you imagine the hubris? Editor: So, it’s a bit of self-mythologizing in coin form? Curator: Precisely! A pocket-sized propaganda piece. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it, about the faces we choose to put on our own currency, and what they say about us. Editor: I guess every coin has two sides, literally and figuratively. Curator: Indeed. And in Commodus’s case, both sides seem to scream, "Look at me!" We can thank time for the patina that grounds that voice in history.