DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26205#0046
44
it made a pendant for a statue of the Nile erected in the temple of Sarapis,
like in the case of the group of the Nile and the Tiber from the temple of Jsis
in the Campus Martius. The Tiber, falling into the sea at Ostia, had in this
city his temple and was worshipped as Pater Tiburinus (cf. above, Chapter I).
No wonder then that numerous cult images of this river must have existed here.
Presumably also of cult significance was a pair of colossal statues
representing the reclining rivers, today placed in front of the stairs the Palace
of Senators in the Capitol and originating from the times of Trajan
or Hadrian 85 86. The attributes are damaged or added to in modern times, and
therefore in the 16th century a beast of prey was suspected in a very worn
out sphinx against which the Nile is leaning, most often a tiger, and henceforth
this group used to be given an incorrect (yet often employed) name of the
Tiber and the Tigris. E. Simon rightly draws attention to the fact that no
joint image of the Tiber and the Tigris exists in ancient art, whereas there
are many, mainly cult images of the Nile and the Tiber as sculptured groups 88.
In fact, a thesis could be put forward that under Trajan, when the Roman
army reached the Euphrates and the Tigris, attempts were undertaken to
create the personification of that latter river and to place it beside the Tiber
as the allegory of Roman rule in the East, yet it seems that it is more convincing
to regard these both characters as the Nile and the Tiber, remaining in close
relation.
Perhaps from among such a group comes also the statue of the Tiber
in Villa d’Este in Tivoli, formerly in Palazzo Corsini in Rome, the dating
of which is controversial (Flavian?, Hadrianic?)87. Regarding the lack of
information on its place of discovery and because of numerous modern
additions, it is difficult to define conclusively the function performed by this
personification. The provenience of a given object, its primary place; is a very
important element permitting the classification of it. Therefore the mentioned
above (p. 38) statues of the Tiber and the Nile, adorning in antiquity the
Villa Hadriani in Tivoli, are classified as mythological, but the others, found
in the temples, are classified as cult images.
In the times of the Antonines a sculptured relief came into being, now
kept in Palazzo Rondanini (Fig. 47) 88. It represents the image of the Tiber
rarely to be encountered, showing him emerging from among the waves
in such a way that only the upper body is visible. He holds an epergne in the
right hand, which he puts under stream of water, out- flowing from the over-
turned vessel. In his left hand there is a bundle of reeds. In the background
there are the buildings on Insula Tiberina (the temple of Aeculapius) from
85 A. Michaelis, RM, 13, 1898, p. 254ff.; Helbig4, No. 1162.
86 E. Simon, [in:] Helbig4, II, No. 1162.
87 Matz-Duhn, I, 1881, p. 148, No. 573; Le Gali, pp. 23—24, PI. 6, 2; B. Conticello
EAA, VII, 1966, pp. 790—791, s. v. Tevere.
88 Strong, Scultura, I, Fig. 148; Toynbee, p. 114, PI. 27, 2; Le Gall, pp. 26—27, PI. 10, 1.
it made a pendant for a statue of the Nile erected in the temple of Sarapis,
like in the case of the group of the Nile and the Tiber from the temple of Jsis
in the Campus Martius. The Tiber, falling into the sea at Ostia, had in this
city his temple and was worshipped as Pater Tiburinus (cf. above, Chapter I).
No wonder then that numerous cult images of this river must have existed here.
Presumably also of cult significance was a pair of colossal statues
representing the reclining rivers, today placed in front of the stairs the Palace
of Senators in the Capitol and originating from the times of Trajan
or Hadrian 85 86. The attributes are damaged or added to in modern times, and
therefore in the 16th century a beast of prey was suspected in a very worn
out sphinx against which the Nile is leaning, most often a tiger, and henceforth
this group used to be given an incorrect (yet often employed) name of the
Tiber and the Tigris. E. Simon rightly draws attention to the fact that no
joint image of the Tiber and the Tigris exists in ancient art, whereas there
are many, mainly cult images of the Nile and the Tiber as sculptured groups 88.
In fact, a thesis could be put forward that under Trajan, when the Roman
army reached the Euphrates and the Tigris, attempts were undertaken to
create the personification of that latter river and to place it beside the Tiber
as the allegory of Roman rule in the East, yet it seems that it is more convincing
to regard these both characters as the Nile and the Tiber, remaining in close
relation.
Perhaps from among such a group comes also the statue of the Tiber
in Villa d’Este in Tivoli, formerly in Palazzo Corsini in Rome, the dating
of which is controversial (Flavian?, Hadrianic?)87. Regarding the lack of
information on its place of discovery and because of numerous modern
additions, it is difficult to define conclusively the function performed by this
personification. The provenience of a given object, its primary place; is a very
important element permitting the classification of it. Therefore the mentioned
above (p. 38) statues of the Tiber and the Nile, adorning in antiquity the
Villa Hadriani in Tivoli, are classified as mythological, but the others, found
in the temples, are classified as cult images.
In the times of the Antonines a sculptured relief came into being, now
kept in Palazzo Rondanini (Fig. 47) 88. It represents the image of the Tiber
rarely to be encountered, showing him emerging from among the waves
in such a way that only the upper body is visible. He holds an epergne in the
right hand, which he puts under stream of water, out- flowing from the over-
turned vessel. In his left hand there is a bundle of reeds. In the background
there are the buildings on Insula Tiberina (the temple of Aeculapius) from
85 A. Michaelis, RM, 13, 1898, p. 254ff.; Helbig4, No. 1162.
86 E. Simon, [in:] Helbig4, II, No. 1162.
87 Matz-Duhn, I, 1881, p. 148, No. 573; Le Gali, pp. 23—24, PI. 6, 2; B. Conticello
EAA, VII, 1966, pp. 790—791, s. v. Tevere.
88 Strong, Scultura, I, Fig. 148; Toynbee, p. 114, PI. 27, 2; Le Gall, pp. 26—27, PI. 10, 1.