British School at Rome: Papers of the British School at Rome (4.1907)

Studies in Roman Historical Reliefs.

271

It is the object of the present paper to examine the subjects of the
reliefs, and to attempt to determine their date. The first point to notice
is that an emperor is represented only in four of the six, in B, D, E, and
F. In only one of these (B) is the emperor’s head preserved. In the other
three the heads are lost, and close examination reveals that these heads
had been changed at some time or other. In the background of the reliefs
as well as in the torsi of the figures holes have been carefully chiselled to
admit new heads. This means that in antiquity the original heads were
broken off, and new heads applied. When we consider the other sculptures
of the arch it is probable that the emperor whose head was thus replaced
was not Constantine and was bearded. In the reliefs of the main archway
the beardless head of Trajan is still preserved.1 In the Aurelian panels of
the attica the bearded head of M. Aurelius was replaced by a beardless
portrait of Constantine.2 We reach this conclusion that, as Constantine
was the first beardless emperor since Hadrian, a beardless head which
might be taken for him was preserved, while bearded heads which could
not possibly represent Constantine were replaced by his portrait.3 It is
reasonable to assume the emperor in the siege scene B, whose head is
original and unchanged, to be the builder of the arch of Constantine, since
the style of the relief points to that period. The other three, D, E, F, in
which the head has been replaced, are so like the siege scene in style that
they have always been thought to be contemporary. Therefore it is to be
expected that these refer to one of Constantine’s immediate predecessors.
Since it is obvious that one of them F celebrates a triumph, we must find
an emperor who satisfies both conditions. There are four possible emperors,
Maxentius, who triumphed in 311, Diocletian, who celebrated a Persian
triumph for the victories of Galerius in 303, Probus, and Aurelian, who
triumphed in 280 and 274. As Maxentius’ African triumph only occurred
the year before his death, there would hardly have been time for him to
erect a monument to commemorate it. Probus and Aurelian are rather
too early to be considered. Diocletian’s Persian triumph, which he celebrated
on the occasion of his vicennalia in 303, is the most likely subject. The
1 Sieveking (text to Brunn-Bruckmann 580) considers that the head has been worked over and
made a portrait of Constantine.
2 Stuart Jones, Papers B.S.R. iii. p. 251.
3 v„ Bernoulli, Romische Ikonographie; Imhoof-Blumer, Portratkbpfe auf ram. Milnzen,
Plates II-IV. The question of the Flavian medallions does not enter into the discussion here ;
v. Stuart Jones, Papers B.S.R. iii. pp. 229 seqq.