The Social Dynamics of Roman Imperial Imagery

310 Pages·2020·11.231 MB·English

by  Amy Russell (editor), Monica Hellström (editor)

The Social Dynamics of Roman Imperial Imagery
ImagesrelatingtoimperialpowerwereproducedallovertheRomanEmpireat
everysociallevel,andevenimagescreatedatthecentrewereconstantlyremade
astheywerereproduced,reappropriated,andreinterpretedacrosstheempire.
This book employs the language of social dynamics, drawn from economics,
sociology,andpsychology,toinvestigatehowimperialimagerywasembedded
in local contexts. Patrons and artists often made use of the universal visual
language of empire tonavigate their ownlocal hierarchies and relationships,
ratherthanaspartofdirectcommunicationwiththecentralauthorities,and
these local interactions were vital in reinforcing this language. The material
examined ranges from large-scale monuments adorned with sculpture and
epigraphytoquotidianoillampsandleadtokensandcoverstheentireempire
fromHispaniatoEgypt,andfromAugustustothethirdcenturyce.
amy russell is an Assistant Professor of Classics at Brown University. Her
research interestsincludethe political historyand topographyofthe Republic
andearlyempire.Herfirstbook,ThePoliticsofPublicSpaceinRepublicanRome
(CambridgeUniversityPress,2015),winnerofthe2017C.J.GoodwinAwardof
Merit,investigatestheconceptofpublicspaceandtheconstructionandoper-
ationofthepublic/privatedivideintheRepublicancityofRome.Otherresearch
projectstacklethebuildingactivityoftheimperialSenateandthecontributions
of multiple groups to the creation of imperial imagery and ideology. She also
worksonRepublicanpoliticalhistory,withongoinginterestsinthetribunateof
theplebsandtheroleofthepopulusandtheinteractionsbetweenscholarship
writteninGermanandtheAnglophoneworld.In2018shewasawardedaPhilip
LeverhulmePrize.
monicahellstro¨misaLeverhulmeEarlyCareerFellowintheDepartment
ofClassicsand AncientHistoryatDurhamUniversity.She worksonsociety
and culture in the high and late Roman imperial periods, with a particular
interest in visual culture. She has held the Fondazione Famiglia Rausing
fellowship at the Swedish Institute in Rome. Her publications range from
studiesonhistoriographytochurcharchitecture,withcurrentresearchtopics
including the communications and monumental output of the imperial gov-
ernment, inscriptions in North Africa, and the arts, social dynamics, and
architectureofthecityofRome.

The Social Dynamics of Roman
Imperial Imagery
Editedby
amy russell
BrownUniversity,RhodeIsland
monica hellstrom
¨
DurhamUniversity
UniversityPrintingHouse,CambridgeCB28BS,UnitedKingdom
OneLibertyPlaza,20thFloor,NewYork,NY10006,USA
477WilliamstownRoad,PortMelbourne,VIC3207,Australia
314–321,3rdFloor,Plot3,SplendorForum,JasolaDistrictCentre,
NewDelhi–110025,India
79AnsonRoad,#06–04/06,Singapore079906
CambridgeUniversityPressispartoftheUniversityofCambridge.
ItfurtherstheUniversity’smissionbydisseminatingknowledgeinthepursuitof
education,learning,andresearchatthehighestinternationallevelsofexcellence.
www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781108835121
DOI:10.1017/9781108891714
©CambridgeUniversityPress2020
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2020
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
ISBN978-1-108-83512-1Hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyof
URLsforexternalorthird-partyinternetwebsitesreferredtointhispublication
anddoesnotguaranteethatanycontentonsuchwebsitesis,orwillremain,
accurateorappropriate.
Contents
ListofFigures [pagevii]
ListofContributors [xiii]
Acknowledgements [xiv]
ListofAbbreviations [xv]
1 Introduction:ImperialImageryandtheRoleofSocial
Dynamics [1]
monica hellstro¨m and amy russell
2 TheAltarsoftheLaresAugusti:AViewfromtheStreets
ofAugustanIconography [25]
amy russell
3 ModellingtheEmperor:RepresentationsofPower,Empire,
andDynastyamongEasternClientKings [52]
julia wilker
4 Publicanumina:ConspicuouslyConsumingtheImperial
ImageatTomis [76]
nandini b. pandey
5 RomanEmperors,Conquest,andViolence:Imagesfromthe
EasternProvinces [100]
caillan davenport
6 CourtPoliticsandImperialImageryintheRoman
Principate [128]
benjamin kelly
7 LocalAspirationsandStatuesofEmperorsinRomanNorth
Africa [159]
monica hellstro¨m
8 TheAltarofP.PereliusHedulusinCarthageandtheSocial
AspectsofProvincialImage-Making [180]
megan goldman-petri
v
vi Contents
9 Imaginesettituli:EpigraphicEvidenceofImperialImagery
inMeetingPlacesofRomanProfessionalcorpora [215]
nicolas tran
10 TheImperialImageinMediaofMechanicalReproduction:
TheTokensofRome [247]
clare rowan
11 WhenWasanImperialImage?SomeReflectionsonRoman
ArtandImagery [275]
olivier hekster
Index [289]
Figures
1.1 FragmentofaheadofGetashowingsignsofdeliberate
damage,c.198–204ce.Rome,MuseiCapitolini2519.Image:
FittCap70-97-03(H.FittschenBadura),arachne.dainst.org/
entity/3444056. [page5]
1.2 TitusCaesaroffersgiftstothegodKhnum.Detailofareliefin
thetempleatDeirel-Haggar,Dahkleh,Egypt,firstcentury
ce.Photograph:M.Hellström. [7]
1.3 AtypicalcolossalheadofHadrianfromEgypt,secondcentury
ce.Alexandria,MuséeGréco-Romain20885.Image:FA-
Oe292(H.Oehler),arachne.dainst.org/entity/1060558. [8]
2.1 AltaroftheVicusAesculeti,Rome,2ce.MuseiCapitolini
855.Photographs:D-DAI-ROM-2001.2178(K.Anger);
D-DAI-ROM-6274A(C.Faraglia);D-DAI-ROM-2001.2175
(K.Anger),arachne.dainst.org/entity/1076071. [30]
2.2 AltaroftheLaresAugustionceheldintheChigicollectionat
Soriano.Rome(?),c.7bce.MuseiCapitolini3352.
Photograph:D-DAI-ROM-2001.2174(K.Anger),arachne
.dainst.org/entity/1125145. [35]
2.3 Laresaltarwithdepictionofwomensacrificing,Rome,c.7
bce. MuseoNazionaleRomanoalleTerme,MNR49481.
Photographs:H.Flower.SuconcessionedelMinisteroper
ibenieleattivitàculturalieperilturismo–MuseoNazionale
Romano. [37]
2.4 (left)AureusofC.AntistiusVetus,Rome,16bce.RICI2
Augustus369.Photograph©TheTrusteesoftheBritish
Museum.(right)DenariusofL.PomponiusMolo,Rome,97
bce.RRC334/1.Photograph:www.cngcoins.com. [39]
2.5 AltaroftheVicusSandaliarius,Rome,2bce.Florence,Uffizi
972.Photographs:D-DAI-ROM-2007.0678(H.Behrens);
D-DAI-ROM-75.291(C.Rossa);D-DAI-ROM-2007.0682(H.
Behrens),arachne.dainst.org/entity/1066186.Suconcessione
vii
viii ListofFigures
delMinisteroperibenieleattivitàculturalieperil
turismo. [40]
2.6 AltaroftheSaledelleMuse,Rome,7bce.Vatican,MuseoPio
Clementino311.Photographs:D-DAI-ROM-34.73;
D-DAI-ROM-34.74;D-DAI-ROM-34.75(C.Faraglia),
arachne.dainst.org/entity/1086098.Perconcessionedei
MuseiVaticani. [42]
2.7 ‘AltarofManlius’,Rome,c.7bce.Vatican,Museo
GregorianoProfano9964.Photographs:D-DAI-ROM-7509;
D-DAI-ROM-7525;D-DAI-ROM-81.2875(H.Schwanke),
arachne.dainst.org/entity/1215881.Perconcessionedei
MuseiVaticani. [43]
2.8 (left)AureusofQ.RustiusFortunatus,Rome,19bce.RICI2
Augustus321.Photograph©TheTrusteesoftheBritish
Museum.(right)BelvedereAltar,Rome,between12bce and
2ce.Vatican,MuseoGregorianoProfano1115.Photograph:
FA2322-04,arachne.dainst.org/entity/1081150.Per
concessionedeiMuseiVaticani. [46]
2.9 Drawingofadiscusfromamould-madelampshowingVictory
withshieldflankedbytwoLares,Italy,1–50ce.British
Museum1756,0101.618.a.Image:H.B.Waters,Catalogueof
theGreekandRomanLampsintheBritishMuseum(London:
TrusteesoftheBritishMuseum):206,no.1372. [47]
3.1 SilvercoinofJubaII.BritishMuseum1844,0425.2332
(Alexandropoulos,2000:185).Obverse:Diademedheadof
Juba,right;borderofdots.Inscription:rex ivba.Reverse:
Capricorn,right;betweenlegs,aglobe;toleft,acornucopia;
below,arudder;borderofdots.Inscription:rxxxxv.
Photographs©TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum. [55]
3.2 SilvercoinofJubaII.BritishMuseum1938,0510.187
(Alexandropoulos,2000:83).Obverse:Diademedheadof
JubaII,right;solidborder.Inscription:rex ivba.Reverse:
Altardecoratedwithgarlandsandflankedbytwolaurels;
beneath,astar;solidborder.Inscription:lvcvs avgvsti.
Photographs©TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum. [62]
3.3 BronzecoinofRhoemetalcesI.RPCI.1711.Obverse:
DiademedheadofRhoemetalcesI,headofPythodoris,right;
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣΡΟΙΜΗΤΑΛΚΟΥ.Reverse:BareheadofAugustus,
right;ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΥ.Artwork:M.Hellström. [65]