The Roman captive : an iconographical and cultural study
Date
1996
Authors
ForgeĢt, Ann-Marie Sharon
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Abstract
The object of this thesis is to collect and analyze representations of barbarian captives used as decorations on Roman monuments from the mid second century B.C. to the mid fourth century A.D., in order to assess their significance in Roman society and mentality. This investigation of archaeological evidence is set within the historical and socio-cultural context of modern scholarly analysis of Roman slavery and classical concepts of the "other." The evidence itself is presented in the form of a catalogue, appended to the thesis.
Commencing with a description of six types of capture and submission scenes found within the material at large, Chapter One outlines the chronological and geographical limits of the study. A survey of the main lines of academic inquiry into ancient slavery follows in order to serve as a foundation on which the archaeological evidence may be placed. Similarly, a brief discussion of previous work in the field of the cultural representation of the outsider is undertaken. This chapter concludes with a number of questions to be answered in the body of the thesis.
Chapter Two contains an investigation of the origins of the image of defeated and humiliated enemies in Roman art, and surveys other ancient Mediterranean cultures which may have influenced Roman patrons and artists. Following this is a detailed discussion of the material evidence upon which the Catalogue is comprised. Each medium on which the captive barbarian images appear is examined separately so that their widespread use may be established throughout time and space. Finally, a discussion of the significance of the images to Romans of different historical periods completes this chapter.
The relationship between ancient slavery and representations of submission is the topic of Chapter Three. The purpose of this chapter is to determine if any contribution to the field of slavery may be made through the study of images which have never before been looked at from an historical perspective. The image as a symbol of power, and of the ethnic and gender identities of the captives is examined.
Finally, Chapter Four, deals with the images within the context of Roman identity formation and the cultural representations of the "other." It raises the issue of how Romans saw themselves and how their perception of others was shaped by this view. The characteristics that form Roman identity are discussed first in order to establish a foundation upon which the "other" may be based, such as the importance placed on warfare and ideals such as virtus. Then the Roman concept of the "other" is discussed which includes an examination of the issue of pity felt for outsiders in reality and in art.
The main findings of the thesis are as follows. The image of the defeated and humiliated barbarian was important to Roman identity and mentality because it showed Romans who they were and who they were not, IV by continually reinforcing the importance of militarism and conquest in their social ideology. The image of the barbarian was used as a mirror by which the Romans could be sure of their empire-building identity. Moreover the image of a humiliated and defeated barbarian served particularly in times of internal crisis or weakness to reassure Romans of their strength and invincibility.