Caesar in specs!

Why is an ancient Roman wearing glasses? Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus was Roman emperor from 14 AD/CE until his death in 37 AD/CE. Spectacles weren’t invented until over a thousand years after the scene depicted here. Some evidence exists for the use of visual aid devices during the Greek and Roman period, including the use of an emerald by the Emperor Nero. But the first glasses proper (i.e. lenses mounted in a frame to be worn on the face) weren't produced until the late 13th century. Venice, which produced high-quality glass at Murano, quickly became an important centre of manufacture. Artists often depicted historical characters in contemporary dress – see what other clothing anachronisms you can find…