Roman Sarcophagi

Dr. Lorenzo

Dr. Lorenzo

Today’s Topics

Ostia (very briefly)

Roman Marble Sarcophagi

Egyptian Mummies

3rd Extra Credit OpportunityAncient Cypriot Limestone Sculpture and Self-Taught Sculptors in the

Ancient World

The island of Cyprus in antiquity is known for many things, among them an international reputation for concentrated religious activity, and quarries of soft limestone.  These two features come together in the survival of tens of thousands sculptural offerings on the island: diverse in style and form, locally made and locally dedicated.  This lecture will explore the unique experience of worship in ancient Cyprus with a particular focus on these dedications.  I argue that the soft limestone was easily carved, so the sculptors required little training. By examining many works of limestone sculpture, we’ll see the styles, techniques and themes of these artists reflect an environment similar to the self-taught artists working in more contemporary times.. April 9th at 6pm in Jepson 118.

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

The Tomb of Tiberius Claudius Eutychus, Ostia, ca. 110-115

A good example of a standard tomb type that developed on the roads leading out of Ostia and Rome. It has exposed brick work like that used in houses, markets and warehouses. It very often consists of a facade with a doorway leading into a barrel vaulted chamber.

What do the panels on the facade depict? Why are they important? The tomb’s architectural vocabulary is similar to Ostian houses so this tomb was meant to be….? Was Eutychus’s tomb and other similar ones for a single occupant or multiple people? For single use or multiple use?

The Tomb of Tiberius Claudius Eutychus, Ostia, ca. 110-115

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

The exterior is exposed brick work like Eutychus’s tomb but inside it is more elaborate. The layout of the inside is important because it has evidence for the shift in what funerary custom?

Interior of Tomb of the Caetennii, ca. 150-160 small cinerary (ash) urns

Roman Burial CustomsStarting during the reigns of Trajan and Hadrian, but especially under the Antonines Romans began to favor _______________ over the traditional means of disposing of the dead by ______________. What are some of the basic differences between between burial container A and B?

A B

Basic differences: more expensive; required skilled sculptors; heavy to transport; could be import pieces; only relatively well off patrons could afford. For those who could afford sarcophagi, the new type of burial container provided ______________ as well as an opportunity __________________________ ?

Marble Sarcophagi

What are the 3 types of marble sarcophagi?

What are the major differences between them?

Marble Sarcophagi: 3 types1

2

3

Type 1: Roman (or Western) sarcophagi: carved only on front and both short sides; their lids usually have a tall decorated front with masks or faces or another carved decoration on either end; designed to be seen only from the front and short sides; made at Rome

Marble Sarcophagi: Type 1

Type 2: Attic sarcophagi: carved on all sides often with a continuous frieze; their lids usually take the form of a gabled roof; designed to be seen in the round; made in the Attica region of Greece.

Marble Sarcophagi: Type 2

Type 3: Asiatic sarcophagi: are similar in form in all respects to Attic sarcophagi except that the carved figures are not in a continuous frieze but are set in columnar frames, like statues in niches; made in Asia Minor (i.e. modern day Turkey)

Marble Sarcophagi: Type 3

Marble Sarcophagi: 3

types

Type 2: Attic sarcophagi

Type 1: Roman (or Western) sarcophagi

Type 3: Asiatic sarcophagi

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

Sarcophagus with massacre of the Niobids, Rome, ca 134-140

Apollo Artemis MaskMask

Amphion Niobe

An early but standard Western type with a frieze depicting a bloody tale of divine retribution. Niobe since she had 12 children boasted that she was better than Leto, mother of Apollo and Artemis. Why do you think the sarcophagus’s occupant would want to be associated with Niobe?

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

Sarcophagus with myth of Orestes, Rome, ca 140-150

MaskMask

AgamemnonOrestes

Orestes

OrestesApollo’s tripodClytemnestraAegisthus

A Western type with a frieze depicting a bloody tale of retribution and matricide. Orestes kills his mother, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus, because they killed his father Agamemnon. Why do you think the sarcophagus’s occupant would want to be associated with Orestes?

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

Sarcophagus with Meleager and the Calydonian Boar, Eleusis, Greece, ca 200

Meleagergabled lid/roof Atalanta

Calydonian boar

An Attic type with a frieze depicting the hunt for the Calydonian boar. Meleager’s father forgot to sacrifice to Artemis so the goddess sent a massive wild boar to ravage Calydon. Meleager and friends hunt it down. Meleager kills it with his spear. Why do you think the sarcophagus’s occupant would want to be associated with Meleager?

Sarcophagus with Mileage and the Caledonian Boar, Eleusis, Greece, ca 200

Meleager

Atalanta

Calydonian boar

Meleager and friends hunt it down. Atalanta, virgin huntress, wounds the boar first. He kills it with his spear and gives its hide to Atalanta. Why do you think the sarcophagus’s occupant would want to be associated with Meleager?

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

Sarcophagus with kline portrait of a woman, Melfi, ca. 165-70

An Asiatic type. Here the continuous narrative is replaced by? What mythological figure does sarcophagus’s occupant want to be associated with, and why?

Cupid with downturned torch

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

Mask/face

Nike holding a trophy with 2nd cent. AD armor

Amazon with shield

GreekAmazon

Amazon with battle axe

Nike w/garland

Sarcophagus with battle between Greeks and Amazons, Rome, ca. 150

A Western type. What are the possible motivations for the representation of a mythological battle on a sarcophagus?

Mask/face

The Danube River

Bridge of boats

Sarcophagus with battle between Greeks and

Amazons, Rome, ca. 150

Where have we seen the distinctive shield of the Amazons before?

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

Sarcophagus with battle between Greeks and Gauls, Rome, ca. 160-170

Greek

Gaul

A Western type. The frieze depicts a legendary historical battle. The Greeks are armored. The Gauls naked except for torques. This frieze is very similar to and incorporates some of the same motifs found on what arch? What does this mean?

GaulGaul

Mask/face Mask/face

Sarcophagus with battle between Greeks and Gauls, Rome, ca. 160-170

trophy

The sculptor of the sarcophagus probably did not travel to view the Arch of Tiberius at Orange. Rather he probably had access to the same kinds of pattern books as the sculptors in Gaul had. The original composition may have been a painting or relief in Pergamum itself.

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

Sarcophagus with scenes from the life of a Roman general, Mantua, ca. 170

This sarcophagus has its long side divided into three scenes. What are the scenes? How can you tell?

Sarcophagus with scenes from the life of a Roman general,

Rome, ca. 170

Here the deceased is getting married. How can you tell?

Hymenaeus

Concordia Peitho

Is the sarcophagus as a whole meant to be biographical or pseudo-biographical?

Sarcophagus with scened from the life of a Roman general, Rome, ca. 170

Here the deceased is performing what act?. How can you tell?

This sarcophagus and the many others with the exact same scenes are generic types meant to celebrate the essential characteristics of a Roman man, which are?

Sarcophagus with scened from the life of a Roman general, Rome, ca. 170

Here the deceased is performing what act?. How can you tell?

Characteristics:success in warfare,clemency toward defeated foes,piety to the gods, and marital fidelity Victoria

Virtus

These sarcophagi are not meant to be taken literally due to pattern-book compositions and the existence of sarcophagi in which the the portrait features of the deceased were never added.

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the

date? Why is it significant?

Egypt with its deep history of many thousands of years old and indigenous practice of burials of mummies in mummy cases never saw a shift to burial in marble Western, Attic or Asiatic sarcophagi.

Mummy of Artemidorus, Hawara, Egypt, ca. 100-120

Mummy of Artemidorus, Hawara, Egypt, ca. 100-120

The body of the case is made with stucco decorated with gold leaf. The face is a painted portrait done in encaustic on wood in place of the traditional stylized masks of the deceased. What is encaustic? When was the portrait painted?

Maat Maat

IsisNephytis

Anubis

ThothRa

OsirisRa in falcon form

What is it? What is it made out of?

Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it

significant?

His hairstyle is distinctive with 3 curly locks falling down on his forehead. This signifies what?

Mummy portrait of priest of Serapis, Hawara, Egypt, ca.

140-160

The painter rendered the drapery in a much more summary fashion that the face. Where have we seen this before?

These portraits carry on the tradition of portrait painting seen on the walls of Pompeii and help modern viewers to visualize the original appearance of Roman portraits in stone.

See you on Thursday for Severan art…

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

Funerary relief of vegetable vendor, ca. 150-200

A small painted terracotta plaque immortalizing the life of a vegetable vendor. What style is it done in? What is interesting about how the scene is depicted?

What is it? What is it made out of? Where is it? What’s the date? Why is it significant?

Funerary relief of the midwife, ca. 150A small painted terracotta plaque immortalizing the life of a midwife. What style is it done in? Why do we think the midwife looks out and not at what her hand is doing?