DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.37251#0053
SCALA II. 4
23
intact. Nearly the whole of the base, with the front of most of the feet (excepting
the 1. hand corner with the feet of Senatus), has likewise been restored. Most of
the surface has been rubbed, though in parts, as in the kVVzlwarzM.f, the original surface
remains untouched. Fig. 1 after Cod. Vat. Fat. 3439 f. 87 (see Wace in V. Zb J. 2?. iv
(1907), p. 230) shows the slab before the restorations.
In the centre of the pane! Marcus Aurelius stands to r. with veiled
head, and offers sacrifice over a small tripod, only two legs of which
were represented. Behind the tripod a f<?7722'//?<w in the usual dress hold-
ing in both hands a box of incense (rzrwa) with opened lid. In the back-
ground between the Emperor and the crwA/YKj- appears the head of the
A%772f7; r/zbAk wearing the The Emperor is followed by three
bearded men in tunic and toga (of the nearest to him only the head,
apparently a vivid and lifelike portrait, is visible) standing to r. On the
other side, facing the Emperor, are a flute-player (A'^2^72) in tunic and
short cloak, represented as of much shorter stature than the other per-
sonages in the relief, a or sacrificial assistant, with an axe in his 1.
hand (restored), and a bearded man carrying on his head a shallow pan
with handle, which he steadies with his 1. hand. Both this man and the
sacrificial assistant wear a fringed garment fastened round the waist and
leaving the body bare. The bearded figure in the foreground behind
Marcus, the <r<777227/7zy, the flute-player, and the all wear laurel
wreaths. The head and shoulders of the bull are seen above the heads
of the two shorter figures. In the background are two buildings. That
on the 1. is the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, represented with four
instead of six columns. It is of the Corinthian order, and the three
doors of the celiae are seen between the columns. The centre of the
pediment is occupied by the Capitoline triad : Jupiter with the eagle
beneath him is seated between Juno on his r. and Minerva on his 1.;
beyond Minerva is Mercury. On the r. Sol is rising in his chariot and
moving towards the centre, on the 1. Luna, seen against the arching folds
of her veil, is descending and moving towards the left; below Mercury
and Minerva appear two figures represented on a smaller scale to the
rest, explained by Brunn as Aesculapius and the Roman Salus. These
are balanced on the opposite side by the figure of a young man entirely
nude, thought by Brunn to be Ganymede. In each angle Vulcan, wear-
ing the yVAzzy and seated, is forging Jupiter's thunderbolt assisted by
two Cyclopes, one on each side of him. The cornice of the pediment is
decorated with palmettes. On the apex are the four horses of a quadriga
placed frontally and forming the central acroterion; at each extremity
are remains of a group of two horses moving towards the centre. To
the r. of the temple is the wall of a building with five pilasters, probably
part of the enclosure which bounded the <Z7'M of the sanctuary. Above
the architrave are three groups: on the 1. and at the centre a man spear-
ing a lion; on the r. a man spearing a bull.
In the present slab, in addition to the Emperor and the 7%772;v2
it seems justifiable to recognize, in the bearded man with vivid
portrait-like features immediately behind Marcus, his inseparable com-
panion on the other slabs, according to Stuart Jones the AV<72/7<r/z2.r y-z'zz^-
/<77*zb M. Bassaeus Rufus, while on the analogy of other monuments the
bearded and heavily draped ideal figure is presumably a personification
of the &zzzz/zzj.
23
intact. Nearly the whole of the base, with the front of most of the feet (excepting
the 1. hand corner with the feet of Senatus), has likewise been restored. Most of
the surface has been rubbed, though in parts, as in the kVVzlwarzM.f, the original surface
remains untouched. Fig. 1 after Cod. Vat. Fat. 3439 f. 87 (see Wace in V. Zb J. 2?. iv
(1907), p. 230) shows the slab before the restorations.
In the centre of the pane! Marcus Aurelius stands to r. with veiled
head, and offers sacrifice over a small tripod, only two legs of which
were represented. Behind the tripod a f<?7722'//?<w in the usual dress hold-
ing in both hands a box of incense (rzrwa) with opened lid. In the back-
ground between the Emperor and the crwA/YKj- appears the head of the
A%772f7; r/zbAk wearing the The Emperor is followed by three
bearded men in tunic and toga (of the nearest to him only the head,
apparently a vivid and lifelike portrait, is visible) standing to r. On the
other side, facing the Emperor, are a flute-player (A'^2^72) in tunic and
short cloak, represented as of much shorter stature than the other per-
sonages in the relief, a or sacrificial assistant, with an axe in his 1.
hand (restored), and a bearded man carrying on his head a shallow pan
with handle, which he steadies with his 1. hand. Both this man and the
sacrificial assistant wear a fringed garment fastened round the waist and
leaving the body bare. The bearded figure in the foreground behind
Marcus, the <r<777227/7zy, the flute-player, and the all wear laurel
wreaths. The head and shoulders of the bull are seen above the heads
of the two shorter figures. In the background are two buildings. That
on the 1. is the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, represented with four
instead of six columns. It is of the Corinthian order, and the three
doors of the celiae are seen between the columns. The centre of the
pediment is occupied by the Capitoline triad : Jupiter with the eagle
beneath him is seated between Juno on his r. and Minerva on his 1.;
beyond Minerva is Mercury. On the r. Sol is rising in his chariot and
moving towards the centre, on the 1. Luna, seen against the arching folds
of her veil, is descending and moving towards the left; below Mercury
and Minerva appear two figures represented on a smaller scale to the
rest, explained by Brunn as Aesculapius and the Roman Salus. These
are balanced on the opposite side by the figure of a young man entirely
nude, thought by Brunn to be Ganymede. In each angle Vulcan, wear-
ing the yVAzzy and seated, is forging Jupiter's thunderbolt assisted by
two Cyclopes, one on each side of him. The cornice of the pediment is
decorated with palmettes. On the apex are the four horses of a quadriga
placed frontally and forming the central acroterion; at each extremity
are remains of a group of two horses moving towards the centre. To
the r. of the temple is the wall of a building with five pilasters, probably
part of the enclosure which bounded the <Z7'M of the sanctuary. Above
the architrave are three groups: on the 1. and at the centre a man spear-
ing a lion; on the r. a man spearing a bull.
In the present slab, in addition to the Emperor and the 7%772;v2
it seems justifiable to recognize, in the bearded man with vivid
portrait-like features immediately behind Marcus, his inseparable com-
panion on the other slabs, according to Stuart Jones the AV<72/7<r/z2.r y-z'zz^-
/<77*zb M. Bassaeus Rufus, while on the analogy of other monuments the
bearded and heavily draped ideal figure is presumably a personification
of the &zzzz/zzj.