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Home , Jupiter (mythology), Mural crown, Sirmium, Sirmium (theme), Venus (mythology)

UDC 904:73"652"(497.113) DOI: 10.2298/STA0656153P 153

IVANA POPOVI] Institute of Archaeology,

MARBLE FROM THE IMPERIAL PALACE IN

Abstract. – Few fragments of marble have been found in the course of the archaeological excavations conducted in Sirmium between 2003 and 2005 at site 85 which is believed to be part of the imperial palace complex. The most important are two almost completely preserved heads of . The head of a young person made of milky white, fine-grained marble of exceptionally fine texture from Pentelicon was found under the Late Roman floor in room 7 of the residential structure. The sculpture, of exceptional quality, is from the second half of the 1st century and represents a , most probably or . Another head made of Carrara marble, from the 4th century, was found in a secondary position and on the basis of its mural is identified as the of Sirmium.

Key words. – , marble, Sirmium, deities, .

ew fragments of marble sculptures have been smooth surface of the face. It is parted in the middle, discovered in the course of systematic archae- framing the face in gentle waves modeled in relief and F ological excavations conducted in Sirmium with locks emphasized by incisions. On the back of the from 2003 to 2005 at site 85 which is almost certainly head the side locks combed over the ears are gathered the imperial palace complex1 (Fig. 1). The most im- portant are certainly two almost completely preserved heads of deities. * The author presented a brief account of these finds at the The head of a young person (C 109/2003) made of International Meeting Les ateliers de sculpture réginoaux: techni- milky white, fine-grained marble of exceptionally fine ques, styles et iconographie, Xe Colloque international sur l’art texture and originating from Pentelicon2 was discove- provincial romain, Arles et Aix--Provence, 21–23 mai 2007. 1 Systematic investigation was preceded by test trenching in red in of 2003 in the layer of building rubble 2002 when one trench (11 x 5 m), which yielded relatively clear and fragments of Roman pottery, under the floor of stratigraphic data about this multi-layered site was excavated, cf. room 7 at the absolute altitude of 80.27 m (Fig. 2 a–d). Jeremi}, Popovi} 2004, 284–288. In the same area, somewhat The head slightly inclined to the right and fragment of more to the east test pit excavations at site 37 were conducted in the neck are almost completely preserved; the total 1968 and 1969 that to a certain extent were investigations of the same archaeological entity to which the remains recorded to the height is 17 cm, while the dimensions of face are 9.5 x south of this complex belong and which were examined during 7 cm. The portrayed person, of exceptional, idealized excavation of locality 1a begun in 1957, cf. Milo{evi}, Miluti- beauty, has symmetrical features. The large eyes of novi}1958, 5–57; Popovi} 1969, 665–675; Ochsenschlager, Popovi} almond shape are wide open, with modelled eyelids, 1975, 85–95; Bo{kovi}, Duval, Gros, Popovi} 1974, 597–656; Po- povi} 1971, 119–148; Brukner 1983, 5–31; Jeremi} 1993, 90–97. but without denoted irises and pupils. The nose is The existing hypothesis that localities 1a and 37 are sections of the symmetrical with the tip broken off. The mouth is imperial palace was confirmed by the results of Yugoslav–American small, with full half-opened lips giving the face a excavations in 1970, when the remains of the imperial hippodrome melancholic impression. The chin is rounded and were discovered to the north of the residential structure, cf. Popo- vi}, Ochsenschlager 1976, 156–181. slightly protruding, cheeks are smooth and full, while 2 Analysis of the marble used in the sculpture discussed here the neck is massive without visible wrinkles. The hair was performed by Dr H.W. Müller, University of Natural Resources represented in the full volume is in contrast to the and Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Applied Geology, Vienna.

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Fig. 1. Imperial Palace Complex in Sirmium: a–d) fragments of marble sculptures on the locality 85 Sl. 1. Kompleks carske palate u Sirmijumu: a–d) nalazi delova mermernih skulptura na lokalitetu 85 into a ponytail, which is bent and attached creating a son. A half-opened, sensual mouth and melancholic low bun, which looks in profile like a fish tail. Below expression on a slightly inclined head are typical for the bun and behind the ears long curls fall down the the representations of Venus, the of the morning neck. The locks above the forehead are pulled towards star, love and beauty, while , the goddess of forests the back and tied into a big bowknot (krobylos) with and hunting was most often depicted as an energetic curled locks depicted by incisions. Around the head young woman with bow and arrow. Stern features and and under the locks tied into a knot on the back of the a cold expression without emotion also characterize the head is a band (taenia). Judging by the dimensions of marble heads of two other portraits of Diana from the face, the head belonged to a statue around 80 cm high, time of , one discovered not far from Sremska i.e., between half and two thirds of the normal height. Mitrovica, in Putinci near Ruma3, and the other from the The idealized features confirm that marble head museum in Bucharest.4 Among many portraits of Venus represents a deity. This conclusion is supported by the in the best analogies for the marble head from hair style with krobylos characteristic of the represen- tations of gods, above all Apollo, Venus and Diana. As the attributes which could reliably identify the depicted 3 Dautova-Ru{evljan 1983, T. 41. 2; Srejovi}, Cermanovi}- deity are, unfortunately, not preserved, it is necessary Kuzmanovi} 1987, 72, kat. 27. to use indirect methods to identify the represented per- 4 Bordenache 1969, 43, T. XXX, 66. MARBLE SCULPTURES FROM THE IMPERIAL PALACE IN SIRMIUM 155 the imperial palace in Sirmium can be found in works close parallels with corresponding traits on the marble discovered in itself, first of all in the sculptures head from Sirmium, as can best be seen by examining its of the Venus Pudica type5, in particular in the famous profile (Fig. 2 b). The model of the idealized represen- , the Roman copy of the work of some tation of Nero as Apollo on the vitreae was certainly a of ’ followers.6 These are sculptures of excep- portrait of this emperor on some official cameo made tional artistic quality made in the early imperial period of semi-precious stone. There is indirect evidence for as the copies of sculptures of from the early the of such cameos as on the plaque of sheet- . Nevertheless, they are characterized on the inside of a chest of St. [imun from , by cold academism in expression, a certain stiffness of work of the goldsmith Toma Martinov from the end of the slender body, and oval faces without visible emo- the 15th century. The architectural background is deco- tion. The head from Sirmium is also the work of a first- rated with medallions inspired by antique cameos and class sculptor made in the artistic style of Julio-Claudian on one of these medallions was a representation of an epoch, but at the same time relying on the best traditi- idealized image of the emperor, analogous to that of ons of Hellenistic artistic expression. A certain expres- the vitreae from the Serbian valley.11 It means sionlessness of the face, a result of the eyes depicted that this motif left a deep mark on Roman art, being an without irises and pupils is avoided with a nicely sha- inspiration for the artists of later times and, to all appe- ped half-open mouth, which emanates melancholy, but arances, contemporaries as well. However, on the mar- also increases the sensuality of the portrayed face. On ble head from Sirmium, the voluminous mass of wavy the other hand, the wide open eyes gazing into the dis- hair is dominant, whereas the accent on Nero’s portraits tance give to the person a certain determination cha- on coins from the later phase of his rule was on hair racteristic more of the portraits of Diana and Apollo rising above the face like a lion’s mane.12 In addition than of Venus. The neck of the Sirmium head lacks the to the representations on cameos, coins and gems, one curving creases used to evoke the softness of the naked of which is housed in the National Museum in Belgra- female body which is characteristic, first of all, of repre- de,13 there must have been sculptures of the emperor, sentations of Venus and are hence known as the Venus’ idealized as Apollo. This suggests that the marble head necklace. Therefore, although it is clear from the treat- could have belonged to a statue of this , one of many ment of the eyes of the Sirmium head that it is an object Roman marble replicas of Leochares’ bronze sculpture of art from the period of the Early Empire, closer dating dating from around 330–325 B.C., of which is most and more reliable identification of the deity depicted famous example is the Bellvedere Apollo.14 Even more requires examination of other stylistic elements. probably it was a replica of a sculpture of Apollo with The sculpture is of a person with oval face, a lyre, or Apollo Kytharodes, of which the closest to the massive neck and wavy hair combed over the ears and Sirmium sculpture in hair style and position of the head gathered on the nape in a low bun of geometric shape, is the Apollo from Kyrene, made after the work of the with locks falling in waves down the neck. Similar Attic sculptor Timarchides from the 2nd century B.C.15 iconographic characteristics, massive structure of the However, while some Roman replicas, the Bellvedere scull, fleshy face and thick neck are characteristic of Apollo for example, were modelled rather stiffly, in the portraits of Nero, either in three-dimensional sculpture stern academic style, the marble head from Sirmium is or on the coins.7 Particularly important for our analysis characterized by a certain liveliness; a result of the are representations of this emperor on the whole series of the vitreae from the Serbian Danube valley on which the emperor is represented as Apollo.8 The explanation for Nero’s assimilation with Apollo could be found in 5 LIMC VIII, nr. 88. the fact that he, being an admirer and patron of music, 6 LIMC VIII, nr. 113; Nieber 1955, Fig. 34–35. 7 issued coins on which he was depicted as Apollo with a Bernoulli 1886, 1486–1488. 8 lyre on the reverse. These coins were minted in Rome Popovi} 2001, 377–382. 9 RIC I, 152; BMC I, 249–250, Pl. 44. 12; 45. 2. during the short period of 61–62 or perhaps in 63–64 10 Popovi} 2001, sl. 7–9. 9 AD. The iconographic characteristics of the idealized 11 Petricioli 1986, 149–159, T. V b. emperor’s image in profile (Fig. 3) on some vitreae 12 Hannestad 1988, 114, Fig. 73. 10 from the Serbian Danube basin , like the shape of head, 13 Kuzmanovi}-Novovi} 2005, kat. 450, inv. 3861/III. protruding chin and massive neck, as well as the mo- 14 Lippold 1950, T. 98. 3; Bieber 1955, Fig. 200; LIMC II, nr. 79. delling of hair around the ears and on the neck, have 15 Bieber 1955, Fig. 678, 679.

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the 4th century.18 The decoration of a room in the Late Roman residential structure with a sculpture dating from a couple of centuries earlier could be explained not only by its exceptional quality and beauty, but also as the intention of Constantine, the emperor who resided in this palace, to legitimate himself as the successor of the ’ ideas by means of veneration not only of Venus, but also Apollo. It is common knowledge that Augustus thought that he won the in 31 B.C. thanks to the intervention of Apollo and he de- dicated the temple on the Palatine hill to this god in 28 B.C. Claiming to be the son and earthly representative of the god himself, he was often represented in the form of Apollo.19 This also explains the background of Nero’s wish for the same associations to himself; like his illu- strious predecessor, he was represented with ’s aegis on his chest and crowned with solar rays, insisting on the ideological link with the traditions of Augustus’ time.20 On the other hand Venus Genetrix was believed to be the ancestress of the gens , the Roman state and people that was of special importance in the ide- Fig. 3. Vitrea with Representation of Nero as Apollo, ology and political propaganda of Constantine as the unknown site in the Danube valley new Augustus. Within the context of such a policy he Sl. 3. Vitreja sa predstavom Nerona kao Apolona, wanted to garner ideological support for his rule with nepoznato nalazi{te u Podunavqu representations of the so-called good emperors of earlier epochs in the monuments erected in his honour, as he did when he incorporated ’s and Hadrian’s re- half-opened sensual mouth in the oval face. A small liefs on his triumphal arch in Rome.21 Furthermore, as bronze head from Grgurovci near , the admirer of the Sun god he continued the works on dating from the time of Hadrian,16 also belongs to the the base of Nero’s colossal monument which depicted same type of Apollo portraits, stylistically close to the this emperor as .22 After all, Constantine’s respect original from the Hellenistic period. On the other for the solar deity was deeply rooted in his personality hand, the position of the head, the fullness of the face since his earliest days, his father and the treatment of the eyes and mouth connect the being a great admirer of Apollo, whose cult he accepted Sirmium marble head with representations of Apollo in almost monotheistic form.23 As is recorded in the based on the traditions of works from the Praxiteles’ school, among which is the colossal statue from the nd 17 theatre in made in the 2 century. Taking all 16 Srejovi}, Cermanovi}-Kuzmanovi} 1987, 60–61, kat. 21. the above into consideration, we can say with reasonable 17 Ennabli et al. 1995, 98–101. certainty that the newly found head probably represents 18 Jeremi}, Popovi} 2004, 286–287, sl. 6. Apollo or Venus. The stylistic parallels make it pos- 19 Alföldi 1977, 191, Taf. 13. 1, 2; Hannestad 1988, 57–58, sible both to date the sculpture to which the head once Fig. 37. 20 belonged; moreover, they also offer a possible expla- Hannestad 1988, 113. 21 nation of its presence within the context of the imperial Spätantike 1983, 327. 22 Ensoli 2000, 86–90. It is worth mentioning that the Late Ro- palace at Sirmium. man cameo of sardonyx, today in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Pa- The head was discovered in a layer of building ris, on which the emperor as Sol on is depicted with the in- rubble and pottery under the floor, the level of which scription Neron Auguste (ibid., 68, fig. 6; Constantino 2005, cat. 98). corresponds to the level of the floor of a structure resto- 23 Burchardt 1949, 282. The respect for the Dardanian descent red during the 4th century, most probably the peristyle of Constantius Chlorus was based on the cult of Apollo, who was a na- tive religious pivot in Dardania (Jovanovi} 2006, 127, 142–143), so courtyard constructed on the location of a room with a on the with busts on ’ porphyric head from Romuli- hypocaust from the end of the 3rd or the beginning of ana this emperor was depicted as Apollo/Sol (Jovanovi} 2006, 191). MARBLE SCULPTURES FROM THE IMPERIAL PALACE IN SIRMIUM 157

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Fig. 2a–d. Head of Deity (Venus?, Apollo?) Sl. 2a–d. Glava bo`anstva (Venera?, Apolon?)

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Fig. 4a–d. Head of Tyche of Sirmium Sl. 4a–d. Glava Tihe Sirmijuma MARBLE SCULPTURES FROM THE IMPERIAL PALACE IN SIRMIUM 159

Panegyric from the year 310, Constantine himself ex- The orbital arches are prominent and drooping at the perienced a vision of Apollo in Apollo’s temple in ends. The wide open eyes have emphasized irises and Autun, which he lavishly endowed during his military drilled pupils. The largest part of the nose is broken off. campaign in Gallia. On that occasion Apollo allegedly The mouth is symmetrical and the tip of the chin is predicted that Constantine would reign thirty years, so damaged. The hair is parted in the middle of the head. he considered himself a protégé of this god.24 How It frames the face in gentle waves depicted by incisions powerful the impact of this belief was on the emperor and it is gathered at the back into a loose bun. On the top is confirmed by a gem from the National Museum in of the head is a crown, partially damaged at the front Belgrade on which one of Constantine’s sons is depicted and on the left side. On the uncovered part of the head as Apollo,25 like Nero some two-hundred and fifty years under the crown can be seen the parting from which earlier. Thus, the re-use of monuments from the time the locks of hair are combed sideways. Symmetrically of Nero in the buildings of Constantine and in the im- arranged vertical mouldings on the frontal segment of perial propaganda of this epoch can be explained both the crown to all appearances represent the turrets of a as a consequence of their shared veneration of the Sun wall, although the of the battlements could not god and also as Constantine’s desire to accumulate in be identified because of the damage. It was most proba- his personality the characteristics of his predecessors bly a mural crown (corona muralis) of the type usually of whom Augustus played a particularly important role. worn by who protected cities. The distinctive imitatio Augusti is confirmed by the Judging by the mural crown, therefore, the head marble relief perhaps from Sirmium, dating from the probably belonged to a statue depicting the protectress, reign of Constantine and on which was depicted, in a Tyche of Sirmium, i.e., the of the city. rustic manner, the upper frieze from Augustus’ famous City goddesses or personifications of cities, provinces cameo (gemma Augustea).26 In general, the reign of and rivers are frequent motifs in Roman art, adopted Constantine is characterized by conspicuous aspiration from the repertoire of Hellenistic artistic achievements. to retrospective that can be seen as a reflection of the These representations went through iconographic and nostalgic attitude towards the past, but also as proof of symbolic changes in the course of time and finally in cultural continuity, which made possible the creation the Late Roman period, when personifications of cities of the concept contained in the idea of Aeterna. were particularly numerous on various monuments, These circumstances offer an explanation of the fact the images of these goddesses became schematized, that a statue made in seventies of the 1st century in some without individual characteristics. Only two represen- well-regarded sculptor’s atelier, most probably in , tations of Tyche of Sirmium have been identified so far, found itself in the imperial palace in Sirmium. It may and neither of them is a three-dimensional sculpture. have been brought to Sirmium under the Flavian dynasty, They are encountered as stamps on two gold ingots when the city became a colony the importance of which discovered at the Crasna site near Brasov in Romania is confirmed by the discovery of the marble head of the (fig. 5 a–b). On both items, Tyche of Sirmium is depic- emperor Titus27 that later, in the early decades of the 4th ted in profile, highly schematized, sitting on a cippus, century, was also used to decorate the imperial palace. holding in her hands the palmeta and cornucopia, and The second marble head (C–154/2005) was disco- wearing the mural crown on her head. In the segments vered in 2005, about ten meters southeast of both stamps is the inscription SIRM. On one ingot of the head just discussed. It has been found in quad- there are four stamps and one of them has three impe- rant 1 of sector B, in profile next to wall XVIII at an rial busts (, Valentinian II and Theodosius?), absolute altitude of 82.15 meters. Taking into account which are repeated also on one of the five stamps on the that it is the eastern wall of the apse of the 14th/15th other ingot.28 The busts of the emperors date the pro- century church it is clear that the head was found in a duction of these ingots to the final quarter of the 4th secondary position where it was deposited after the century. They were produced in the Sirmium workshop destruction of the Late Roman structure. The head and a fragment of neck, made of white Carrara marble, are partially damaged; total height is 24 Burchardt 1949, 282; Cavalcanti 2005, 46. 19.5 cm, while the dimensions of the face are 11.5 x 8 cm 25 Kuzmanovi}-Novovi} 2005, kat. 451, inv. 1894/II. (Fig. 4 a–d). The sculpture represents a mature woman 26 Popovi} 2006, 15–19. with a highly raised chin and back-thrown head. The face 27 Anti~ki portret / Classical Portraits 1987, cat. 83. is symmetrical, without distinctive individual features. 28 LIMC VII, 779, nr. 1–2.

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Fig. 5a–b. Tyche of Sirmium, gold ingots, Crasna Sl. 5a–b. Tihe Sirmijuma, zlatne poluge, Krasna MARBLE SCULPTURES FROM THE IMPERIAL PALACE IN SIRMIUM 161 and they also bear the stamps either of the masters who figure of the goddess, dressed in tunic and cloak, around made them, or the official of the imperial treasury who 80 cm high and with a cornucopia in the left hand. In deposited them in the treasury.29 The representations contrast to the high cylindrical crowns with moulded of the city goddess are, however, highly schematized lines depicting turrets and town gates usually worn by on both stamps, so she can be identified only on the basis the goddesses of Alexandria and Antioch38 on the appli- of the inscription in the segment as is, after all, the case qués from the Esquiline treasure, or the goddess of Con- with representations of the city Tychai (Roma, Thessa- stantinople on the bronze statuette and that wreathe the lonica, , Constantinopolis) on the stamps on heads of city goddesses from the Hellenistic39 and other ingots from the end of the 4th and the beginning Early Roman period40, resembling the calathos on the of the 5th century.30 Similar, very schematized images heads of the Oriental deities, the crown on the marble of city goddesses also appear on other artistic monu- head from Sirmium is of smaller height with scantily de- ments. The city goddesses of Roma, Constantinopolis, picted vertical mouldings, which by alternating convex Alexandria and Treviorum have certain individual cha- and concave vertical surfaces barely sketch the battle- racteristics in the illustrations of the famous Calendar ments on the wall. Similarly depicted mural crowns from the year 354,31 while the figurines of the goddesses can be seen on the heads of other city goddesses from (Roma, Constantinopolis, Alexandria and Antiochia) the 3rd/4th centuries such as the basalt specimen from on the silver appliqués for the wagon from the renow- the museum in Damascus,41 or the image on the sardo- ned treasure from the second half of the 4th century, nyx cameo from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in found at Esquiline, are schematized in their expression, Vienna.42 The simplified look of the mural crown on so the helmet as an attribute of Roma also appears on the head from Sirmium is a consequence of the general the personification of new Rome – Constantinople.32 movement towards schematization in Late Roman art, However, while the iconography of Roma as a goddess as well as the mediocre quality of manufacture by a seated on a throne as an Amazon with a helmet on her local craftsman. Despite the plain expression without head and spear and shield in her hands is established individual features this head is a good example of 4th first of all after many representations on the coins33 and century sculptural work where the required expression was also repeated on the bronze chest from ,34 and the dignity of the city goddess is achieved by the the looks and attributes of other city goddesses chan- gaze aiming to the distance and the position of the ged. The official iconography of Tyche Constantinopo- head, which is thrown back. Unfortunately, the head lis, that in the beginning relied on the appearance of has been found in a secondary position, so it is not pos- Dea Roma, was established in 330 when on one silver sible to establish whether the sculpture of the city god- multiple minted on May 11th of that year the goddess dess of which it was a part decorated some structure was depicted sitting on the throne with a mural crown on her head and cornucopia in her hand.35 Although in the ensuing decades this goddess sometimes appeared on the coins with a flower wreath and thyrsos as well, 29 Baratte 1978, 105–109. and sometimes with a helmet and thyrsos or with mural 30 Baratte 1978, 107–108. crown and thyrsos,36 her common attributes are the 31 Stern 1953, 124, PL. II, III. mural crown, cornucopia and in her hands. In 32 Dalton 1901, Nr. 332–445, PL. XX; Spätantike 1983, Kat. 84; this way the city goddess of Constantinople is repre- Aurea Roma 2000, cat. 114; Constantino 2005, cat. 82. 33 Spätantike 1983, Kat. 86, 89, 92. sented on a bronze statuette housed today in the Metro- 34 37 Buschhausen 1971, 23, Nr. A2, Taf. 1–6. politan Museum in New York. The main elements of 35 Alföldi 1963, 149–150, Abb. 225. this iconography, the idealized hair style of the god- 36 Alföldi 1963, 150. dess seated on the throne, dressed in tunic and cloak 37 Spätantike 1983, Kat. 85. with mural crown on head and cornucopia in the left 38 For the shapes of mural crowns on various representations hand, were repeated in the representations of other city of Tyche of Alexandria and Tyche of , cf. LIMC I, 499–494, goddesses. The attribute in the other hand is diverse nr. 27, 40, 49, 52, 57 and 840–851, nr. 1–13, 18, 21, 28, 93, 98, 99, 100, 104, 105, 106, 110, 117, 120, 122, 123, 125, 128, 129. and variable, so the palm branch, which the personifi- 39 Bieber 1955, Fig. 102 (Tyche of Antioch, work of the sculp- cation of Sirmium, holds in her hand on the stamp on tor Eutychides). the gold ingots is not necessarily her regular attribute. 40 Hofmann, Kerner 2002, 96–97, Abb. 143 (Tyche of Gerasa). As only the head is preserved of the marble sculpture 41 Zouhdi 1976, 107, fig. 41. of Tyche of Sirmium, we can assume that it was a seated 42 Trésors des Empereurs 1994, 106, nr. 174.

STARINAR LVI /2006. 162 IVANA POPOVI] from the time of Constantine or from the time of his successors sometime later. We know that until the end of the 4th century Sirmium maintained its role as an important administrative, commercial and cultural cen- tre, frequented by emperors, and that some of them, like Constantius, even prepared there for war with the bar- barians and after victory celebrated the triumph there. The restoration of the residential building in the 4th century is also confirmed by the archaeological exca- vations at site 85.43 The fragment of an arm, most probably the shoulder and upper arm (C–266/2005), discovered in October 2005 in room 21 in the eastern section of sector A also belongs to the group of sculptures from the same com- plex of the imperial palace in Sirmium (Fig. 6). Judg- Fig. 6. Arm Fragment (Shoulder) ing by its dimensions (preserved length 12.6 cm, width Sl. 6. Deo ruke (rame ?) 7.4 cm, height 6 cm) this fragment made of white mar- ble, originating from the Eastern Mediterranean quarri- es Aphyon or Pentelicon, is part of the arm of a woman sculptural atelier, perhaps in Rome itself, during the of whose appearance is unfortunately unknown. seventies of the 1st century. On the other hand, despite A fragmented hand with a portion of the right arm the fact that the head of Tyche of Sirmium was disco- (Fig. 7) was discovered in September of 2005 in another vered in a secondary position, it is clear, according to the section of the residential complex, to the south of the stylistic and iconographic characteristics, that it dates previous one, in sector D at site 85. Fragment (C–171/ from the 4th century and was manufactured locally. 2005) of white coarse-grained marble, originating from Unfortunately, it is impossible to establish whether the quarry Gummern near Villach in Austria (total length both sculptures date from the same phase of the Late 13 cm, -section 5 x 4 cm, width of hand 6.3 cm), was Roman structure and if so, whether they adorned the found at the absolute altitude of 79.21 meters in a layer very same room. Considering that the Roman horizons of earth with scattered mortar and brick. Two medieval at this site were disturbed by burial pits and structures burials were also discovered in the layer and underneath from later periods, from the Great Migration to Austrian were encountered the remains of Roman architecture, times, it is not possible to define the position of the frescoes and a floor with a geometric mosaic, meaning sculpture to whom the fragment of the arm, probably that the hand was found in a secondary position. The shoulder, belonged, and its relation to the previous hand is clenched into a fist, but as the fingers are not sculptures. These three sculptures were of approxima- close-fitting it is obvious that they originally held a thin tely the same size, around 80 cm, while the sculpture cylindrical object. The thumb and forefinger are almost with the hand holding an attribute and discovered in completely destroyed, while the three remaining fin- the south sector of the site could have been somewhat gers are well preserved. Although the fingers are slen- taller. The analysis of the marble used for these sculp- der and finely modelled it is more probable according tures revealed that the head of Venus or Apollo and to their shape and size that it was a male rather than a shoulder fragment of the statue were made of marble female hand. The hand follows the direction of the fore- originating from quarries in the eastern Mediterranean, arm, but the position of the arm in relation to the body while the head of the Tyche of Sirmium was carved is not clear. It is also impossible to determine what was from Carrara marble. On the basis of this limited sample in the hand. If we assume that it was the attribute of a of the analyzed marble used for the sculptures it is not certain deity it could be a sceptre, trident, arrow, torch possible to draw conclusions on the use of marble from or some other object of similar diameter. distinct quarries for the carving of sculptures intended Of all the fragments of marble sculptures discove- for certain structures at a particular period of time. Of red between the years 2003 and 2005 at site 85 in Sirmium only the head of Venus or Apollo was found in situ, under the floor of the Late Roman structure, although this work of art was produced in some good 43 Jeremi}, Popovi} 2004, 286–287, sl. 6. MARBLE SCULPTURES FROM THE IMPERIAL PALACE IN SIRMIUM 163

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Fig. 7a–d. Hand and Arm Fragment Sl. 7a–d. [aka i deo ruke some interest is the information that the fragment of Apollo from the early Imperial period placed in the arm with the hand holding an attribute was made of Late Roman residential structure confirmed the conti- marble from the quarry in Gummern, whence came nuity and legitimacy of the imperial authority, which most of the material used for making tombstones and had its centre in Sirmium under the protection of the city sarcophagi, a fact explained by the easy and relatively Tyche at certain points during the first half of the 4th cheap transport of the marble blocks along the Drava century. Therefore, both sculptures are testimony to im- River to the cities on the Danube and via tributaries to perial propaganda and its multi-layered aspects, and settlements on the River.44 This speaks in favour indirectly also about the structure within which they of the hypothesis that the sculpture to which this arm were found, thus establishing its official, more pre- belonged was made in the Sirmium workshop or that it cisely, palatial function. arrived here as a semi-finished article from the work- shop within the Gummern quarry that supplied certain larger centres in with its products, mostly of funerary character.45 44 Djuri} 2005, 76. Results of geological-archaeological ana- The preserved heads of two out of three sculptures lysis of the stone material from Sirmium performed as a part of the from the north-western section of the structure make it projects Stone Use in Roman Towns: Resources, Transport, Products and Clients. Sirmium, under the directoship of Prof. Dr Bojan Djuri} possible to conclude that the statues are from depicted from the Faculty of Phylosophy in Ljubljana will be published in deities of different character whose images, however, this volume of Starinar. transmitted a similar message. The figure of Venus or 45 Djuri} 2005, 78–80.

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ABBREVIATIONS:

BMC ...... Coins of the in the British Museum, London LIMC ...... Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, Zürich–München RIC ...... The Roman Imperial Coinage, London

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

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STARINAR LVI /2006. 166 IVANA POPOVI]

Rezime: IVANA POPOVI], Arheolo{ki institut, Beograd

MERMERNE SKULPTURE IZ CARSKE PALATE U SIRMIJUMU

Tokom sistematskih arheolo{kih iskopavawa, realizova- ta~no, da li su ukra{avale istu prostoriju. S obzirom da su nih u periodu od 2003. do 2005. godine na lokalitetu 85 Sir- rimski slojevi na lokalitetu poreme}eni ukopima grobova mijuma, za koji se sa velikom dozom sigurnosti pretposta- i objekata iz kasnijih perioda, od seobe naroda do austrij- vqa da predstavqa deo kompleksa carske palate, otkriveno skog vremena, ne mo`e se definisati polo`aj skulpture ko- je nekoliko fragmenata mermernih skulptura. Najzana~aj- joj je pripadao deo ruke, verovatno ramena, kao ni wen odnos nije su dve skoro u potpunosti o~uvane glave bo`anstava. prema prethodnim. Ove tri skulpture bile su pribli`no Glava mlade osobe od mle~no belog sitnozrnastog mer- iste visine, oko 80 cm, dok je skulptura kojoj je pripadala mera, izrazito fine fakture, poreklom sa Pentelikona, {aka koja dr`i neki atribut, otkrivena u ju`nom sektoru otkrivena je ispod kasnoanti~kog poda u prostoriji 7 re- lokaliteta, mogla biti ne{to vi{a. zidencijalnog objekta. Skulptura izuzetnog kvaliteta iz Na osnovu sa~uvanih glava dve od tri skulpture iz se- druge polovine I veka, predstavqa bo`anstvo, najverovat- verozapadnog dela objekta, bilo je mogu}e zakqu~iti da one nije Veneru ili Apolona. Druga glava od Karara mermera, prikazuju bo`anstva razli~itog karaktera, ~ije predstave, skulptorski rad iz IV veka, na|ena je u sekundarnom polo- me|utim, prenose sli~nu poruku. Figurom Venere ili Apo- `aju, a na osnovu gradske krune na glavi, identifikovana lona iz ranocarskog perioda, postavqenom u kasnoanti~- je kao Tihe Sirmijuma. kom rezidencijalnom objektu, potvr|ivao se kontinuitet i Pored glava bo`anstava, u istom delu kompleksa otkri- legitimitet carske vlasti, kojoj je, u pojedinim momentima ven je i fragment ruke, najverovatnije ramena, neke skulptu- tokom prve polovine IV veka, sedi{te bilo u Sirmijumu, re. U ju`nom sektoru kompleksa na|ena je jedna fragmento- pod okriqem gradske Tihe. Dakle, obe skulpture predstav- vana ruka sa delimi~no o~uvanom {akom, u kojoj se, obuhva- qaju svedo~anstvo o carskoj propagandi i wenim vi{esloj- }en savijenim prstima, nalazio neki atribut. nim aspektima, a, indirektno, i o objektu u kojem su na|ene, Ne mo`e se, na`alost, utvrditi da li skulpture bo`an- potvr|uju}i wegovu oficijalnu, preciznije re~eno, pala- stava pripadaju istoj fazi kasnoanti~kog objekta, a ako je to tijalnu funkciju.