Ethne - I: ΕΘΝΟΥΣ ΠΙΡΟΥΣΤΟΙ
Series of provinces and peoples were a distinctively Roman way of representing their empire visually, and reflect a distinctively Roman and imperial mode of thought. Such images are most familiar to us in sculpture from the reliefs that decorated the temple of Hadrian in Rome, and on coins from the 'province' series of Hadrian and Antoninus Pius. Recently, the discovery of such a series in relief at Aphrodisias, there called “ethne” (peoples), allows us for the first time to see what an early imperial group of this kind looked like. The ethne are each personified as single, standing, draped women, each well differentiated by drapery and pose, and some by attributes no doubt intended to characterize that ethnos. The ethne are stylistically homogeneous and among the best of the Sebasteion reliefs in quality, both as regards their finish and the assuredness of their form and design. The ethnos reliefs were carved from single blocks of marble, H: c. I72, W: I40, D: c. 42 cm.
Ethonos of the Piroustae Piroustae.
Relief. The personified ethnos stands frontally, weight on her right leg, head looking evenly three-quarters to her left, that is, in the same direction as the mask on the base. She wears a helmet, cloak and belted dress, and carries a small shield on her left arm. The shield band is shown below, on the underside of the forearm. The right hand was held away from her right side, carrying a spear or similar attribute. The shield is given its full three-dimensional value and is cut off at the background. Both helmet and shield are 'ideal' types, that is, they are recognizable versions of old classical Greek armor no longer worn in reality. The round shield is of diminished hoplite type. The helmet is of basic 'Corinthian' form, but worn, as usually by ideal figures in the Roman period, as if permanently pushed back from the face. The short element in relief above the front peak is a vestigial nose-piece of Corinthian type, while the crest is borrowed from the 'Attic' type.
Base. A bearded mask below supports the garland swags, looking towards the viewer's right in partial three-quarter view. It is of indeterminate ideal/divine iconography
Source: Smith R.R., Simulacra Gentium: The Ethne from the Sebasteion at Aphrodisias
Roman bas-relief
Claudius – early Nero age: approx. 41 - 60 AD
Aphrodisias, Archaeological Museum
Aphrodisias, Caria, Turkey
Ethne - I: ΕΘΝΟΥΣ ΠΙΡΟΥΣΤΟΙ
Series of provinces and peoples were a distinctively Roman way of representing their empire visually, and reflect a distinctively Roman and imperial mode of thought. Such images are most familiar to us in sculpture from the reliefs that decorated the temple of Hadrian in Rome, and on coins from the 'province' series of Hadrian and Antoninus Pius. Recently, the discovery of such a series in relief at Aphrodisias, there called “ethne” (peoples), allows us for the first time to see what an early imperial group of this kind looked like. The ethne are each personified as single, standing, draped women, each well differentiated by drapery and pose, and some by attributes no doubt intended to characterize that ethnos. The ethne are stylistically homogeneous and among the best of the Sebasteion reliefs in quality, both as regards their finish and the assuredness of their form and design. The ethnos reliefs were carved from single blocks of marble, H: c. I72, W: I40, D: c. 42 cm.
Ethonos of the Piroustae Piroustae.
Relief. The personified ethnos stands frontally, weight on her right leg, head looking evenly three-quarters to her left, that is, in the same direction as the mask on the base. She wears a helmet, cloak and belted dress, and carries a small shield on her left arm. The shield band is shown below, on the underside of the forearm. The right hand was held away from her right side, carrying a spear or similar attribute. The shield is given its full three-dimensional value and is cut off at the background. Both helmet and shield are 'ideal' types, that is, they are recognizable versions of old classical Greek armor no longer worn in reality. The round shield is of diminished hoplite type. The helmet is of basic 'Corinthian' form, but worn, as usually by ideal figures in the Roman period, as if permanently pushed back from the face. The short element in relief above the front peak is a vestigial nose-piece of Corinthian type, while the crest is borrowed from the 'Attic' type.
Base. A bearded mask below supports the garland swags, looking towards the viewer's right in partial three-quarter view. It is of indeterminate ideal/divine iconography
Source: Smith R.R., Simulacra Gentium: The Ethne from the Sebasteion at Aphrodisias
Roman bas-relief
Claudius – early Nero age: approx. 41 - 60 AD
Aphrodisias, Archaeological Museum
Aphrodisias, Caria, Turkey