Suburani

40. IMPERIUM

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IMAGE GALLERY

A photo of a stone arch with pillars carved into the side and figures. The underside of the arch is carved with a hexagonal pattern. Behind the arch is another stone monument with a circular top.

This triumphal arch is from Glanum, in southern France. It was built near the end of Augustus’ rule and is decorated with scenes of conquest. Behind it stands a well-preserved Roman mausoleum.

A heart-shaped ornament made of gold On which is stamped the form of an eagle with its head turned to one side and its wings open.

This decorative ornament is just over 3 inches in height. The eagle was the symbol of imperial power. Each legion had a large, gold eagle, aquila, which they carried into battle.

A metal figurine of a woman wearing a loose, flowing dress. The woman has wings and one leg is extended as if she is reaching down to land on the ground. She is carrying a long horn which reaches above her head.

This bronze statuette shows the goddess Victoria (Victory), lightly touching down on earth. In this depiction, her arrival is not just the moment of military conquest; she brings with her the cornucopia, a horn overflowing with fruits and grains, a symbol of abundance and a portent of the peace and prosperity to come.

A tall stone column carved with intricately detailed scenes of figures in a frieze that winds round and round.

Trajan’s column is a monument in Rome, built to commemorate Trajan’s defeat of the Dacians. The continuous image, which winds around the column, depicts scenes from the military campaign.

A stone wall on which is inscribed rows of text. It is chipped and damaged. A geometric pattern is just visible along the bottom.

Augustus’ ‘Res Gestae’ was copied and inscribed on monuments and temples in various locations in the Empire. An almost complete version of the text survives at Ankara, the capital of Türkiye, of which a section can be seen here. The text is written in the original Latin and also translated into Greek (shown here).

A head and neck of a young man carved in marble. He has a calm face and a straight nose. The top of the head is completely flat.

This portrait of Augustus is one of many idealized depictions of him that survive today. He is portrayed as youthful and his looks bear little resemblance to his physical features as described in written sources. The top of the head is flat so that it could be joined to another part of the statue, possibly a section of toga that would be pulled over part of his head to show him in the act of performing a religious ritual.

A photo of a city from above. In the center a wide river winds through and on the right bank a circular monument is visible.

This aerial view of Rome shows the circular Mausoleum of Augustus next to the Tiber River. The white building to its left is the Museum of the Ara Pacis.

A rectangular piece of baked clay on with figures carved in relief. On it two prisoners in chains sit on a horse drawn cart, led by three other men. Along the top is a simple decorative border and a wavy edge.

This terracotta relief shows two chained captives being paraded on a cart as part of a triumphal procession. They may be prisoners taken when the Dacians were defeated by Trajan in ad 107.

A figure carved in stone. He has long hair and a beard and wears a tunic. He is kneeling and has his head turned up towards the left.

This man, probably a prisoner of war, is depicted kneeling, with his hands behind his back. The marble statue was originally part of a much larger work. It is from the palace of Trajan in Alexandria, Egypt.

This coin was minted by Eunus in Enna. On one side is the head of the goddess Demeter (Roman Ceres). On the obverse is an ear of grain and the words ‘King Antiochus’ abbreviated in Greek.

A stone scultpure carved in relief. On it a man who is nude apart from a helmet and cloak stands above a woman who is lying on the floor. With one hand he holds her by her hair, the other hand is raised. The woman is wearing a dress which bears one breast.

This relief is from the Sebasteion at Aphrodisias (in modern Türkiye), a temple complex dedicated to Aphrodite and to the Roman emperors. It shows Emperor Claudius overpowering a woman, a personification of Britannia.

A single page of an old manuscript. The edges are worn and colored but the handwritten text is still visible.

The first six books of Tacitus’ ‘Annales’ survived in just a single manuscript, which was written in Germany around the year 1000. Soon after its creation it was transferred to a monastery in Saxony where it was stored, but apparently not copied, for just over 500 years. Pope Leo X then arranged for the text to be published in 1515.

A long painting which depicts a line of people. Above the figures are names. On the right a female figure sits on a stone throne holding a book. On one side of her is a shield and on the other a sword. The details and the background are highlighted in gold.

This is a detail of a frieze that decorates the Great Hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. It was painted in 1897 by William Hole and presents, in chronological order, key figures from Scottish history. On the right of this section sits Caledonia, the personification of Scotland.

A photo of a fortified wall with towers at regular intervals spaced out up a mound. The landscape is barren and the colors have pink and orange shades.

The site of Halabiye, on the Euphrates River, had been occupied for hundreds of years before the arrival of the Romans, who set up a small town there which they called Birtha. In the third century ad it was taken over by Palmyra, fortified, and named Zenobia after the Palmyrene queen. When Palmyra declared independence from Rome, the site was recaptured by the Romans. In the following centuries the city was rebuilt and refortified.

A white stone statue of a woman against a black background. The woman has a long dress, gathered under the breast, and wears a crown. Her hands are tied together with a chain which hangs between them.

‘Zenobia in Chains’ was carved by the American artist Harriet Hosmer in around 1859. Hosmer held strong feminist beliefs and wanted to portray the dignity and power of Queen Zenobia. Although she is depicted as a prisoner, she stands calm and strong.

A coin with the head of a Numidian king, either Masinissa or Micipsa. On the obverse is a horse and a palm. The Numidians were famed for their horses and at times provided light cavalry units to the Roman army.

A photo of the ruins of an ancient city on top of a hill. In the center is a temple with pillars and a triangular pediment. Around are low shrubs and sandy earth.

The site of Dougga, a town in ancient Numidia, now in Tunisia.

A photo of a shoreline from above. Reaching out into the sea is a harbor. On the shore is a sandy beach, a grassy area and low buildings.

An aerial view of what remains of the harbor at Caesarea Maritima.

A metal figurine of a man with a large headress. His body is stylized into a long tube which covers his legs and is decorated with patterns and symbols. He holds his right hand in the air, bent at the elbow.

This is a bronze statuette of Zeus Labraundos, a local version of Zeus from Mylasa in Caria (part of modern Türkiye). The tall headdress with lotus motifs reflects Egyptian influence, while the eagle on its front is commonly associated with the Greek god Zeus (Roman Jupiter). This statuette was made in the first century ad.

Two sheets of metal inscribed with small text. The central division is ragged and the top edge of the panels are missing.

Bronze tablet found in Lugdunum (the modern city of Lyon, in France). The nobles who sent the petition to the Senate had probably met at the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls there. Only the bottom half of the original remains. The surviving part is about 6 feet wide and 41⁄2 feet tall.

A painting of a man with dark skin and black hair and a beard. He is sitting down and wears a purple tunic and a cloak. The background is a pinky-red.

This portrait of Emperor Septimius Severus was painted in 2021 by Elena Onwochei-Garcia. It was commissioned by English Heritage as part of a series exploring African figures in England’s history.

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