Transcript Research Poster 36 x 48 - C - Iowa Research Online

When in Rome, Reuse as the Romans Do:
Moving Statues Around the Ancient Roman Empire
Lindsay Morecraft, University of Iowa
An ICRU project under the supervision of Dr. Brenda Longfellow.
Abstract
Arsinoe II and Ptolemy II
Geographical Origin
Suicidal Gaul and “Wife”
Throughout ancient Roman history,
there has been literary documentation of
statue reuse by prominent Romans,
including emperors. Statues were not
necessarily reused within their cities of
origin, but were sometimes moved to other
countries to serve a new purpose. The
appeal of this action, especially for
emperors, may have been to visually
represent Roman dominance over another
culture. This reason could also be in
combination with legitimizing their
connection with an earlier time period and
person.
Two statue groups moved across the
empire and associated with emperors are
the statue of the Suicidal Gaul and “Wife”
and the statue groupings of Arsinoe II and
Ptolemy II. The former may have come
from Pergamon, Turkey and the later from
Heliopolis, Egypt. Both were found in the
imperial gardens of Sallust in Rome.
These are just two of the many examples
of how individual Romans used statues to
visually show their superiority over others.
Statues were not only moved to
represent dominance or show a past
connection. For instance, the Head of a
Horse, which possibly came from Greece,
was directly altered to fulfill a new function
as a fountain. Another example is the
statue of Caligula transformed into
Augustus. Caligula was considered a
“bad” emperor who suffered damnatio
memoriae, or condemnation of memory,
after death. This action manipulated and
possibly erased the memory of his
legitimacy and merits. By examining these
moved and altered statues in conjunction
with their origins and find spots, the appeal
and purpose of this action can be better
understood.
Geographical Origin:
Heliopolis, Egypt, 285-246 BC
Geographical Origin: Pergamon, Turkey
Find spot: Gardens of the Verospi,
Rome. Moved by Caligula in AD 37.
Find spot: Gardens of Sallust, Rome 17th century. Moved by Caesar after the
Gallic Wars.
Find Spot
Caligula transformed into Augustus
Head of a Horse
Aenona,
Croatia
Rome, Italy
Contact
Lindsay Morecraft
University of Iowa
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (605) 202-1225
Poster Design & Printing by Genigraphics® - 800.790.4001
Geographical Origin: Aenona, Croatia
Find spot: Roman Forum, Aenona, Croatia – 1777.
The face was reconstructed under Augustus.
Geographical Origin: Greece (possibly Roman)
- 5th century BC
Find spot: Gardens of Sallust, Rome.