Born #onthisday 58 BC: the Roman empress Livia Julia Augusta, wife of Augustus and mother of Tiberius. This head from an oversized marble statue depicts her as Ceres, the goddess of cereals. The cult of Livia as Ceres, a mother whose fertility benefited the whole empire, became widespread, indicating the vital role that grain played in control of the empire. It was particularly embraced on Sicily, where Ceres’ Greek equivalent, Demeter, had been worshipped for centuries. Sicily – dubbed ‘Rome’s granary’ – was important as it provided an abundant supply of grain, which was used to feed the ever-growing populace back in Rome. http://ow.ly/XFKjK

This representation of Livia will feature in our #SicilyExhibition from April. Find out more: http://www.britishmuseum.org/sicily