ROME

Gladiator Figurine Roman, 1st c. B.C.E.– 1st c. C.E. Terracotta (76.33)

This figurine represents a Roman gladiator, standing firm with his armored left leg forward and his left arm weilding a shield. His right arm is held forward, ready to strike with a now-missing sword. The figurine was mould-made in pieces, and after firing was coated in white slip. During this period, such figurines were mass produced for use as grave goods, offerings to deities, or for secular purposes. It is possible that this figurine was dedicated by a gladiator or fan to ensure victory, or as a thank offering after a win. The figurine could also have been sold as a souvenir or a toy. This figurine was likely produced in Roman Gaul (modern France), since similar figurines from terracotta workshops have come to light from the region. Gladiatorial games were especially popular in Gaul and Italy.

In the Roman world, gladiators fought in amphitheaters all over the empire; the sport was wildly popular in the Imperial period and gladiators often became celebrities with large followings of fans, despite their status as slaves and criminals. Select gladiators could become wealthy enough to buy their freedom, becoming public heroes in the process. The sport was highly organized, with different types of gladiators that used specific arms and armour. This figurine can be identified as a secutor (“follower” in Latin): a gladiator that fought with a short sword, arm guard, greave, and rectangular convex shield. The secutor’s costume, equipment, and combat techniques were based on the Samnite soldiers in Italy. It is odd that the Missouri figurine is missing the characteristic large, crested helmet with visor worn by this type of gladiator. A secutor would often be paired in combat with a retiarius, a light-armed gladiator that fought with net and trident.

Gladiatorial combat remained popular until the 5th century C.E., when it was finally banned by the emperor Flavius Honorius.

MAA 9/2005

ROME

Head of an Empress Allegedly from Tunisia Roman, 3rd century Marble (2004.1) Weinberg and Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Funds

This life-size portrait probably represents a Roman empress of the third century. She wears a tall diadem, which indicates her imperial status. The hair is dressed with a central part, swept back from the face in a simple wave, and continues to the back of the head where it is wound into a large, elaborate bun. The purpose of the two circular depressions on either side of the part is unknown. Perhaps they were intended to hold a hair ornament or to secure a “pointing” device, a copyist’s tool. Though the deeply drilled eyes and polished surface of the cheeks indicate the face was finished completely, the hair was not. The striations end above the ears, and the bun is only roughed out. Based on other portraits, both in stone and on coins, the hairstyle and appearance of this woman match best with empresses of the mid-third century. A head in the Terme Museum in Rome, identified as Herennia Cupressenia Etruscilla, wife of the emperor Trajan Decius (reigned 249-251), bears a very close resemblance to the Missouri head. Other possibilities are Furia Sabinia Tranquillina, wife of Gordian III (238-244), and Marcia Otacilia Severa, wife of Philip the Arab (244-249).

MAA 9/2005

ROME

Sarcophagus Fragment with Standing Figure against an Architectural Background Roman, 2nd or 3rd c. C.E. Asia Minor (Turkey) Dokimeion marble (2004.88) Weinberg Fund

In the Roman world, inhumation burial became increasingly popular in the 2nd and 3rd centuries C.E., replacing the earlier rite of cremation. Wealthy Roman elites throughout the empire commissioned lavishly carved marble sarcophagi, which could be freestanding, placed within family tombs, or in catacombs. This fragment comes from a type of sarcophagus of the Asiatic type, the largest and most decorative in the Mediterranean world.

There were three main centers of sarcophagus manufacture: Attica in Greece, and Proconnesus and Dokimeion in Western Asia Minor. One advantage of sarcophagi was the large space for figural decoration; they were prefabricated with appropriate funerary themes, with the details carved after commission. Although many sarcophagi were crafted at workshops close to marble quarries, a great number were ordered by the elite of Rome (over 6,000 sarcophagi have been found in Rome).

The illustration below depicts a typical Asiastic sarcophagus, now in the Byzantine Museum in Athens. Figures carved in deep relief pose in front of an architectural backdrop consisting of elaborately carved colonnades. Spirally fluted columns and an abundance of carved mouldings were typical of the architecture of Roman Asia Minor. This layout was probably inspired by ancient stage design, and might have symbolized a metaphorical “stage of life.” Sarcophagi often depicted mythological or allegorical scenes, and later Christian themes, that praised the deceased, or alluded to cultural views on the afterlife. Today, it is difficult to interpret the exact meanings of this iconography. The identity of the preserved youth on the displayed fragment is unknown, but his garment is tied with the Knot of Hercules, which was associated with the bridal outfit. Marriage themes were common on the tombs of young women, and this is perhaps an allegorical figure associated with marriage.

MAA 9/2005 ROME

MAA 9/2005