Arch of Constantine reassessed

[guy]

 

 

Spolia is the repurposed decorative sculpture used for new buildings. Much of the sculptural relief of the Arch of Constantine consists of reliefs and statues from previous monuments to Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius.

 

University of Pennsylvania archaeologist C. Brian Rose now suggests some of the spolia was also from an earlier unfinished monument to Diocletian:

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Rose suggests that at least four of the panels on the arch—the river battle, adventus, oratio, and liberalitas—were, in fact, taken from an unfinished triumphal monument, likely an arch, commissioned for the vicennalia, or 20 years of rule, of Diocletian (r. A.D. 284–305) in A.D. 303. During construction of the new arch, Rose argues, Diocletian’s heads were removed and replaced with heads of Constantine, which, not incidentally, have now fallen off these four panels. And as to the missing legs and feet? Rose believes they were cut off in the process of removing the panels from the existing monument before being reinstalled on the new arch. “I think that when they cut them off, they did it relatively rapidly,” he says. “They knew that it didn’t really matter if they had feet because it would be so high up no one would see this from the ground anyway.”

 

Here’s an excellent video on the Arch of Constantine:

Arch of Constantine (video) | Late empire | Khan Academy

 

The inscription at the top of the arch honors the emperor’s victory over Maxentius. It is surrounded by sculptures of Dacian soldiers made for a monument commemorating victories of the emperor Trajan (r. A.D. 98–117).

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IMP(eratori) CAES(ari) FL(avio) CONSTANTINO MAXIMO | P(io) F(elicit) AUGUSTO S(enatus) P(opulus) Q(ue) R(omanus) | QUOD INSTINCTU DIVINITATIS MENTIS | MAGNITUDINE CUM EXERCITU SUO | TAM DE TYRANNO QUAM DE OMNI EIUS | FACTIONE UNO TEMPORE IUSTIS | REM PUBLICAM ULTUS EST ARMIS | ARCUM TRIUMPHIS INSIGNEM DICAVIT

For the Emperor Caesar Flavius Constantine the Greatest, pious blessed Augustus, because by inspiration of divinity, in greatness of his mind, from a tyrant on one side and from every faction of all on the other side at once, with his army he avenged the republic with just arms, the Senate and Roman People (SPQR) dedicated this arch as a sign for his triumphs.

 

A Monumental Imperial Biography - Archaeology Magazine

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by guy

[guy]

“Serves Diocletian right, the quitter! I was just thinking of the vast basement of his retirement villa in Split where you almost expect to see the curvature of the earth hiding the far massive walls. That basement has paid admission, yet is fairly empty and ready for newfound exhibits.“

 

Despite spending most his time outside of Rome (and retiring in Split, Croatia), Diocletian had a great archaeological footprint in Rome. The Baths of Diocletian (the largest Imperial Bath) is a wonderful building complex. I wonder if the Diocletian spolia is related to some unfinished building project associated with the Baths.

I would like to visited Split sometime to see Diocletian’s palace. A nice side trip to the island Hvar would be nice. Hvar is about 40 miles (60 Km) from Split, about a two hour ferry.

 

 

[caesar novus]

Since my quote up there caught some interest, I will expand a bit on the scene. Back when the internet held sparse travel info about Croatia, I spent 40 hours (!) researching what ferries could link me thru famous Croatian stopovers then onward to Greece off season in my short window of time. In the Med ferries can be coy and quick to cut back service off season so that trips are still full. It only fell together by finding a part time ferry from Hvar to Korcula.

Started out missing train connections in Zagreb threatening visit to Diocletian's Villa. Turns out my plan B night train to Split had the advantage of landing next to the Villa at dawn, which is the only time it looks like a proper palace - zowie! Day tourists complain loudly about not making sense of the palace when engulfed by it's integrated residential and commercial activity. Note my Roman video lists have a tour of this place empty at dawn (I think omitting basement) as well as Diocletian's Baths in Rome when it was similarly empty off hours.

Split to Havr on Havr island (not Stari Grad on Hvar) is super frequent and short. That is the tourist mecca more than than Stari Grad, altho I didn't clamber to their high castle due to having a full backpack. Town almost deserted until the ferry showed up, which required almost hand to hand combat to board thru the crowds. Stayed overnight in cute Korcula island but like Hvar it was kind of unremarkable to me. Onward to Dubrovnik which was wow wow wow. Then some overnight ferries to Greece via Italy with mishaps but high rewards.

Edited February 16, 2022 by caesar novus