Notae Numismaticae - Zapiski Numizmatyczne (14.2019)

MATEUSZ OKOŃSKI

94

One of the main themes of the monetary iconography in the Imperial era was
the motif of an enemy - a foreign representative of an enemy people. This theme
was taken from earlier republican issues, which in turn took it from Greek art.1 These
images appeared both in architectural and full sculpture, on sarcophagi, decorative
reliefs, as well as in fine figurative art. The frequent presence of protagonists on
Roman monuments may testify to the important participation of these images in
spreading the achievements of Imperial power. But what was the purpose of placing
this type of image on monuments and smaller objects? One of the key tasks of
imperial propaganda was to present the emperor as a winner, something which
could be clearly linked to images of conquered tribes and peoples.2 These simulacra
gentium, which constituted one of the foundations of the emperor’s image, therefore
had a primarily symbolic function - they were to show the personal power and
dominance of the victorious ruler, and thus of the whole Empire, personified by
the figure of the princeps. The second level on which one should interpret and analyze
the silhouettes of barbarians in Roman art is the informative function, which they
undoubtedly also performed. Artistic images were a perfect complement to tractates
and literary works in which the representatives of foreign peoples were described-
their appearance, customs and social organization. The texts, however, were
directed mainly to the upper, literate and interested in literature social classes. Art,
through its imagery, significantly broadened the circle of recipients that the central
authorities wanted to reach. The best example of the use of the images of foreign
peoples in propaganda remains the institution of triumph, although its scope was
limited to the residents of the capital.3 It was during their victorious processions that
the inhabitants of Rome most often had the opportunity to observe the representatives
of the barbarian tribes and their gear. As Christian Heitz has calculated, at least thirty-
three of more than fifty emperors (i.e. about 66%) from Tiberius to Diocletian placed
images of representatives of foreign peoples on the issuances of their coins.4 This

1 In Roman art, the concept of a stranger initially had no value. Only the experience of the Persian wars
changed this situation, creating a dissonance along the line of Greeks — barbarians. At that time, the evaluation
and recognition of strangers as being at a lower cultural and civilization level also appeared. This depiction of
barbarians was adopted by the Romans from the Greeks. Issues of perception of strangers by Greeks and Romans
were raised by, among others: DUBUISSON 2001; IDEM 1985; HODOT and JOUIN 2008; LAMPINEN 2011.
2 On propaganda in Roman art, see among others OSTROWSKI 1985; HANNESTAD 1988; HÖLSCHER
2011. The term “propaganda” is used here with the awareness of its limitations in relation to ancient times. More
on this topic: KOPIJ 2017; OSTROWSKI 1996. Further literature there. The issue of representations of foreign
peoples in the art of Rome was raised by BIEŃKOWSKI 1900; SCHUMACHER 1935; FERRIS 2000; KRIERER
2004; HEITZ 2009.
3 KACZMAREK 2011: 154. It was during triumphal processions that captured prisoners of war were
brought out and displayed, armament was presented, as well as images showing the sequence of events from
a given campaign. For more on Roman triumphs, see OSTENBERG 2009; BEARD 2007; BALBUZA 2005;
ITGENSHORST 2005; VERSNEL 1970.
4 HEITZ 2006: 175.